Vintage gay men movies
17 classic LGBTQ movies that everyone should see in their lifetime
FacebookEmailXLinkedInRedditBlueskyWhatsAppCopy linkImpact Link
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading an account? .
- Increasing LGBTQ visibility in recent years means that more accessible queer films are being made.
- However, it's important to acknowledge that LGBTQ movies have always existed (even in times of censorship) and are important parts of lgbtq+ history.
- Insider compiled some of the LGBTQ films that are from or earlier that everyone should watch.
- Recommendations range from "Michael" to "Paris Is Burning."
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Thanks to increasing LGBTQ awareness, queer films are organism made mainstream — often with queer writers, actors, and directors at their helms.
However, while many of these contemporary gay movies are essential and persist to capture more and more elements of homosexual life, it's also crucial to acknowledge that LGBTQ movies have always existed (even during periods of censorship) and are crucial parts of the community's history.
Insider has compiled a list of
Old Hollywood movies had to follow strict guidelines throughout the s–s, known as the Hays Code. This basically prevented all US films from featuring anything that was overtly sexual or "inappropriate," which forced a lot of filmmakers to get creative about how they could navigate potential censorship. I contain running lists on Letterboxd of every Old Hollywood and LGBTQ+ movie that I watch, so I sifted through them to find a bunch from the Hays Code era that are subtly (and not so subtly) suuuuuper gay. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!
1.Rebel Without a Cause () stars James Dean as a bisexual hottie, so you really can't inquire for much more. The original script had his character kissing Plato, who was one of the first gay teen characters on screen, but the Hays Code quickly squashed that from happening. Still, this movie is edgy and dramatic and love-related, and the whole cast is just so amusement to look at.
2.All About Eve () is a witty and toxic drama about an aging actress who befriends a fan who ultimately tries to usurp her. This film shares the record for the most Oscar nominations ever, with 14, and it briefly features Marilyn Monroe in one of her first roles ever.
The best LGBTQ+ movies of all time
Photograph: Kate Wootton/TimeOut
With the help of foremost directors, actors, writers and activists, we count down the most essential Diverse films of all time
Like queer culture itself, gay cinema is not a monolith. For a drawn-out time, though, that’s certainly how it felt. In the past, if male lover lives and issues were ever portrayed at all on screen, it was typically from the perspective of white, cisgendered men. But as more opportunities have opened up for queer performers and filmmakers to tell their hold stories, the scope of the LGBTQ+ experiences that have made their way onto the screen has gradually widened to more frequently include the gender non-conforming community and queer people of colour.
It’s still not perfect, of course. In Hollywood, as in population at large, there are many barriers left to breach and ceilings to shatter. But those recent strides deserve to be celebrated – as perform the bold films made long before the mainstream was willing to receive them. To that termination, we enlisted some Homosexual cultural pioneers, as adequately as Time Out writers to assist in assembling a list of the greatest gay films ever made.
Written by C
10 great French gay films
Traditionally France has been seen as one of the most liberal countries in the world, and it boasts an enviable write down on gay rights, despite the occasional rantings from Brigitte Bardot. But has this homofriendly attitude translated to its cinema?
We’ve kept the list to films that are easily available to watch in the UK, but honourable mention should go to The Ostrich Has Two Eggs (), a dated farce that at least has a sympathetic male lover son, albeit one who never appears on screen, and Les Amitiés particulières (), put in a boys’ boarding school. Les Nuits fauves () is one of the finest films to deal with the AIDS crisis, while the best work of the recently deceased Patrice Chéreau (especially ’s L’Homme blessé) narrowly missed the cut.
Get the latest from the BFI
Sign up for BFI news, features, videos and podcasts.
By signing up to emails you are indicating that you possess read and agree to the terms of employ and privacy policy.Where are the lesbians? Good interrogate, as French cinema is particularly strong on sapphic cinema. Alas, pioneering films such as Club de femmes () and Olivia () aren’t easily accessible in the UK, but hopefully a list will
.
The best LGBTQ+ movies of all time
Photograph: Kate Wootton/TimeOut
With the help of foremost directors, actors, writers and activists, we count down the most essential Diverse films of all time
Like queer culture itself, gay cinema is not a monolith. For a drawn-out time, though, that’s certainly how it felt. In the past, if male lover lives and issues were ever portrayed at all on screen, it was typically from the perspective of white, cisgendered men. But as more opportunities have opened up for queer performers and filmmakers to tell their hold stories, the scope of the LGBTQ+ experiences that have made their way onto the screen has gradually widened to more frequently include the gender non-conforming community and queer people of colour.
It’s still not perfect, of course. In Hollywood, as in population at large, there are many barriers left to breach and ceilings to shatter. But those recent strides deserve to be celebrated – as perform the bold films made long before the mainstream was willing to receive them. To that termination, we enlisted some Homosexual cultural pioneers, as adequately as Time Out writers to assist in assembling a list of the greatest gay films ever made.
Written by C Traditionally France has been seen as one of the most liberal countries in the world, and it boasts an enviable write down on gay rights, despite the occasional rantings from Brigitte Bardot. But has this homofriendly attitude translated to its cinema? We’ve kept the list to films that are easily available to watch in the UK, but honourable mention should go to The Ostrich Has Two Eggs (), a dated farce that at least has a sympathetic male lover son, albeit one who never appears on screen, and Les Amitiés particulières (), put in a boys’ boarding school. Les Nuits fauves () is one of the finest films to deal with the AIDS crisis, while the best work of the recently deceased Patrice Chéreau (especially ’s L’Homme blessé) narrowly missed the cut. Sign up for BFI news, features, videos and podcasts. Where are the lesbians? Good interrogate, as French cinema is particularly strong on sapphic cinema. Alas, pioneering films such as Club de femmes () and Olivia () aren’t easily accessible in the UK, but hopefully a list will .
10 great French gay films
Get the latest from the BFI