underrated queer film recs

do you hate getting the same exact queer movie recommendations every time you ask? YES i've seen call me by your name. YES i've seen but i'm a cheerleader (love that movie btw dont get it twisted.) well heres a list of queer films that, in my opinion, don't get nearly enough love!

Paris Is Burning (1990)

in my opinion, one of the most important pieces of media ever. everyone should watch this at least once.

"Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion “houses,” from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women — including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza."

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

while you can argue midnight cowboy isn't as explicitly queer as most of the others on this list, for a movie that came out in 1969, the themes are very much there. it's also important to note that this is the only X rated movie to ever win an oscar, and that X rating was mainly due to the film's depictions of homosexuality.

"Joe Buck is a wide-eyed hustler from Texas hoping to score big with wealthy New York City women; he finds a companion in Enrico “Ratso” Rizzo, an ailing swindler with a bum leg and a quixotic fantasy of escaping to Florida."

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

a heartbreaking lesbian french movie with some of the most beautiful cinematography ever put to screen? sign me up!!!

"On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman"

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

went into this one completely blind on my first watch and it blew my mind, so i recommend you all do the same. just trust me, it's really good. a top 3 movie of all time imo.

"Based on the true story of would-be Brooklyn bank robbers John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile. Sonny and Sal attempt a bank heist which quickly turns sour and escalates into a hostage situation and stand-off with the police. As Sonny’s motives for the robbery are slowly revealed and things become more complicated, the heist turns into a media circus"

(sidenote: also wanted to mention al pacinos other gay movie cruising (1980) is it good? not really! but if you go into it with as low expectations as possible and all you wanna do is watch al pacino get kinky and gay, you'll have a great time.)

Totally F***ed Up (1993)

and EVERY gregg araki movie for that matter!!! but i chose this because i think it's easily one of his more slept on movies.

"Gay, alienated Los Angeles teens have a hard time as their parents kick them out of their homes, they don’t have money, their lovers cheat, and they are harassed by gay-bashers."

Bound (1996)

A FUN LESBIAN ACTION MOVIE THAT DOESN'T END IN TRAGEDY?!?! AND WAS DIRECTED BY TWO TRANS WOMEN????? SIGN ME UPPPPP!!!

"Corky, a tough female ex-convict working on an apartment renovation in a Chicago building, meets a couple living next door, Caesar, a paranoid mobster, and Violet, his seductive girlfriend, who is immediately attracted to her."

All of Us Strangers (2023)

watch this one at your own risk... actually ruined my life i was so upset

"One night in his near-empty tower block in contemporary London, Adam has a chance encounter with a mysterious neighbor Harry, which punctures the rhythm of his everyday life."