The best lesbian films on Netflix UK, Amazon Prime, iTunes and more
Three best lesbian films of all time. (YouTube/Netflix)
The best lesbian movies on Netflix UK, Amazon Prime Video and other services to help cure your lockdown boredom.
It’s always Call Me By Your Name this and “peaches” that when people discuss LGBT+ films, so we wouldn’t blame you if you’re sick of movies centred on gay men taking up the narrative.
If you’re bored of hearing about Timothée and Armie and want to watch some lesbian-themed films then we’ve got you covered.
From cult classics featuring cheerleading lesbians to period dramas focused on queer queens there’s plenty to revisit or watch for the first time.
Below we’ve put together a list of just some of the best lesbian films on Netflix UK, Amazon Prime Video, iTunes and elsewhere – and how to stream them.
1. Carol.
Routinely named one of the best LGBT+ films and arguably the very best lesbian film on Amazon Prime. Starring Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara and Sarah Paulson, Carol is set in New York City during the early 1950s and tells the story of a forbidden affair between an aspiring female photographer and an older woman going through a difficult divorce.
It’s based on the 1952 romance novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith and it received acclaim upon its release including loads of big award nominations for Blanchett and Mara. Plus it’s also since been considered a Christmas film as the story takes place during the festive period.
The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial and then pay £7.99 per month or cancel it before the free trial is up. Go to Amazon here to sign up.
2. The Miseducation of Cameron Post.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is one of the best lesbian films on Netflix UK, with a career-best performance from Chloë Grace Moretz.
It follows a girl who is shipped off to a conversion therapy centre that treats teens “struggling with same-sex attraction”. While there she is subjected to outlandish discipline and dubious “de-gaying” methods but is also provided with an unlikely community. Cameron is able to connect with peers and find her place among fellow outcasts.
This brilliant lesbian film is based on the coming-of-age teen novel by Emily M. Danforth of the same name, which was released in 2012 and influenced by the real life story of teenager Zach Stark who was sent to a conversion camp run by Love In Action after coming out to his parents.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is available to stream on Netflix. If you’re signed up it’s ready to watch, but if not you can sign up to Netflix here.
3. Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
This story is set in 18th century France and follows painter Marianne who is commissioned by a countess to paint the wedding portrait of her daughter Héloïse. While posing as her hired companion, Marianne is instructed to complete the portrait in secret, however intimacy and attraction begins to blossom between both women.
After being nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at a number of major award shows, the film finally got a release in the UK in early 2020 and has since gained a popular following.
The film is available to stream as part of a MUBI subscription. You can currently sign up for three months for just 33p here and then £9.99 thereafter, or cancel it once your three months is up.
Once you’re signed up MUBI can be streamed through the app on smart phones and devices including the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
4. Dating Amber.
This film is an Amazon Prime Video exclusive so it may have slipped under the radar for film fans. The coming-of-age comedy is set in mid-90s Ireland and follows two closeted teens Eddie and Amber. Eddie plans to join the Irish military in order to prove his manliness to his father, while Amber is a queer woman who’s holding out until she can escape to London and open her own anarchist bookship.
To stop everyone from speculating about their sexuality at school and beyond the pair decide to stage a fake relationship, and a deep and profound friendship between them blossoms that is unique for LGBT+ people.
The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial and then pay £7.99 per month or cancel it before the free trial is up. Go to Amazon here to sign up.
5. Bessie.
Based on a true story, Queen Latifah stars as Bessie Smith, “The Empress of Blues” in this film that highlights the legendary singer’s family life, internal struggles and industry battles. The trailblazer fought against racism, sexism, economic inequality and made music that captured aspects of what it means to be bisexual.
It received critical acclaim upon its release back in 2015, with Queen Latifah receiving an Emmy nomination for her role.
The film isn’t available on streaming service at the moment, but you can rent or buy the film from Amazon Prime Video.
6. Blue is the Warmest Colour.
Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos star in Blue is the Warmest Colour which was released in 2013 and has since garnered a dedicated fan base.
It follows Adele, who at 15 doesn’t question it: a girl goes out with boys. But her life is turned upside down the night she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair who will allow her to discover desire, to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adele grows, seeks herself, loses herself, finds herself.
The film is currently not any streaming service as part of a subscription, but you can rent or buy the film from Amazon Prime Video, iTunes or Google Play and stream it on a smart device or Fire TV Stick.
