It’s Saturday night, and you’ve found yourself in the exact same position as last week—popcorn ready to go, but not a single clue what movie to watch. You could stream The Notebook for the fourth time this year—and be exposed to the same type of heteronormative love and gender expression you see in so many films—but you’re in the mood to change it up with a movie about characters that identify as LGBTQ.
Luckily, you don’t have to waste time scrolling through every streaming service’s offerings in search of something decent. These 50 must-watch films will fit your every mood, from campy hidden gems like DEBS—basically a lesbian version of Spy Kids (count me in!)—to Disclosure, a documentary about transgender representation in media. And who could forget the classic, Thelma and Louise, about two ladies on the run from men and the law? Not all of these movies have received the recognition they deserve, but that just means they’re under-the-radar cool.
Not only are these movies enjoyable to watch, but many of them represent important steps in LGBTQ representation in media. “Movies are one of the key places that LGBTQ people, particularly youth, often find affirmation, identification, and even community,”says Julia Himberg, PhD, associate professor and director of film and media studies at Arizona State University.
For those in the LGBTQ community, exposure to stories similar to their own can be an essential part of self-discovery and -development, especially when the viewer has just begun the process. “Seeing yourself represented on the screen can be tremendously validating. Because most LGBTQ people grow up in heteronormative families, the first images we see of ourselves are often in media,” Himberg notes.
She likens it to an “aha moment” that might spark the process of coming out to yourself. Many of the movies in this list served as such in Himberg’s own life coming of age in the ’90s.
Check out this list of 50 best LGBTQ movies to see some of her expert-approved favorites—and discover your new ones:
