Inventive filmmaking, groundbreaking crossover hits, and our greatest auteurs. Here are the best queer films of the century so far, from “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” to “Moonlight.”
In recent years, LGBTQ films and stories have not only gained greater visibility in mainstream media but have also achieved remarkable success during awards seasons and found audiences in unexpected places.
One notable example is Lydia Tár, portrayed by acclaimed actress Cate Blanchett, known for her role in “Carol” and her status as a respected figure within the LGBTQ community. Lydia Tár’s character dominated discussions surrounding the 2022 Oscars and became a prominent reference point in critical film analysis and conversations related to cancel culture. The previous summer, Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller made history with “Bros,” one of the first gay romantic comedies funded by a major studio, Universal Pictures. Despite facing challenges at the box office, the film’s existence was regarded as an important milestone.
This is just a glimpse of the broader successes seen in queer cinema during another remarkable year. These achievements represent significant wins within a cultural movement that continues to face new challenges on the horizon.
The emergence of New Queer Cinema in the 1990s had a significant impact on the independent film movement, setting a high standard for the many LGBTQ films that would follow.
In the first two decades of the 21st century, films portraying gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and other queer narratives have thrived, no longer constrained by minuscule budgets as they once were.
The film list prepared by Ryan Lattanzio, Jude Dry and Alison Foreman for Indiewire, exemplifies a significant shift in the ambition and breadth of contemporary queer cinema. Although there may not be a new wave of queer filmmakers that matches the groundbreaking era of the ’90s, we now have films that capture the complexities, sensuality, introspection, and humor inherent in the queer experience itself. These movies showcase the diverse range of storytelling that reflects the richness of contemporary queer narratives.
The top 5 LGBTQ+ films of the 21st century among the selected 50 films are…
5. Stranger by the Lake
Stranger by the Lake, a story revolving around nudity, suspense, and sexual desire. It is also another “love and death tale” born out of a love murder. This drama-thriller film, written and directed by Alain Guiraudie, earned him the Best Director award at Cannes.
4. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Portrait of a Lady on Fire which won the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival and was hailed as one of the best films of 2019, is an erotic and exhilarating love story between women who fulfill their desires through a creative experience. The film’s director, Celine Sciamma, refers to “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” as a manifesto on the female gaze.
3. Brokeback Mountain
In the critically acclaimed film Brokeback Mountain, directed by Ang Lee, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal take on the lead roles. The film is an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning short story by E. Annie Proulx. “Brokeback Mountain” tells the story of Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, two cowboys who fall in love with each other while working as ranch hands in Wyoming’s Brokeback Mountain in 1963.
2. Carol
Carol is a British-American romantic drama film directed by Todd Haynes, released in 2015. The screenplay, written by Phyllis Nagy, is based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel “The Price of Salt,” also known as “Carol.” The film features a stellar cast including Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, and Kyle Chandler. Set in 1952 New York, the film portrays the relationship between a young woman with a passion for photography and an older woman embarking on a difficult divorce.
1. Moonlight
Moonlight is a 2016 American drama film directed by Barry Jenkins, with a screenplay also written by Jenkins, based on the book “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue” by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama and received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Moonlight centers around the life of a young boy named Chiron, growing up in a poor neighborhood in Miami. The film explores three different stages of his life and his journey of self-discovery. Praised by The Hollywood Reporter as a film that “will resonate with anyone who has ever been marginalized or made to feel alone in the world,” Moonlight is a coming-of-age story that depicts the struggle to find one’s place in life.