For many years, Hollywood and the wider entertainment industry proved woefully inadequate when it came to meaningful LGBTQ+ representation. Creators would typically rely on archaic tropes that never came close to portraying the true beauty and complexity of queer communities. Thankfully, over the past couple of decades, things have begun to shift in the right direction. In 2020 alone, we saw shows such as It’s A Sin, Feel Good, Euphoria, and Schitt’s Creek rack up astronomical viewing figures thanks in no small part to their authentic and thoughtful approach to queer storylines.
While platforms such as the BBC, Channel 4, HBO, and Netflix are leading the way with LGBTQ+ inclusivity, Amazon Prime UK also has a range of shows and films on offer. The problem is, they’re slightly more difficult to find. With this in mind, I have gathered together a list of my top picks on the streaming site to save you having to do the leg work.
One of Amazon Prime’s most popular offerings is, of course, Transparent. Although the show has sadly been somewhat overshadowed by sexual assault allegations against its leading actor, it still represents an important turning point in pop culture for discussions around and representations of the trans experience. Elsewhere on this list, you’ll find box office hits such as Moonlight and Carol as well as lesser-known shows including Viscous, Drag Heals, and Being Me and a documentary from David Thorpe that will leave you with a lot to think about.
Keep reading to find out more about 15 of the top LGBTQ+ films and TV shows on Amazon Prime UK.
1
Transparent
This Amazon original series revolves around the Los Angeles-based Pfefferman family as their lives change forever following their father Mort’s decision to transition into a woman named Maura. Upon its 2014 debut, the award-winning U.S. series made quite an impression with audiences and critics alike, and Prime subscribers can enjoy all five seasons of the hit comedy-drama in their entirety.
2
Do I Sound Gay?
This 2014 documentary follows filmmaker David Thorpe as he sets out on a journey to discover the origins of the stereotypical “gay voice.” With the help of family, friends, and famous faces including author Dave Savage, Tim Gunn, Margaret Cho, and more, Thorpe learns how internalised homophobia can influence the speech patterns of gay men, while also discovering that yearning for a different voice is not something exclusive to the LGBTQ+ community.
3
Moonlight
This Academy Award-winning drama chronicles the life of a young Black man, Chiron, from childhood to adulthood in Miami, Florida. Directed by Barry Jenkins and starring Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, and Janelle Monáe, the film follows Chiron’s journey into manhood, including the exploration of his sexuality, as he is guided by the love and support of the community that helped raise him.
4
A Sinner In Mecca
Director Parvez Sharma fronts this 2015 documentary which follows the openly gay Muslim filmmaker as he travels to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to attend the annual Islamic pilgrimage known as the Hajj. In the film, Sharma captures his experience in Saudi Arabia on an iPhone, a place where filming is forbidden and homosexuality is punishable by death, with the hope of finding a place within his own religion that doesn’t condemns him.
5
Tomboy
This critically acclaimed drama tells the heartwarming story of 10-year-old Laure, who, after moving to a new neighbourhood, begins to embrace gender nonconformity. Taking on a new persona as Mikäel, their relationships and place in the community begin to change. However, with a fresh school term on the way, and increasing pressures from friends and family, Mikäel struggles to reconcile external forces with what they feel inside.
6
Misfits
An LGBTQ+ youth centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the subject of this eye-opening 2015 documentary, Misfits. Nestled within an extreme religious community, the OpenArms Youth Project welcomes youngsters during their formative years, many of whom have made the brave decision to be open about their sexuality. However, the cost of being yourself can be high, and this insightful doc follows the centre’s LGBTQ+ teens as they strive to live freely in a community that isn’t always so welcoming.
7
The L Word
This groundbreaking LGBTQ+ drama centres on a close-knit group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender friends as they live and love in the Californian city of West Hollywood. The show originally ran for six seasons between 2004 and 2009, starring the likes of Jennifer Beals, Mia Kirshner, Pam Grier, and Laurel Holloman, among others. During the show’s final season, The L Word was honoured with a Special Recognition Award at the 2009 GLAAD Media Awards.
8
Viscous
A refreshingly light depiction of LGBTQ+ relationships arrived with ITV’s 2016 sitcom, Vicious. This brilliant – but short-lived – comedy centres on an elderly gay couple portrayed by Sir Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi, who share a hilarious love-hate relationship spanning 50 years. In addition to the pair’s never-ending banter, their lives also revolve around hosting an array of frequent guests. Complete with two of Britain’s finest acting talents, this Amazon Prime offering is an absolute must-watch.
9
Carol
Set amid the glamour of 1950s New York City, Carol tells the tale of a forbidden affair involving a young female photographer and an older divorcée. Starring Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, this love against the odds story struck a chord with both audiences and critics upon its release, and with outstanding performances from the film’s leading ladies, the LGBTQ+ drama unsurprisingly went on to sweep the 2015 awards season.
10
Dating Amber
11
Akron
This 2015 LGTQ+ drama follows the heartwarming love story between two college freshman and football players, Benny and Christopher. However, the pair’s budding romance is put to the test when a tragic event from the past involving their mothers comes to light, and in turn threatens to divide their respective families. Who, as it turns out, had actually first met years before.
12
Drag Heals
Created and hosted by Tracey Erin Smith, this fabulous Canadian reality series follows a group of gay men who have never worn heels or a wig as they begin to embrace their inner drag personas. With the assistance of Smith and expert drag queens and kings, the aspiring performers learn their craft in Canada’s first and only drag school with the ultimate goal of performing in a live drag show.
13
Love The One You’re With
Starring Donnie Hue Frazier, Anthony Bawn, and Danny Royce, Love The One You’re With tells the story of a couple, Avery and Miles, as they try and cope with the possible demise of a long-term relationship. Directed by Spencer Collins IV, the LGBTQ+ comedy-drama also delves into the issues faced by Black queer men in the world of modern dating.
14
Being Me
Through candid interviews with transgender youths, this insightful 2015 documentary explores the daily realities, experiences, and issues faced by younger members of the community. Directed by Erin Brown Thomas, the doc also aims to display what life is actually like for young transgender people, including 10-year-old Isabelle Lamgley, who feels their biological gender doesn’t reflect who they really are on the inside.
15
The Brandon Teena Story
Directed by Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir, this 1998 documentary film explores the horrific 1993 murder of Brandon Teena through archive footage and interviews with those closest to the case. The film focuses primarily on the final few weeks of Brandon’s life in rural Fall City, Nebraska, while also spotlighting the homophobia that exists within communities across the United States.
16
Boy Meets Girl
Directed by Eric Schaeffer, this 2014 romantic comedy-drama stars Michelle Hendley as a transgender woman named Ricky, who resides within a small Kentucky town and has aspirations of finding love and one day moving to New York City to pursue a career in fashion design. While working towards her dreams as a barista, Ricky strikes up an unexpected friendship with a local woman that soon turns into a love affair.
17
Queer As Folk
18
Leave it on the Floor
Set within the Los Angeles ballroom scene, this 2012 musical drama centres on a young Black LGBTQ+ man named Brad, who is kicked out of his home by his homophobic parents. Directed by Sheldon Larry, the film follows Brad as he enters a new and exciting world with the House of Eminence, and is taken under the wing of the formidable ballroom performer, Queef Latina.
