Just because Pride Month is almost over, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrateLGBTQ+ storiesyear-round. With movies from across the spectrum of representation, Max is one of the best places to experience the evolution ofqueer filmsthroughout the decades with their extensive library. From coming-of-age stories to rich cultural dramas about embracing who you truly are, here are our top picks to get your Pride flag waving.
For more recommendations, check out our list of the bestshowsandmovies on Maxacross all genres.
‘The Fallout’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 7.0/10
The Fallout
The directorial debut of writer and actorMegan Park(The Secret Life of the American Teenager),The Fallout, starringJenna Ortega(Scream) andMaddie Ziegler(West Side Story), is a heart-wrenching story deeply rooted in the anxieties of the current generation. The story follows Vada and Mia (Orteg and Ziegler, respectively) as two high school students on opposite sides of the popularity scale who quickly form a tight bond after the trauma of surviving a school shooting. Mass shootings are a common occurrence in the United States, and although the endless gun-control debate tends to be the focus afterward, the survivors are often left in a liminal space of trauma with few resources to help them find a path forward. It makes sense this film took South by Southwest by storm, considering the amazing cast and poignant writing that perfectly captures the ways that such a tragedy in one’s formative years can affect one’s path forward by disrupting their family life, friendships, and future.
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‘Shiva Baby’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 7.1/10
Shiva Baby
Written and directed byEmma Seligman(Bottoms) in her directorial debut,Shiva Babyfollows a young Jewish college student played byRachel Sennott(Bottoms) trying to navigate a shiva with her parents while avoiding her ex-girlfriend and sugar daddy. Based on a short Seligman created years prior, she expertly expands the themes of this captivating story while showcasing her outstanding directing skills. Seligman unfolds the events like a play, generally taking place in a single location and in near real-time, which gives the story a sense of chaotic momentum while letting the audience linger in the more awkward moments with nowhere to escape. This choice gives the film an intimate feel, putting the audience right alongside Sennott’s Danielle, who wants nothing more than to escape this shiva with her sanity.
‘The Stroll’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 7.1/10
The Stroll
The Stollis an award-winning documentary by directorsKristen LovellandZackary Druckerfocusing on the history of trans sex workers in New York in the ’80s and ’90s. The narrative shines light on the experiences of the Black and Latina trans women who fought tooth and nail just to survive in a city that rejected their existence. Through interviews, archival footage, and personal stories, Lovell and Drucker paint a vivid picture of the violence, discrimination, and demonization they suffered as policing and gentrification constantly tried to push them out of the Meatpacking District. Many of the first-hand accounts of this period are equally harrowing and heartbreaking. However, the greatest feeling the documentary evokes is admiration. Despite all the abuse and harassment, these women are the pinnacle of endurance and self-love with inspirational tales of struggle and perseverance.
‘Moonlight’ (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 7.4/10
Writer and directorBarry Jenkins(If Beale Street Could Talk) brings us the story of a lifetime that follows a young man growing up during the crack epidemic as he moves through the different phases of his life and discovers his identity and sexuality.Moonlightearns every ounce of praise as it deftly peels back the many layers of growing up as a young Black man trying to understand queerness while carrying the weight of societal expectations of masculinity. But it’s not just the writing and direction that stand out (even though they are absolutely fantastic) but the casting as well. The central character, Chiron, is played by three actors throughout the movie:Alex R. Hibbert(The Chi),Ashton Sanders(Judas and the Black Messiah), andTrevante Rhodes(Mike), and each brings something new to the character as he gets older, adding rich and authentic layers to the story. And that’s not even to mention the grounded and captivating performances ofMahershala Ali(True Detective) andNaomie Harris(Skyfall).
‘The Color Purple’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 81% | IMDb: 6.8/10
The Color Purple (2023)
In the latest adaptation ofAlice Walker’sgroundbreaking novel of the same name,The Color Purpletakes the stage musical and commits it to film. The beats are similar — a coming-of-age tale about Celie Harris (Fantasia Barrino), a young Black woman living in the American South not long after the fall of slavery who endures a brutal abusive relationship while coming into her own. However, directorBlitz Bazawule(The Burial of Kojo) and writerMarcus Gardley(The Chi) have taken this opportunity to embrace an aspect of the story that is often left by the wayside: Celie’s intimate relationship with Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson). It has been a topic of discussion for decades, despite Walker’s vocal support and stated intention for this relationship to be explicitly queer and loving as a gift of representation to her lesbian and bisexual friends. Now, Walker’s vision comes to life with a stellar cast of singers and actors that light up every scene.
