Although we do love to see queer people thrive and get their happy endings on-screen, sometimes there’s an unexplainable need to just cry your eyes out for them. Perhaps it’s to mourn what you may have lost as a queer person, or maybe you just prefer to suffer; either way, people tend to watch movies to also feel sad emotions.
There’s no denying that a well-told LGBTQ+ movie has the ability to turn even the toughest cookies into bawling messes like no other. If you’re in need of letting it all out, here are eight LGBTQ+ movies that are perfect for it.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Love, Simon (2018)
20th Century Studios
Love, Simon is, per Independent, labeled as one of the first movies ever produced by a major Hollywood studio that has turned its focus on gay teen romance. The plot is centered around a teenager named Simon, who, because he’s still a closeted gay, starts anonymously communicating with a fellow closeted queer person at his school. In his desperate need to find the person on the other side of the computer, he gets blackmailed and outed to the whole school. You definitely might shed a tear or two, given how awfully Simon is treated even by his so-called friends; rather than being there for him, they get angry he’s kept his sexuality a secret. Yes, the movie can get a little cheesy, but so what? Love, Simon stays an important piece of queer media.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Rafiki (2018)
Big World Cinema
Rafiki is a Kenyan movie centered around two young women, Kena and Ziki, who end up falling in love with each other despite their family’s disapproval and the political system’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community. The theme of the film reflected reality as well: upon release, according to Them, Rafiki was banned in its home country for showcasing LGBTQ+ stories. There’s a sense of solidarity and understanding throughout the whole movie, especially because some of us know what it feels like to be shunned by our own environment. Just a little heads up: prepare some tissues if you decide to give it a watch.
6 The Danish Girl (2015)
Universal Pictures
Although getting a certain amount of hate for not casting a transgender actor in the lead role, The Danish Girl still has its own legacy of importance. Eddie Redmayne stars as one of the first known recipients of the gender reassignment surgery, and Alicia Vikander plays her wife Wegener, who helps her during the transition process. The movie did exceptionally well, as it was nominated at numerous major awards shows. Although the audience has a different set of opinions on this film, it still remains a beautiful piece of media that will pull on your heart strings by the ending credits.
5 Moonlight (2016)
A24
We’ve talked about Moonlight many times before, but it’s just never enough, you know? Winning the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay, the film has gone down in history as one of the best LGBTQ+ movies ever, and it would do it even without all the major awards. This coming-of-age drama follows the character of Chiron during three stages of his life, as he battles with the acceptance of his own sexual identity, as well as the pressure of the narrow-minded society around him. It’s more than guaranteed that after finishing watching the movie, all it would take is to hear the line “In moonlight, Black boys look blue” and you’d start crying.
4 My Own Private Idaho (1991)
Warner Bros.
Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Henry IV stories and starring Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix in the lead roles, My Own Private Idaho follows two best friends as they embark on a journey of self-discovery while traveling to different places. The film has been labeled as an important contribution to New Queer Cinema, as well as becoming a cult classic among LGBTQ+ audiences. There’s honestly nothing like the campfire scene that would ever come close to the pain it makes you feel. Just as with Moonlight, all it takes is to hear, “I could love someone even if I wasn’t paid for it. I love you, and you don’t pay me,” and you’re clutching your chest.
3 Carol (2015)
Killer Films
Based on the 1952 romance novel The Price of Salt, Carol is also set in the 1950s New York and tells the story of a forbidden affair between a young photographer and an older woman. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara play the lead characters, and their chemistry on screen is impeccable. There’s no wonder it holds so many accolades. Once you watch the movie of the forbidden fruit, we guarantee you won’t know how to stop thinking about it. There’s even a higher chance you’d seasonally rewatch it to feel that something again. The period theme of the film hugely adds to its powerful character.
2 Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Sony Pictures Classics
Yes, there are certain controversies surrounding this movie, like an inappropriate age difference between the lead couple, but you simply cannot deny its overall excellence. Call Me By Your Name is a coming-of-age romance drama movie based on a book of the same name that tells the story of Elio, a 17-year-old Italian teenager whose family lets post-grad student Oliver stay over summer to do his research, and they end up falling in love. It’s promised to make you emotionally unstable for a little while and force you to listen to the whole soundtrack of the movie on repeat.
1 Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Paramount Pictures Studios
Last but not least, we have the major shift in queer cinema: Brokeback Mountain, starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead roles. The plot centers around two cowboys from 1963 to 1983 and their complex relationship. Although the relationship was left open for discussion, everyone can see what the real deal is about. It’s certainly one of the most tragic love stories in the history of modern cinema. Both of the actors took the story very seriously, despite Hollywood wanting to make jokes about it, like at the Oscars. If you decide to give it a watch, prepare for the suffering.
