The very best LGBTQ+ films to stream on Netflix right now
Netflix has a variety of LGBTQ+ gems. (Neon)
If you’re in an endless loop of scrolling on Netflix looking for something LGBTQ+ to watch, we’ve got some recommendations for you as of February 2024.
The streaming platform is home to a number of fantastic indie gems, fascinating documentaries and searingly romantic dramas.
While queer cinema continues to be on the rise with the likes of recent titles All of Us Strangers and Eileen, LGBTQ+ narrative journeys remain underrepresented in cinema.
With more and more LGBTQ+ films making it onto streaming services, here are a selection of 10 great picks you can watch right now on Netflix, including Good Grief starring Dan Levy.
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Circus of Books
A hidden Netflix gem, Rachel Mason’s unassuming 2019 documentary is a thrillingly entertaining time capsule of a Los Angeles adult bookstore.
Launched in 1976, the independent business became the biggest distributor of gay porn in the United States. And who’s at the helm? A straight Jewish couple.
The bookshop is now an important historical site in LA’s LGBTQ+ culture.
Good Grief
Dan Levy has an addiction to making audiences weep. The Schitt’s Creek creator’s latest project is a moving film that follows Marc (Levy) trying to continue life after the death of his renowned writer husband.
Amid his grief, he takes his two best friends on a spontaneous trip to Paris.
What is supposed to be an enjoyable break turns into a messy, confusing and downright emotional journey of regret and forgiveness.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
This French lesbian drama, set in the eighteenth century, follows painter Marianne (Noémie Merlant) and her muse (Adèle Haenel).
Céline Sciamma’s swooning romance creeps up on you with wonderful performances, sublime visuals and a staggering emotional punch.
The film is a portrait of queer femininity and gentle intimacy that is utterly spellbinding and a defining LGBTQ+ film of the decade.
Hannah Gadsby: Nannette
Hannah Gadsby’s 2018 comedy special Nanette remains one of the best stand-up sets on offer in Netflix’s library. Gadsby’s 2017 work spans their life with social commentary and life lessons.
The special also partly acts as a response to the public debate in Australia surrounding whether the law would be changed to allow same-sex marriage. An evocative piece of work, Gadsby’s Nanette is a must-watch.
The Half of It
Alice Wu’s queer coming-of-age drama is an indie gem. A very sweet story of longing and friendship, Wu’s film follows Ellie (Leah Lewis), an introverted Chinese-American student who gets straight As.
When Ellie agrees to write love letters for the school jock in exchange for cash, she doesn’t anticipate striking a friendship let alone developing feelings for his crush.
Call Me By Your Name
A seminal queer film: Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 film is set in a sweltering summer of seduction in 1983, Northern Italy when Elio (Timothée Chalamet) grows infatuated with his father’s new research assistant.
An adaptation of André Aciman’s novel of the same name, Guadagnino infuses this narrative with a potent desire that is as visually stunning as it is emotionally moving.
A Secret Love
Fancy a cry? A Secret Love is a devastatingly moving documentary about a lesbian couple who have kept their relationship secret for over seven decades.
The documentary was shot as Terry and Pat prepared their end-of-life plans and reflected on the life they’d shared, the secrets they’d harboured and the truth that they’d always wanted to live.
Disclosure
Sam Feder’s documentary is a timely examination of how Hollywood has and continues to portray trans people on the big screen.
The film places such analysis in context and unpicks the impact of such depictions on the trans community and American culture more widely.
The documentary features several key voices including Laverne Cox, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, and Jamie Clayton.
The Inspection
Jeremy Pope plays a young, gay Black man who joins the Marine Crops in search of belonging and purpose.
However, in an attempt to prove his worth to his estranged mother, Ellis (Pope) subjects himself to gruelling and degrading training and abuse.
Inspired by writer-director Elegance Bratton’s own life, The Inspection is an impressive and notably candid drama.
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
The last film on our LGBTQ+ Netflix list is this 2017 documentary – widely regarded as an important contribution to the documentation of American trans history.
The filmmakers follow activist Victoria Cruz who set out to enquire into the death of Marsha P. Johnson, whose death was ruled a suicide, but many believe was a murder.
The film also chronicles other figures who were integral to New York City’s gay liberation and trans rights movement.
To find out more and to stream these titles head to Netflix.
