24 Best LGBTQ+ Movies on Netflix Right Now (May 2024)

It’s certainly gotten better over the last decade or so, but in the past, the representation of queer people on screen was a bit hard to come by. Previously, queer movies were generally of the indie or underground variety, with movies like But I'm A Cheerleader, Jennifer's Body, and Desert Hearts becoming cult classics years after release. In recent years, LGBTQ+ stories have become more welcome in the mainstream, with some major successes being Love, Simon, Call Me By Your Name, and Moonlight. In order to celebrate the queer community and make LGBTQ+ entertainment more accessible, we thought it might be helpful to provide a little guide to the best LGBTQ+ movie offerings on Netflix. There’s simple romance, comedies, horror, and lots of documentaries. So if you are looking for a good queer movie to watch, we’ve got you covered.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix.

Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.

Editor's note: This article was updated May 2024 to include Good Grief and Rustin.

'Good Grief' (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes: 76% | IMDb: 6.4/10

Written, directed, and starring Dan Levy, Good Grief tells the tale of Levy’s Marc, whose world is shattered when the love of his life is tragically killed. However, Marc soon realizes that the man he thought perfect had, in fact, been hiding a Parisian affair from him, leading to a trip to Paris for both Marc and his friends to grow and grieve. This indulgent tale manages to capture the true essence of humanity, with the yearning for love and hope for bliss often crudely undercut but both tragedy and deception. A tender addition to Netflix’s often high-budget back catalog, Good Grief is an unexpectedly immersive movie. - Jake Hodges

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'Rustin' (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 84% | IMDb: 6.5/10

Set in 1963, Rustin follows the titular political activist, who is inspired by the work of Dr. Martin Luther King in the face of racist and homophobic societal hatred. Against the better wishes of some and despite the bigotry, Bayard Rustin is charged with orchestrating a Civil Rights freedom march, ready to place him firmly in the annals of the Civil Rights Movement forever. This powerful tale of hope despite pain is as immersive as it is educational, with the movie based on the true story of Bayard Rustin. However, it is by far Colman Domingo’s enthralling lead performance that transports this movie from good to great, with the actor even earning himself an Academy Award nomination for the role. - Jake Hodges

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'Ride or Die' (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 69% | IMDb: 5.6/10

A Japanese psychological thriller, Ride or Die is another Netflix Original starring Kiko Mizuhara and Honami Sato. The story follows Mizuhara’s character Rei, a woman in her late 20s who commits a violent crime to help a former classmate who she’s been in love with for years. The other woman, Nanae (Sato), is the victim of horrific domestic violence, and so to save her, Rei kills Nanae's husband. After the murder, Nanae feels conflicting emotions towards Rei, but she leans into Rei’s love for her as they go on the run together. While Rei’s decision to kill the husband is made as an effort to give Nanae and her freedom, the two travel down a path together that gets darker and more tumultuous as reality finally sets in. The movie is written by Nami Sakkawa and directed by Ryuichi Hiroki, based on the manga series Gunjō written and illustrated by Ching Nakamura. If you are looking for a tightly-packed thriller with a passionate and emotional central relationship, this is an excellent movie to watch.

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'Fanfic' (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | IMDb: 5.7/10

Fanfic is a moving Polish film directed by Marta Karwowska, who co-wrote the film with Grzegorz Jaroszuk based on the novel by Natalia Osinska. Exploring themes of gender, sexuality, and growing into one’s identity at large, Fanfic is geared towards teen audiences, as it follows a couple of lonely high schoolers whose unexpected connection bonds them. Fanfic star Alin Szewczyk captivates with her undeniable charisma, especially as her character, Tosiek, faces an intense emotional journey. Praised for crafting an original narrative on the challenges of self-discovery, Fanfic carefully walks the line between tackling important issues without being overly preachy. – Yael Tygiel

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'Bruised' (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 50% | IMDb: 6.2/10

