Must See Movies - Central Gay Theme
All-time favourite LGBT films with central gay theme.
These are "must see" movies that I rate 8, 9 or 10 stars!
Also see:
I would love to read and discuss your recommendations in the comments section or private message! :D
These are "must see" movies that I rate 8, 9 or 10 stars!
Also see:
- Good 6 and 7 star movies with central gay theme
- Everything in one list
- Other lists with gay theme movies and TV shows
I would love to read and discuss your recommendations in the comments section or private message! :D
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30 titles
- DirectorChristian FaureStarsJérémie RenierLouise MonotBruno TodeschiniA young Jewish girl looking to escape the clutches of the Third Reich after seeing her parents and sister brutally slain while attempting to make their way to England is sheltered by an old friend whose status as a member of the "third" sex soon leads the Gestapo pounding on his door as well. Betrayed by a smuggler who sat idly by as her family was casually slaughtered by the SS, terrified Sara flees into the comforting care of childhood summer-vacation chum Jean and his faithful lover Philippe. Though safe for the moment thanks to Jean's quick-thinking plan to pass her off as a Gallic employee of his family's laundry business, Sara watches in horror as her homosexual protector is forced into a Nazi labor camp as a tragic result of a bad decision made by Jean's troublesome brother Jacques.Brilliant script sure to blow you away! Rarely does a film combine suspense, pathos, intelligence and gut wrenching sadness in such a tight, heart wrenching narrative. Set in 1942 during the upheaval of Nazi-occupied Paris. French with subtitles. 10/10
- DirectorAng LeeStarsJake GyllenhaalHeath LedgerMichelle WilliamsEnnis and Jack are two shepherds who develop a sexual and emotional relationship. Their relationship becomes complicated when both of them get married to their respective girlfriends.Painfully honest and frank, this story will stay with you long after the credits roll. It's rare to have the components that make a complete film combine in such a beautiful and powerful way. A true classic and rightly so, each time I leave with something new. 10/10
- DirectorJames IvoryStarsJames WilbyRupert GravesHugh GrantTwo English school chums find themselves falling in love at Cambridge. To regain his place in society, Clive gives up Maurice and marries. While staying with Clive and his wife, Maurice discovers romance in the arms of the gamekeeper Alec.A top rate period piece based on Forster's great story, brought to life by Merchant and Ivory. A moving gay love story with true heroes in a rigid and incredibly bigoted Edwardian setting. Easy to view time and again. 10/10
- DirectorJean-Marc ValléeStarsMichel CôtéMarc-André GrondinDanielle ProulxA young French Canadian, one of five boys in a conservative family in the 1960s and 1970s, struggles to reconcile his emerging identity with his father's values.Coming-of-age drama encapsulating Quebec in the sixties, seventies and eighties with an amazing sound track and great acting. Emile Vallee is incredible as Zac, the second youngest son in a family of five boys desperate to feel the love of his overbearing, homophobic father. French with subtitles. 9/10
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsSean PennJosh BrolinEmile HirschThe story of American gay activist Harvey Milk, who fought for gay rights and was elected as California's first openly gay official.A really great biopic, this represents Harvey Milk as truly human with flaws and all. It also portrays the history of the time as honestly as can be imagined. Sean Penn really delivers in the lead role. 9/10
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanClifton Collins Jr.Catherine KeenerIn 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row.Philip Seymour Hoffman's brilliant portrayal of Truman Capote is the standout feature of this work. The complicated personal journey and exploration of his relationship with killer Perry Smith is fantastic. 9/10
- DirectorGregg ArakiStarsBrady CorbetJoseph Gordon-LevittElisabeth ShueTwo pre-adolescent boys both experienced a strange event and later it affects their lives in different ways. One becomes a reckless, sexually adventurous prostitute, while the other retreats into a reclusive fantasy of alien abduction.Araki explores a difficult subject with a story spanning ten years in the lives of two youths who were abused as children. Unbelievably potent and disturbing, this movie will wring you out. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is amazing. 9/10
- DirectorHettie MacdonaldStarsGlen BerryLinda HenryScott NealJamie is a shy teenager, often bullied at school. His neighbour Ste has a rough time at home, being beaten by his father and brother. This issues bring them together and they find that what they feel for each other is more than friendship.Wonderfully simple film that is a breath of fresh air and perhaps my favorite coming-of-age drama. A great British story set in a grim working class environment but told with incredible positivity. This one will leave you happy and uplifted. 8/10
- DirectorJonah MarkowitzStarsTrevor WrightBrad RoweTina HolmesWhen his college dreams are sidelined by family obligations, a young man finds comfort in surfing with his best friend's brother.Sweet, sexy romance about a confused young artist torn between family and his future. All the anticipated story arcs are in place, however the actors do a great job with the script. Not without a few flaws, probably due to budget constraints. 8/10
- DirectorTom FordStarsColin FirthJulianne MooreMatthew GoodeAn English professor, one year after the sudden death of his boyfriend, is unable to cope with his typical days in 1960s Los Angeles.Beautifully lush and precise film about a gay man struggling with the recent death of his lover. The film's message is left for us to take, not forced. Superbly cast, particularly Colin Firth who can give so much by doing seemingly so little. 8/10
- DirectorKimberly PeirceStarsHilary SwankChloë SevignyPeter SarsgaardA young man named Brandon Teena navigates love, life, and being transgender in rural Nebraska.Based on true events and difficult to watch in places, with several violent and disturbing scenes. Swank builds a compassionate understanding of the complex character of Brandon without converting him into a saint-like figure. The real power here is to enable a wide audience to think about sexual differences and what it might be like trapped in a gender that doesn't fit.
