Top gay movies of all time

It's that time of year: Pride Month, which means it's time to celebrate. LGBTQ-centered films are still pretty rare—particularly from major studios, as the buzz around 's Bros revealed. If you're looking for powerful and moving cinema that beautifully captures queer experiences, we've got you covered with this list of the top gay movies of all time.

Queer cinema has evolved, too, from the shoestring brilliance of The Watermelon Woman to the big-budget glitter-fest that is Rocketman. From underground hits to splashy big-budget spectacles, we round up all of our favorite LGBTQ+ films from across the decades.

An Elton John biopic was never going to be understated, but this glittering jukebox musical goes way over the top and then keeps going. Borrow a streaming-service password from family—however you define it! The life of Cuba's "transformistas" is captured beautifully in this father-son story about a boy who wants to perform drag and his father, newly released from prison and unable to accept who his son is.

These films not only spotlight LGBTQ+ stories but also deliver heartfelt performances, compelling narratives, and artistic. Since then, even more intersectional films about the queer experience have emerged. But queer characters have come a long way in a relatively short time, from the self-loathing middle-aged men of the s in The Boys in the Band to the headstrong misfits of Fire Island to the love-torn teens in Love, Simon.

A gay fantasia on Elton themes. It might be an overcorrection from the straight-washing of the previous year's Bohemian Rhapsodybut when it's this much fun, it's best not to overthink it. Let us help. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor.

The queer kids of the future need their wholesome entertainment, too. Amazon Apple. Amazon The Roku Channel. But it's also an opportunity to learn your queer history, and a self-curated LGBTQ film festival is a great way to do that. If it feels a bit like a CW version of an after-school special, that's no mistake: Teen-tv super-producer Greg Berlanti makes his feature-film directorial debut here.

Netflix Amazon. We may earn a commission from these links. Amazon Hulu. While gay characters tended until much too recently to be one-dimensional, white, marginal, and doomed, in Barry Jenkins won an Oscar by telling the layered and hopeful story of a gay Black man in Moonlight.

20 Best LGBT Movies

As always, it's a great time to march, party, and be marketed to. If you're looking for something new to watch this month, let this list be your guide. Ahead, we rank 30 of the best queer films of all time, from newer comedies like Bottoms () to classics like Brokeback Mountain () and underrated gems like Happy Together ().

We celebrate the lesbian, trans, queer, and gay movies that broke serious ground, opened hearts, and pushed cinema forward.

The 50 Best LGBTQ

The story of American gay activist Harvey Milk, who fought for gay rights and was elected as California's first openly gay official. After all, Pride—real pride—requires self-knowledge, and one of the easiest ways to do that is through art. Just the thing to lift your spirits.

Along the way, a rousing performance from Andrew Scott as an inspiring teacher with a secret of his own; a prescient casting choice in Nicholas Galitzine, whose name you just might see in this list a time or two later; and a rugby game set to a Rufus Wainwright song.