Starring Halle Berry in her directorial debut, Bruised is an intense drama about an elite mixed martial artist on a rocky road to redemption. In Bruised, Berry plays Jackie Justice, a disgraced fighter attempting to make ends meet when she finds herself with custody of her estranged son, whom she gave up as a baby. Exploring themes of rage, regret, and second chances, Bruised is a powerful movie with an outstanding cast, including Sheila Atim (The Woman King), Adan Canto (The Cleaning Lady), and Shamier Anderson (Wynonna Earp). Shown through captivating cinematography, Bruised is a triumphant story of reclaiming agency. – Yael Tygiel

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'Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story' (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 6.7/10

As entertaining as it is inspiring, Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story offers a peek into a fascinating sport and an even more fascinating individual. An extremely talented skateboarder, Leo Baker was bound for the Olympics – the first time the sport would ever be included in the games. The documentary sensitively and authentically explores Baker’s journey to how coming out as a trans man and the unique circumstances of COVID caused him to make one of the toughest decisions of his life. Yes, the documentary showcases the struggles and obstacles Baker faces, but there’s a refreshing amount of joy, too. Baker’s impact on skateboarding – and many LGBTQ+ kids around the world – cannot be denied, and Nicola Marsh and Giovanni Reda masterfully show why throughout their film. – Taylor Gates

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'I Care A Lot' (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 79% | IMDb: 6.4/10

One of the most timely movies to appear in 2020, I Care A Lot stars Rosamund Pike (The Wheel of Time) as a manipulative legal guardian taking advantage of and swindling elderly patients out of their homes and savings. Cleverly written by J Blakeson, who also directed the feature, I Care A Lot is as entertaining and creative as it is terrifying to watch. Costarring with Pike is Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) and Dianne Wiest (The Bird Cage). On top of the already fascinating legal criminal aspect of Blakeson’s movie, as well as his darkly funny dialogue, the writer/director has managed to craft an unexpected love story as well. – Yael Tygiel

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'Alex Strangelove' (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes: 81% | IMDb: 6.3/10

Alex Strangelove is a modern rom-com about a teenage boy’s journey to understanding his sexuality. Alex Truelove, played by Daniel Doheny, is a regular, awkward teenager who has been best friends with Claire (Madeline Weinstein) for years. After comforting her at a party leads to a kiss, the two begin to date. All seems to be going well, or as well as a high school relationship can go, until Alex meets Elliot (Antonio Marziale), an openly gay teenage boy, at a party and sparks fly. Through hilarious scenarios and friendship struggles, Alex starts to question whether he might be bisexual or gay, all while juggling his relationship with Claire and a blossoming connection with Elliot. Another underappreciated movie on this list, Alex Strangelove is definitely a hidden gem of a rom-com on Netflix, commonly overshadowed by more well-known movies like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Kissing Booth.

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'Circus of Books' (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 7.1/10

The first documentary on the list (though definitely not the last), Circus of Books is about a gay pornography shop and bookstore of the same name in Los Angeles. Through the movie’s exploration of this shop, audiences see a story unfold about a caring Jewish couple who kept the secret of what their business really was from their family for decades while continuing to serve as a safe haven for the gay community at a time when the world was very much against them. Directed by the couple’s daughter, Rachel Mason, the film does a fantastic job exploring porn, religion, AIDS, politics, and more as it covers the Masons’ takeover of the store in 1976, along with everything that decision led to. It’s extremely fascinating and touching, and it’s also a true homage to the queer culture of Los Angeles and its history over the past 50 or so years.

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'Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen' (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 8.2/10

Another documentary, Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen is about exactly what the title says. The movie focuses on the history of transgender representation on screen in Hollywood over the years, and how that has in turn affected the queer community and American society. Many prominent figures in both the entertainment industry and the world of activism and academia appear in the movie to speak on their personal experiences, including Laverne Cox, MJ Rodriguez, Angelica Ross, Yance Ford, Lilly Wachowski, Chaz Bono, and many more. The film showcases how historically Hollywood has inaccurately portrayed transgender individuals in a harmful way, with specific films referenced including Ace Ventura, Tootsie, and more. Disclosure is a very intelligent and interesting movie, and a good pick if you are looking for a documentary to watch.

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