- DirectorMichael MayerStarsColin FarrellDallas RobertsRobin WrightA boy who has experienced many losses in his life grows to manhood and enters into a love triangle with a woman and his boyhood friend.Powerful movie about the need to feel love and to belong. Three friends build their vision of 'family' and attempt to hang on for the ride. Colin Farrell provides an astonishing performance. This is another great movie for the romantics among us. 8/10
- DirectorAchim von BorriesStarsDaniel BrühlAugust DiehlAnna Maria MüheA posthumous look at the last days of Guenther's life as he, his best friend, and his sister let loose on a four-day binge of alcohol, drugs, and sex.Based on a true story, this is an intense and heady exploration of privileged, destructive youth. Drawn slowly, it has a poetic feeling of melancholy and sadness. Rich cinematography and strong musical score round it off perfectly. I love that Gunther's sexuality was a significant part of the story, but didn't totally dominate. German with subtitles. 8/10
- DirectorBill CondonStarsIan McKellenBrendan FraserLynn RedgraveThe last days of Frankenstein (1931) director James Whale are explored.Rich character study of famed movie director James Whale with notable acting performances. McKellen and Fraser share empowering scenes where one character sees mirrored in the other their own fears and emotions. 8/10
- DirectorBrian GilbertStarsStephen FryJude LawVanessa RedgraveThe turmoil in poet/playwright Oscar Wilde's life after he discovers his homosexuality.A sensitive, involving and detailed biopic of a great Victorian era writer. The forbidden relationship between Wilde and Douglas was venomous and sweet, brought to life perfectly through Stephen Fry and Jude Law. 8/10
- DirectorNorman RenéStarsStephen CaffreyPatrick CassidyBrian CousinsThe emergence and devastation of the AIDS epidemic is chronicled in the lives of several gay men living during the 1980s.Poignant and touching film that every person should see. Set in the 1980's and still incredibly powerful today, if you're not emotionally moved by this work, you're not human. 8/10
- DirectorElla LemhagenStarsGustaf SkarsgårdTorkel PeterssonTom LjungmanA Swedish gay couple adopt what they think is an 18-month-old orphan, only to meet their new son, a 15-year-old homophobic delinquent.Refreshing drama about love and family relationships that will sweep you through a range of emotions. The simple script is beautifully acted, particularly Gustaf Skarsgård as Goran. Swedish with subtitles. 8/10
- DirectorStephan ElliottStarsHugo WeavingGuy PearceTerence StampTwo drag performers and a transgender woman travel across the desert to perform their unique style of cabaret.Wonderfully nutty movie exploring life, love, fatherhood, and most of all friendship and loyalty as three very different drag queens travel in the remote Australian Outback. A movie that didn't follow trends or conventions, but start new ones. 8/10
- DirectorJohn GreysonStarsIan D. ClarkMarcel SabourinAubert PallascioWhen a bishop comes to a prison to hear the confession of an old friend he is forced to watch a play, performed by the inmates, about their youth together, love and betrayal.Intricate and ingenious use of the "theatrical" with cuts between prison re-enactments and actual events providing a seamless story. This tale of love, murder, and retribution is told in a unique way with a very artistic feel. 8/10
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsGael García BernalFele MartínezJavier CámaraAn examination on the effect of Franco-era religious schooling and sexual abuse on the lives of two longtime friends.Pedro Almodóvar is an artist. The film noir style contains fascinating concepts beautifully and sensitively put into pictures. The complex twists and turns require your attention for a very worthwhile pay off. Gael García Bernal is great in three separate roles. Spanish with subtitles. 8/10
- DirectorEytan FoxStarsOhad KnollerYehuda LeviAssi CohenRomance blooms between two soldiers (Knoller, Levi) stationed in an Israeli outpost on the Lebanese border.Brief at just 65 minutes, but very natural and surprisingly affecting. Set among a platoon of soldiers operating on the Israeli-Lebanese border, the story focuses on the secret relationship of two men. Filming with a handheld camera can be problematic, but there is a scene in the snow where it works beautifully. Hebrew with subtitles. 8/10
