Our list of the 200 Best LGBTQ+ Movies of All Time stretches back 90 years to the pioneering German film, Mädchen in Uniform, which was subsequently banned by the Nazis, and crosses multiple continents, cultures, and genres. There are broad American comedies (The Birdcage), artful Korean crime dramas (The Handmaiden), groundbreaking indies (Tangerine), and landmark documentaries (Paris Is Burning). Over the last few years, we added titles like the documentary Welcome to Chechnya, about LGBTQ+ activists risking their lives for the cause in Russia; Certified Fresh comedy Shiva, Baby; and Netflix’s The Old Guard, a rare movie about super beings that showed a same-sex relationship between two of its heroes.
Culled from a longlist of hundreds, movies considered for the list prominently feature gay, lesbian, trans, or queer characters; concern itself centrally with LGBTQ+ themes; present its LGBTQ+ characters in a fair and realistic light; and/or be seen as a touchpoint in the evolution of queer cinema. Every movie here is Fresh, from at least 20 reviews. They’re ranked by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh films first. And we recognize that some of the films in the list will re-ignite healthy debates that have been fixtures of discussion around LGBTQ+ films — straight actors playing gay characters, cis actors playing trans characters, and the historical dominance of white male perspectives. We’d encourage those debates to continue, respectfully, in the comments section below. (And speaking of comments: yes, we know that But I’m a Cheerleader is missing — we love it too! — but it’s Rotten.)
For our most recent update to the list, we’ve added all Certified Fresh films, including All of Us Strangers, Passages, Red White & Royal Blue, Kokomo City, Every Body, Rustin, Bottoms, I Saw the TV Glow, and Love Lies Bleeding.
For now, join us as we celebrate the work of hundreds of filmmakers whose talents and risks have opened up the possibilities of cinema.
1-100 | 101-200
#1
Adjusted Score: 103461%
Critics Consensus: An illuminating and urgent call to action, Welcome to Chechnya portrays the horrors of the mass persecution of the LGBTQ+ community in the Chechen Republic with tenacity and tenderness.
#2
Adjusted Score: 103098%
Critics Consensus: An absorbing and affectionate tribute to a unique individual, Mucho Mucho Amor should prove fascinating for Walter Mercado fans as well as first-timers.
#3
Adjusted Score: 102365%
Critics Consensus: In telling one couple’s story, A Secret Love pays understated yet powerful tribute to a lifetime of choices and sacrifices made in the name of enduring devotion.
#4
Adjusted Score: 101070%
Critics Consensus: We Were Here revisits the crises facing the gay community in the early 1980s — and offers a powerful tribute to the inspiring resolve shown at a time of turmoil.
#5
Adjusted Score: 106001%
Critics Consensus: Beautifully filmed and performed, Mäedchen in Uniform avoids easy melodrama with its sensitive handling of oft-sensationalized subject matter.
#6
Adjusted Score: 102489%
Critics Consensus: Kokomo City is a rousing docu effort that illuminates trans lives within a world of adverse circumstance and invariable optimism.
#7
Adjusted Score: 106016%
Critics Consensus: Moving without resorting to melodrama, BPM offers an engrossing look at a pivotal period in history that lingers long after the closing credits roll.
#8
Adjusted Score: 102218%
Critics Consensus: Sensitively written and beautifully acted, Girl Picture captures the whirlwind of teenage emotions without sacrificing narrative maturity and depth.
#9
Adjusted Score: 117477%
Critics Consensus: Moonlight uses one man’s story to offer a remarkable and brilliantly crafted look at lives too rarely seen in cinema.
#10
Adjusted Score: 107670%
Critics Consensus: Depicting the refugee experience through vivid animation, Flee pushes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking to present a moving memoir of self-discovery.
#11
Adjusted Score: 99510%
Critics Consensus: An illuminating documentary that dispels misinformation and creates an informative space for the intersex community to reach Every Body through the trials and tribulations of gender expression and life.
#12
Adjusted Score: 104666%
Critics Consensus: A quiet, moving rumination on loneliness and newfound intimacy, God’s Own Country marks an outstanding directorial debut for Francis Lee.
#13
Adjusted Score: 102375%
Critics Consensus: Almodovar weaves together a magnificent tapestry of femininity with an affectionate wink to classics of theater and cinema in this poignant story of love, loss and compassion.
#14
Adjusted Score: 101111%
Critics Consensus: Angry, powerful, and stirring, How to Survive a Plague is a brilliantly constructed documentary about the activists who pushed for action to combat the AIDS epidemic.
#15
Adjusted Score: 102877%
Critics Consensus: Paris Is Burning dives into ’80s transgender subculture, with the understated camera allowing this world to flourish and the people to speak (and dance) for themselves.
#16
Adjusted Score: 100606%
Critics Consensus: Disclosure engrossingly illuminates the history and effects of the way transgender lives are depicted onscreen — and outlines how much progress still needs to be made.
#17
Adjusted Score: 100283%
Critics Consensus: Like the cheekily named store at this documentary’s center, Circus of Books proves there are countless stories below the surface if we’re only willing to look.
#18
Adjusted Score: 99673%
Critics Consensus: Alternately horrific and uplifting, Call Me Kuchu exposes heinous systematic brutality with a clear eye and admirable precision.
#19
Adjusted Score: 101780%
Critics Consensus: My Beautiful Laundrette is fast and all over the place because it has so much to say, and show, including a highly watchable fresh-faced Daniel Day-Lewis.
#20
Adjusted Score: 111059%
Critics Consensus: All of Us Strangers examines profound grief and love through a fantastical lens that is always grounded on human emotion.
#21
Adjusted Score: 114750%
Critics Consensus: A singularly rich period piece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire finds stirring, thought-provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance.
