When French gay thriller L’inconnu du Lac was released in Dutch cinemas it made me come up with a list of the best LGBT films I’ve seen this decade. L’inconnu du Lac received much critical acclaim ( also by other The Filmtransition staff members), which surprised me, to say the least: it’s likely one the most overrated (rest of and dull films I have seen in a while. What surprised me even more was that it didn’t stir up any controversy when it was first shown at the Cannes festival last year. It lurked in the shadow of La Vie d’Adele, which shook the earth by showing a tumultuous lesbian love affair in all its aspects. Two French queer films, albeit totally different from one another, which gained quite some attention and praise. The former an instant classic, the latter a drag. Well, here’s a short overview of personal favorites within gay cinema of the 2010’s, followed by some anticipated LGBT-themed films in 2016.
| lgbt / gay movies | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Popular actors | Mark Ruffalo, Sarah Paulson & Cate Blanchett |
| Trending movies | Carol, Eisenstein in Guanajuato & The Normal Heart |
Anticipated 2017 lgbt / gay movies to watch
Tom of Finland (Friday February 24, 2017)
Director Dome Karukoski Cast Jakob OftebroWerner Daehn
Jimmy Shaw
One of the absolute must-see biopics of this year, 'Tom of Finland' tells the story of a former WW2 army officer who, more or less accidentally, becomes one of the most iconic figures in gay art and played a huge role in the emancipation of homosexual men all over the world. ...Read more
Amazon God’s Own Country (Monday January 23, 2017)
Director Francis Lee Cast Josh O'ConnorAlec Secareanu
Gemma Jones
A beautiful gay romance between a tough young farmer from the north of England and a shy, Romanian migrant worker. ...Read more
Una mujer fantástica (A Fantastic Women) (Sunday February 12, 2017)
Director Sebastián Lelio Cast Francisco ReyesLuis Gnecco
Aline Küppenheim
Sebastián Lelio's ('Gloria', 2013) 'Una mujer fantástica' got rave reviews from film critics during the Berlin festival. Being compared with Almodovar's best work, the films tells the tale of a transgender waitress who, after the death of her 20years older boyfriend, gets accused of murder. ...Read more
Best lgbt / gay movies on Netflix or DVD in 2017 & 2016
2010's best rated lgbt / gay movies out on DVD, Bluray or streaming on VOD (Netflix, Amazon).The Normal Heart (Sunday May 25, 2014)
Director Ryan Murphy Cast Mark RuffaloJonathan Groff
Frank De Julio
The story is based in 1980's, the era when the Sprawling rate of H.I.V was at its peak and a gay activist decided to spread...Read more
La Vie D’Adele (Saturday October 19, 2013)
Director Abdellatif Kechiche Cast Léa SeydouxAdèle Exarchopoulos
Salim Kechiouche
An awful lot has been said about this one already, so what’s there to add to the endless list of euphoric praises? At the same time, it would be bizarre to not put La Vie d’Adéle on a list of best LGBT films of the last few years. An ambitious (in its scale and length) yet utterly real take on the rise and fall of a romantic relationship. While the film focuses on a teenage lesbian love affair, it’s not a film about homosexuality necessarily. Kechiche doesn’t seem to be interested in the girls’ struggle with their sexuality. Many films have been made about that. It’s a story about falling in and out love, captured on screen so real you’ve never seen before....Read more
Moonlight (Friday October 21, 2016)
Director Barry Jenkins Cast Mahershala AliShariff Earp
Duan Sanderson
Moonlight chronicles the life of a young gay man from Miami from youth until adulthood in three separate 'chapters'. We see him struggling with his sexuality and his identity in an environment that is particularly harsh on him. Beautifully shot and soulfully acted, this is truly one of the revelations of the year!...Read more
Quand on a 17 ans (Wednesday March 30, 2016)
Director André Téchiné Cast Sandrine KiberlainKacey Mottet Klein
Corentin Fila
The story depicts the friendship of two boys who began with bearing hateful feelings for each other but circumstances made them...Read more
Tom a la Ferme (Thursday August 14, 2014)
Director Xavier Dolan Cast Xavier DolanPierre-Yves Cardinal
Lise Roy
A man who is in deep grief, bearing the loss of love meets his lovers family, who are not aware of the fact that their son had a...Read more
L’inconnu du Lac (Wednesday June 12, 2013)
Director Alain Guiraudie Cast Pierre DeladonchampsChristophe Paou
Patrick d'Assumçao
Franc meets Michel on the banks of a lake that is deemed as a secret spot for gay men, far from the bustling town; even though...Read more
Other People (Friday September 9, 2016)
Director Chris Kelly Cast Jesse PlemonsMolly Shannon
Bradley Whitford
David is a stand-up comedian struggling with the aftermath of a painful break-up. Then he decides to take care of his terminally ill mother. However, his conservative family never really accepted his sexuality. A beautiful little film that is both touching and hilarious....Read more
Love is Strange (Wednesday November 12, 2014)
Director Ira Sachs Cast John LithgowAlfred Molina
Marisa Tomei
Love is Strange tells the touching and tragic story of the elderly New York City gay couple (astonishing roles by both John Litghow and Alfred Role) Ben and George facing troubles after they get married. Ben, who has been working as a teacher at a catholic school for years, gets fired and George isn’t making much money as a retired painter either, which forces them to leave their apartment and to stay at friends seperately until they find something they can afford. Director Ira Sachs did a brilliant job directing this small and sensitive film about two lovers who are forced by circumstances to live apart from one another....Read more
