1. Bit (2019)
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Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 90%
While visiting L.A., a young trans teen is befriended and then bitten by a gang of feminist vampires. With its quick wit and nuanced female relationships, Bit is equal parts Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Thelma Louise.
2. My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
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Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 98%
Set in the Thatcher years, My Beautiful Laundrette follows the story of Omar, a British Pakistani man as he reunites with Johny (played by a young Daniel-Day Lewis), his childhood friend who now leads a group of right-wing extremist street punks. It's an '80s Romeo & Juliet, if Romeo and Juliet teamed up to open up a laundromat in Wandsworth.
3. But I'm A Cheerleader (1999)
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Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 74%
A gay conversion camp is an unlikely setting for a rom-com, and yet But I'm A Cheerleader pulls it off, balancing both satire and sincerity. Beneath all the pom-poms and pink vinyl dresses, But I'm A Cheerleader is a tender story about self-acceptance and found family. Plus, it's full of LGBTQ actors like Clea Duvall and RuPaul!
4. The Half Of It (2020)
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Watch On: Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 97%
Ellie Chu makes money by writing essays for her classmates. One day, she's approached by Paul Munsky, a sweet, but inarticulate football player, who wants Ellie to help him write a love letter to his crush, Aster Flores. The only problem? Ellie's secretly in love with Aster. This queer retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is thoughtful, tender, and genuinely hilarious.
5. Brief Story From The Green Planet (2019)
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Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 100%
After her grandmother dies, Tania, a trans woman, must travel through rural Argentina to deliver an alien to safety. Over the course of her extraterrestrial pilgrimage, she realises that she's much stronger than she previously thought.
6. The Carmilla Movie
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Watch On: Available for purchase on the Carmilla Website
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93%
Fans of the original web series were thrilled when it was announced that there was going to be a Carmilla movie – and it did not disappoint. Carmilla is the lesbian vampire gothic-romance you didn't know you needed to see. I definitely reccomend watching the web series first, and luckily all the episodes are on YouTube!
7. Pride (2014)
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Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91%
Pride is the true story about a group of LGBTQ activists who decide to start raising money and awareness for the year-long miner's strike. It's a truly moving film about solidarity and allyship, and there's a truly iconic scene where Dominic West dances his heart out to "Shame, Shame, Shame" by Shirley & Company. What more could you want?
8. The Feels (2017)
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Watch On: Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 51%
The Feels is an improvised – that's right, improvised – dramedy about a bachelorrette party for a lesbian couple. One of the brides-to-be admits that she's never had an orgasm, derailing the planned festivities.
9. Rafiki (2019)
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Watch On: Amazon Prime, Channel 4
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93%
Rafiki is a lesbian romance set Nairobi. This visually stunning movie follows two daughters of rival politicians as they navigate not only their budding relationship, but the homophobia of their society. The Kenya Film Classification Board banned Rafiki due to it's queer content, but this gorgeous and hopeful movie found success globally after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.
10. Saving Face (2005)
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Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 86%
The film revolves around Wil (a succesful surgeon who hides her sexuality from her family), Gao (Wil's mother who becomes pregnant out of wedlock), and Vivan (Wil's girlfriend). This hilarious mother-daughter comedy was written and directed by Alice Wu (the writer and director of The Half of It).
11. The Way He Looks (2014)
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Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93%
This sweet Brazilian film is a sweet coming-of-age film about Leonardo, a blind high schooler frustrated with his lack of independence, and Gabriel, a new student. It's a realistic, but hopeful movie that will quickly become one of your go-to rom-coms.
12. God’s Own Country (2017)
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Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 98%
Josh O'Connor, AKA Prince Charles in The Crown, plays a a young sheep farmer who's life changes overnight when Gheorge, a Romanian migrant worker, is hired as extra help during lambing season. It's a rivals-to-lovers story that will keep you on the edge of your seat