LGBTQ+ 2021 MOVIE LIST!
Ailey, Documentary L(G)BTQ+- Alvin Ailey, who died in 1989, was a legendary pioneer who became the one of the first gay African Americans to start a major dance company. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey School continue his legacy; this documentary, directed by Jamila Wignot and premiering at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, tells Ailey’s story. (Available on YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Vudu)
Benedetta, Historical Drama, Romance (L)GBTQ+- Inspired by a true story and set in 17th-century Italy, this drama from director Paul Verhoeven is about a lesbian Catholic nun named Benedetta Carlini (Virginie Efira), a religious mystic who begins having erotic visions and has an affair with another nun named Bartolomea (Daphne Patakia). (Available on Google Play and Vudu)
Boy Meets Boy, Drama, Romance L(G)BTQ+ - Harry has been partying for 48 hours when he meets Johannes on the dance floor of a club in Berlin. With 15 hours until his flight home, Johannes offers to help him print his boarding pass. This mundane task leads to a day together wandering the city. The contrasts in their lives and values force each one to confront their own truths. Boys Meet Boys is a feature length mumblecore about the journey of a brief encounter: the mark left by a fleeting moment of joy. (Available on YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV)
Breaking Fast, Romantic Comedy L(G)BTQ+-In this romantic comedy written and directed by Mike Mosallam, a white American named Kal (Michael Cassidy) and a Lebanese-American named Mo (Haaz Sleiman) fall in love in West Hollywood and learn to adjust to their cultural differences. Their courtship begins during Ramadan, a Muslim tradition of fasting and abstaining from sex for a month. (Available on YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, Apple TV, and Hulu)
Cowboys, Drama LGB(T)Q+- In this Tribeca Film Festival award-winning drama from director Ann Kerrigan, Troy (Steve Zahn) and his trans son Joe (Sasha Knight) hide out in the Montana wilderness together after Troy’s estranged wife Sally (Jillian Bell) refuses to accept Joe’s trans identity. Unlike many films that cast cisgender actors in transgender roles, 10 year old Sasha Knight plays the trans son Joe, marking an important milestone in transgender storytelling. (Available on YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Hulu)
Dragonfly Boy, Dramedy LGBT(Q+)- The film is about transformation and acceptance, made on a $0 budget for a student project. Freshly 21-year-old Graham is fighting over who he is and who he loves. In a world full of opinions and self-hatred, we watch as Graham grows with himself and the amazing people in his life around him. (Available on YouTube)
Eternals, Action L(G)BTQ+- From Marvel Studios, the Eternals, a race of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years, reunite to battle the evil Deviants. (Available in theaters, will soon be on Disney+)
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Musical Drama, L(G)BT(Q+)- What’s a gay teenage boy to do when he wants to be a drag queen? This cinematic version of the hit British stage musical of the same name tells the story of Jamie New (Max Harwood), who gets pushback for wanting to express his fabulousness at his school’s prom and in everyday life. (Available on Amazon Prime)
Haymaker Action Drama LGB(T)Q+- After being threatened by a thug, a seductive transgender entertainer named Nomi (Nomi Ruiz) is rescued by a retired Muay Thai fighter named Nick (Nick Sasso, who also directed this action drama). The two go on the run together and become close. (Available on Amazon Prime)
I Carry You With Me (Te Llevo Conmigo) Drama L(G)BTQ+-Based on a true story, this drama follows two Mexican lovers — Iván (Armando Espitia) and Gerardo (Christian Vázquez) — whose decades-long romance is tested when one of them moves to New York City to pursue his dream of becoming a chef. (Available on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV, Vudu, and Starz on 1/5)
The Land of Owls Drama (LG)BTQ+- A pair of Brooklyn couples work through their relationship issues at an upstate retreat. In the isolation of the Catskill Mountains, the retreat leader pushes the couples through a weekend of exercises that force them out of their comfort zones. Removed from the routine distractions of city life and engaging in honest communication for the first time, they have a chance to save their relationships – or to leave them behind. (Available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime)
Ma Belle, My Beauty Drama LGBT(Q+)- Bertie (Idella Johnson) and Lane (Hannah Pepper-Cunningham) were lovers in a polyamorous relationship with Fred (Lucien Guignard) until Lane “ghosted” the other two. Bertie and Fred are now married to each other, and Lane shows up for a surprise reunion in southern France. (Available on Google Play, Vudu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and YouTube)
The Man with The Answers Drama L(G)BTQ+- A former Greek diving champion and an eccentric German student take an adventurous road-trip of rediscovery from Bari to Bavaria. A picture-postcard travelogue about the familial ties that bind, the boys that catch our eye, and the twists and turns that lead us home. (Available on Amazon Prime)
Maschile singolare, Drama LGBT(Q+)- This movie explores the modern relationship problem of a young queer guy Antonio. He is a 30-year-old family man, whose life takes an unexpected turn after he suddenly broke up with his husband. (Available on Amazon Prime)
My Name is Pauli Murray Documentary LGBT(Q)+- Oscar-nominated RBG directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West helmed this documentary about queer activist Anna Pauline “Pauli” Murray, who died in 1985. Murray had the unusual distinction of being a lawyer, an Episcopal priest, and a feminist. (Available on Amazon Prime)
No Ordinary Man Documentary LGB(T)Q+- The story of transgender jazz musician Billy Tipton, who passed away in 1989, comes to life this documentary from directors Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt. (Available on YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, and Apple TV)
Operation Hyacinth Historical Drama L(G)BT(Q+)- Not satisfied with the result of a murder investigation in Warsaw's gay community, an officer in 1980s communist Poland resolves to uncover the truth. (Available on Netflix)
Pray Away Documentary (LGBTQ+)- a comprehensive review of conversion therapy and religious discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in the US. (Available on Netflix)
Single All The Way Dramedy L(G)BTQ+- Desperate to avoid his family's judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter convinces his best friend Nick to join him for the holidays and pretend that they're now in a relationship. (Available on Netflix)
The Sound of Identity Documentary LGB(T)Q+- Lucia Lucas, the first openly transgender female baritone to perform a principal role in an opera on an American stage, gets the spotlight in this Shout! Studios documentary directed by James Kicklighter. (Available on Starz, Philo, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, Apple TV, and Hulu)
Supernova Drama L(G)BTQ+- long-time partners Tusker and Sam go on a road trip across England after Tusker is diagnosed with early onset dementia. (Available on YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV, and Hulu)
Two of Us Drama (L)GBTQ+- This French-language dramedy is France’s official 2021 Academy Awards selection for Best International Feature Film. The movie is a love story between two closeted senior citizens and neighbors — Nina (Barbara Sukowa) and Madeleine (Martine Chevallier) — whose long-term relationship is disrupted when an unexpected event threatens to tear them apart. It’s the feature-film directorial debut from Filippo Meneghetti. (Available on Hulu, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV)
The World To Come Historical Drama (L)GBTQ+ - In 1850s Schoharie County, New York, two farmers’ wives — Abigail (Katherine Waterston) and Tallie (Vanessa Kirby) — have a romance with each other while unhappily married to their husbands. (Available on YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV, and Hulu).