Looking for something to watch for Pride? Below are 10 films that are worth your time. The movies on the list were chosen because they meet one or more of the following criteria: socially significant, depict a part of LGBT history, explore difficult topic, and are just damn good.
Rustin
Rustin is an inspiring and compelling story. Everything about it–the look, pacing, acting, sound–are spot on. It’s a historical drama about civil rights activist Bayard Rustin and how he organized the 1963 March on Washington.
Read our review of Rustin here.
Carol
Carol is a superb film, full of beauty, thought, honesty, and some of the best acting you’re going to see. It’s a quiet movie, so it may not be for everybody.
Read our review of Carol here.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert is a road film about three drag queens travelling across the Australian outback. The colors are bright, the outfits outrageous, and the story has the right mix of humor and seriousness. It’s easy to root for these three drag queens as they open up to each other and take their act on the road.
Read our review of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert here.
Maestro
Maestro is an incredible biopic about Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), two people who lived life on their terms. It’s unapologetic, laying out the facts about their relationship for you to decide.
Read our review of Maestro here.
Prayers for Bobby
Prayers for Bobby is a 2009 Lifetime movie based on the true story of Bobby Griffith, a gay man whose family’s homophobia drove him to commit suicide in 1983. The film reached over 6 million viewers over two days when it was first released.
Read our review of Prayers for Bobby here.
Moonlight
Moonlight is the closest I’ve seen to a perfect film in years. The acting is on point, the script is excellent, and the cinematography makes it difficult to turn away. It’s a compelling story of the effects of being young, black, and gay in urban America and will tear at your heart. It follows the main character, Chiron, as a child, teenager, and a young adult in three acts.
Read our review of Moonlight here.
Pride
Pride is a historical drama about gay and lesbian activists raising money to help families effected by the British miners’ strike of 1984. The film stays close to the facts and leaves its audience smiling.
Read our review of Pride here.
A Single Man
A Single Man takes place in Los Angeles in 1962, when gay men were forced into the closet or risk losing their careers. Colin Firth plays George Falconer, a middle-aged college professor secretly grieving the loss of his partner, Jim.
The acting is on point, and the story, based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood, is well told and thoughtful.
Read our review of A Single Man here.
Tár
With Tár, Todd Field gives us a film that succeeds on every level. It’s subtle, well shot and edited, has some great performances, and a thoughtful script that understands how people interact. Every aspect of this film works so well that I never felt it’s length, which is two hours and thirty-eight minutes.
The Boys in the Band (1970)
The Boys in the Band is an unflinching depiction of the devastating aftermath that comes from a society that accepts homophobia and racism without apology. Parts of this film were cringeworthy when it came out in 1970 and are shockingly repugnant today. This is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. This was a difficult film to watch when it came out, and is even more so now, and it’s meant to be that way.