7. Duck Butter.
Another of the best lesbian films on Netflix UK, Duck Butter follows stranger Naima and Sergio who are dissatisfied with the dishonesty they see in dating, so decide to make a pact to spend 24 hours together and having sex every hour, on the hour in an attempt to fast forward their relationship.
The experimental comedy stars Alia Shawkat and Laia Costa and has been released by Netflix.
You can stream it on the platform with a subscription, to sign in or sign up go to Netflix here.
8. Booksmart.
Among the best lesbian films on Amazon Prime Video is this coming-of-age comedy which is set on the last day of high school as two academic superstars and best friends Molly and Amy, played by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, realise they should’ve worked less and played more. Ahead of their graduation the pair are determined to cram in four years of fun into one night as they attend a party with their classmates. While there Molly attempts to flirt with her crush and party host Nick and Amy is persuaded to pursue her long-time crush, a girl named Ryan before they graduate.
Booksmart is available to stream as part of an Amazon Prime Video subscription. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial and then pay £7.99 per month or cancel it before the free trial is up. Go to Amazon here to sign up.
9. But I’m A Cheerleader.
This noughties cult favourite stars loads of icons including Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, RuPaul and Michelle Williams. It follows a cheerleading-obsessed teenager Megan, who is sent a conversion therapy camp to cure her lesbianism because of her interests in being a vegetarian and Melissa Etheridge. But Megan embraces her sexual orientation and falls in love with another inmate at the house.
Upon its initial release in 2000 it received a strict age rating, which was criticised by director Jamie Babbit who believed it to be discrimination against films with gay content.
The film is currently not available on any streaming services but viewers can rent or buy it from £1.99 on Amazon Prime Video here and stream it through a smart device or Fire TV Stick.
10. Pariah.
Pariah follows 17-year-old Alike who is coming to terms with being a lesbian while trying to get through adolescence with grace, humour and tenacity. At the same time as deciding whether to come out ahead of college she’s battling her mother who doesn’t approve of her butch aesthetic.
The film is a feature length version of the award-winning short film of the same name by openly gay writer and director Dee Rees, who also helms this version and later directed Bessie starring Queen Latifah above.
It’s currently not available on any streaming services but viewers can rent or buy it from Amazon Prime Video and stream it through a smart device or Fire TV Stick.
11. Disobedience.
Starring Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz, Disobedience follows Ronit (Weisz) who returns from New York to the north London Orthodox Jewish community following the death of her estranged rabbi father. It’s a community she rejected years previously following a scandalous transgression that becomes clearer as the story unfolds.
Her attraction to a childhood friend is reignited when she returns and they both explore the boundaries of faith and sexuality.
The film is currently unavailable on streaming services but can be purchased or rented on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes or Google Play.
12. The Favourite.
This Oscar-winning period film is set in early 18th century England and follows the relationship between Queen Anne and her close friend, Lady Sarah. Their intimate relationship is threatened by a new servant who schemes to return to her aristocratic roots by growing closer to Olivia Colman’s Queen Anne.
Lady Sarah and Abigail Masham, played by Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, compete to be court favourite of the queen and will go to any lengths to achieve it.
The Favourite is currently not any streaming service as part of a subscription, but you can rent or buy the film from Amazon Prime Video, iTunes or Google Play and stream it on a smart device or Fire TV Stick.
13. My Days of Mercy.
One of the lesser-known – but still excellent – lesbian films on Netflix, My Days of Mercy stars Elliot Page and Kate Mara and sees the daughter of a death row inmate who’s also advocating for its abolishment fall into a romance with a fierce advocate of the death penalty. Despite their differences the pair grow closer and keep in contact over the phone and video calls.
It received positive reviews upon its release, particularly for the performances and chemistry between Page and Mara.
My Days of Mercy is currently available to stream on Netflix. If you’re not signed up you can get a free trial and then pay from £5.99 per month. Go to netflix.com to stream the film.
14. The Feels.
This improvised comedy focuses on a lesbian couple’s bachelorette weekend, but their relationship hits a snag when one of the brides confesses to never having an orgasm. The weekend of fun and celebration is derailed in unexpected ways, causing everyone to reflect on trust, love and their first orgasms.
The film stars Constance Wu and Angela Trimbur as the two brides with a supporting cast including Jenée LaMarque, who also writes and dircets.
The Feels is one of the cutest lesbian films on Netflix UK. Go to netflix.com to stream the film but if you’re not signed up you can get a free trial and then pay from £5.99 per month.
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