- DirectorNeil JordanStarsStephen ReaJaye DavidsonForest WhitakerA British soldier kidnapped by the IRA soon befriends one of his captors, who then becomes drawn into the soldier's world.A sensation in 1992, and still an intelligently written and well acted thriller. It features one of the most startling plot twists ever conceived for film and definitely stands the test of time. 8/10
- DirectorJulian SchnabelStarsJavier BardemJohnny DeppOlatz López GarmendiaThe life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas.A visual feast with this biopic of Reynaldo Arenas, the novelist and poet imprisoned and later exiled from Cuba for his controversial writings and open homosexuality. Javier Bardem captures the many complexities of Reynaldo, who constantly found himself unwanted by the world around him, yet filled with ability to see the beauty within it. English and Spanish. 8/10
- DirectorJavier Fuentes-LeónStarsCristian MercadoTatiana AstengoManolo CardonaAn unusual ghost story set on the Peruvian seaside; a married fisherman struggles to reconcile his devotion to his male lover within his town's rigid traditions.A beautiful script with simple exchanges delivering a powerful message. The cinematography is memorizing and the story captures perfectly the choice to become true to yourself and all those you love. Spanish with subtitles. 8/10
- DirectorAndré TéchinéStarsÉlodie BouchezGaël MorelStéphane RideauThe fates of two partners are divided.A solid coming-of-age drama about 4 teenagers in rural France in 1962. The film is very well made, offering a depiction of adolescence that is complex and sophisticated. The lush cinematography is beautiful throughout and the cast is great. French with subtitles. 8/10
- DirectorTag PurvisStarsDan Montgomery Jr.Aleksa PalladinoKaren BlackRed Dirt offers the story of a young man's search to belong in this sublime expression of love and reconciliation. At only twenty, Griffith is struggling with the responsibilities of caring for his unwell aunt, grieving the loss of their family's matriarch, and his own dreams of leaving Pine Apple. With the arrival of a stranger, Griffith's carefully constructed walls of shame and silence begin to come down and his life takes an unexpected turn.This film evokes Southern Louisiana so perfectly that you'll think you're there! Through strange entanglements,see how the heart's quest for love can find its way regardless of the difficulties. Walton Goggins brings incredible intensity and emotion to his character. Romantics will love this film. See it twice to capture all that is there for you. 8/10
- DirectorHaim TabakmanStarsZohar StraussRan Khalil DankerTinkerbellA married, Orthodox, Jerusalem butcher and Jewish father of four falls in love with his handsome, 22-year-old male apprentice, triggering the suspicions of his wife and the disapproval of his Orthodox community.Simplicity and restraint imbue this film with power and conviction. Set in an ultra Orthodox Jewish society in Jerusalem, it tells the story of a family man whose inner world is torn apart when he falls in love with a young man. Highly recommended. Hebrew with subtitles. 8/10
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsEusebio PoncelaCarmen MauraAntonio BanderasA gay filmmaker becomes involved with an obsessive fan while still pining for his absent true love. Meanwhile, he shares a close but complex relationship with his trans sister, an actress.Almodovar delights with a look at the meaning of desire and love. The sexuality of the protagonists is depicted openly and frankly and while gay-themed movies were taking shape in 1987, few were as erotic or in-your-face as this. Law of Desire was perhaps the film to establish Almodovar internationally. Spanish with subtitles. 8/10
- DirectorAnthony MinghellaStarsMatt DamonGwyneth PaltrowJude LawIn late 1950s New York, a young underachiever named Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to retrieve Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy. But when the errand fails, Ripley takes extreme measures.An intelligent well made thriller. Matt Damon explores the darker side of a character that you might come to be both sympathetic towards and freaked out by. 8/10
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsTom HanksDenzel WashingtonRoberta MaxwellWhen a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic-small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.One of just a few mainstream breakthrough films, when this court-room drama was released, dying of AIDS was not understood or openly talked about. Tom Hanks is excellent in his Oscar winning performance. Scenes giving emotional depth and clarity to the intimate male relationship were cut, leaving the character played by Antonio Banderas unnecessarily under-done. 8/10