‘Paris is Burning’ (1990)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 8.2/10
Paris is Burning
Paris is Burningis an absolute ball! Chronicling the New York City Drag Ball scene of the 80s, this documentary captures a moment in time that would ripple out for decades to follow. Anyone who lovesRuPaul’s Drag Race,Madonna’s hit single “Vogue, or even the occasional drag brunch with friends should thank the innovative and fun-loving community of Black and Latino LGBTQ+ performers and activists who found joy even during the turbulent struggle to be accepted by the broader society. This extensive and deep dive into the golden age of ball culture is not just a wonderful showcase of queer expression but a remarkable reminder of the ways that communities take care of one another and provide a place to belong for even the most marginalized groups.
‘Moonage Daydream’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 7.2/10
Moonage Daydream
FilmmakerBrett Morgen(Cobain: Montage of Heck) presents a visual and auditory roadmap that leads viewers through the life of revolutionary multi-genre songwriter, performer, and bisexual iconDavid Bowie. Morgen takes the psychedelic space-faring iconography that Bowie embraced through characters like Ziggy Stardust and bathes the montage-style documentary in kaleidoscopic lenses and far-out colorscapes — honestly, it’s a vibe. As a film that leans heavily on the collection of hours and hours of archival footage that Bowie left in his wake, it does a great job of letting Bowie’s actions and words speak for themselves and doesn’t attempt to inject any narratives into his story. It’s a bold choice that lets the audience truly sit with the legacy of everyone’s favorite Starman.
‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 7.5/10
All The Beauty And The Bloodshed
Typically, when people envision social movements, the first images they see are the marches, the first sounds they hear are the speeches, and the first things they remember are the clashes between two opposing parties.All the Beauty and the Bloodshedis a story about the artists and activists that both immortalize those moments for posterity but also inspire the movements that create them. The documentary is a biographical film following renowned activist and photographerNan Goldin, who not only used her art to expose and document the devastating effects of the AIDS crisis on the LGBTQ+ community in the 80s but also led a full-scale campaign to remove the Sackler Family from the art world in response to their role in the opioid epidemic. Oscar-winning directorLaura Poitras(Citizenfour) expertly utilizes Goldin’s photography to capture the passion and energy of her advocacy group, P.A.I.N.
‘Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 7.3/10
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed
Rock Hudson was one of the biggest stars during the Golden Age of Hollywood, but the celebrity status that comes with that kind of fame ultimately became a cage that kept him from being his true self in public.Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowedlooks back on the double life Hudson was forced to live as he tried to maintain his “ladies' man” persona while hiding that he was gay. Like many in the gay community during the AIDS crisis, Hudson was failed by his peers, the entertainment industry, and society at large. Director Stephen Kijak (If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd) uses archival footage and interviews with Hudson’s closest friends to tell his tragic story and show the ways that societal stigma and pressure contributed to his ultimate fate.
‘The Watermelon Woman’ (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 7.1/10
The Watermelon Woman
Touted as the first feature film by a Black lesbian,The Watermelon Womanis an intersectional romantic comedy that digs into topics like interracial dating and the erasure of Black contributions to cinema. Writer and DirectorCheryl Dunye(The Owls) also stars in this meta-commentary about being a Black filmmaker, and we follow her character as she tries to track down a Black actress she admires from the ’30s known only as “The Watermelon Woman." On her journey, she discovers that she and the actress have more in common than she realized. This film has a scrappy vibe that complements the premise of a video store worker making a documentary, and Dunye brings a unique charm to the whole film that makes you want to see her succeed — both as a character and filmmaker.
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‘Desert Hearts’ (1986)
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | IMDb: 7.1/10
Desert Hearts
A lovely adaptation of theJane Rulenovel,Desert Heartsis a sapphic romance with a lot of heart starringHelen Shaver(The Amityville Horror) andPatricia Charbonneau(Manhunter). Shaver shines as Vivian, who has to settle down in Reno while she waits for her divorce to be finalized, infusing her with a delightful curiosity that draws the audience in just as much as it does her co-lead and love interest Cay, portrayed by Charbonneau, who wraps the character in layers upon layers of complexity. The push and pull of the interplay between the two leads is mesmerizing as they bounce emotions off one another in defiance of what they think they want out of life. Anyone looking for a nice slow-burn romance, this is the film for you.
‘The Normal Heart’ (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 7.9/10
The Normal Heart
From prolific genre-hopping writer and producerRyan Murphy(Pose),The Normal Heartadapts the mostly autobiographical play written by playwright and gay rights activistLarry Kramer. This gripping drama tells the story of the founding of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) organization in response to the atrocious systemic response (or lack thereof) to the AIDS epidemic ravaging their community. Something that stands out about this movie is the number of openly gay actors in the cast, including two standouts:Matt Bomer(Doom Patrol) andJim Parsons(Hidden Figures), who both came out later in their careers and now get to represent different aspects of the queer experience. Bomer especially digs into his role as the closeted Felix Turner. This film is an extraordinary dramatization that illustrates the power of community organizing while reminding viewers about the real human cost of the epidemic.