#22
Adjusted Score: 105280%
Critics Consensus: Gently devastating in its compassion, Monster is a masterpiece of shifting perspectives that surprises to the end.
#23
Adjusted Score: 99183%
Critics Consensus: Warm, funny, and quietly profound, Appropriate Behavior serves as a thoroughly compelling calling card for writer, director, and star Desiree Akhavan.
#24
Adjusted Score: 105384%
Critics Consensus: A ruefully funny calling card for debuting director Emma Seligman, Shiva Baby transcends its sitcom setup with strong performances and satisfying insights.
#25
Adjusted Score: 102355%
Critics Consensus: For viewers in search of an uncommonly smart, tender, and funny coming-of-age story, The Half of It has everything.
#26
Adjusted Score: 116421%
Critics Consensus: Fast-paced, funny, and fresh, Booksmart does the seemingly impossible by adding a smart new spin to the coming-of-age comedy.
#27
Adjusted Score: 111964%
Critics Consensus: Pain and Glory finds writer-director Pedro Almodóvar drawing on his own life to rewarding effect — and honoring his craft as only a master filmmaker can.
#28
Adjusted Score: 107450%
Critics Consensus: A brilliant forum for Penélope Cruz’s talent, Parallel Mothers reaffirms the familiar pleasures of Almodóvar’s filmmaking while proving he’s still capable of growth.
#29
Adjusted Score: 106486%
Critics Consensus: The Handmaiden uses a Victorian crime novel as the loose inspiration for another visually sumptuous and absorbingly idiosyncratic outing from director Park Chan-wook.
#30
Adjusted Score: 103773%
Critics Consensus: Tangerine shatters casting conventions and its filmmaking techniques are up-to-the-minute, but it’s an old-fashioned comedy at heart — and a pretty wonderful one at that.
#31
Adjusted Score: 98216%
Critics Consensus: In tune with the emotion and tribulations of childhood, Tomboy is a charming movie that treats its main subject with warmth and heart.
#32
Adjusted Score: 101518%
Critics Consensus: Bridging times past with issues that are still current, Blue Jean resonates intellectually and emotionally thanks to thoughtful direction and authentic performances.
#33
Adjusted Score: 99896%
Critics Consensus: Gods and Monsters is a spellbinding, confusing piece of semi-fiction, featuring fine performances; McKellen leads the way, but Redgrave and Fraser don’t lag far behind.
#34
Adjusted Score: 109857%
Critics Consensus: Framed by great work from director Sidney Lumet and fueled by a gripping performance from Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon offers a finely detailed snapshot of people in crisis with tension-soaked drama shaded in black humor.
#35
Adjusted Score: 97749%
Critics Consensus: Good Manners adroitly juggles disparate tonal shifts while taking a uniquely smart and sensitive look at female relationships.
#36
Adjusted Score: 99457%
Critics Consensus: Pulsing with authenticity and led by a stirring lead performance from Adepero Oduye, Pariah is a powerful coming out/coming-of-age film that signals the arrival of a fresh new talent in writer/director Dee Rees.
#37
Adjusted Score: 112656%
Critics Consensus: Lust and violence collide to powerfully pulpy effect in Love Lies Bleeding, a well-acted addition to writer-director Rose Glass’ growing body of exceptional work.
#38
Adjusted Score: 104623%
Critics Consensus: Elevated by a remarkable Franz Rogowski performance, Passages adds another smart, deeply humanistic film to director/co-writer Ira Sachs’ estimable filmography.
#39
Adjusted Score: 103072%
Critics Consensus: Dark, stylish, and captivating, Heavenly Creatures signals both the auspicious debut of Kate Winslet and the arrival of Peter Jackson as more than just a cult director.
#40
Adjusted Score: 97833%
Critics Consensus: It may be a chamber piece but Weekend‘s revelations on modern sexuality expand far beyond the modest setting.
#41
Adjusted Score: 96516%
Critics Consensus: Princess Cyd defies coming-of-age convention to offer a sweetly understated – yet deeply resonant – look at pivotal relationships.
#42
Adjusted Score: 101448%
Critics Consensus: The Crying Game is famous for its shocking twist, but this thoughtful, haunting mystery grips the viewer from start to finish.
#43
Adjusted Score: 96144%
Critics Consensus: Being 17 rides the roiling emotions of adolescence through a coming-of-age melodrama whose narrative turbulence smartly reflects the confusion of its protagonists.
#44
Adjusted Score: 114301%
Critics Consensus: Call Me by Your Name offers a melancholy, powerfully affecting portrait of first love, empathetically acted by Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer.
#45
Adjusted Score: 112560%
Critics Consensus: Brought to life by a stellar ensemble led by Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog reaffirms writer-director Jane Campion as one of her generation’s finest filmmakers.
#46
Adjusted Score: 109867%
Critics Consensus: Shaped by Todd Haynes’ deft direction and powered by a strong cast led by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol lives up to its groundbreaking source material.
#47
Adjusted Score: 106274%
Critics Consensus: Subtle and tender, A Fantastic Woman handles its timely, sensitive subject matter with care.
#48
Adjusted Score: 99527%
Critics Consensus: Brought to life by a tremendously talented cast, the breezily entertaining Fire Island proves there are still fresh ways to update Austen.
#49
Adjusted Score: 98420%
Critics Consensus: Affectionate without sacrificing honesty, Behind the Candelabra couples award-worthy performances from Michael Douglas and Matt Damon with some typically sharp direction from Steven Soderbergh.
#50
Adjusted Score: 98596%
Critics Consensus: Stylish, sensual, and smart, The Duke of Burgundy proves that erotic cinema can have genuine substance.
#51
Adjusted Score: 98169%
Critics Consensus: Sexy, smart, and darkly humorous, Stranger by the Lake offers rewarding viewing for adult filmgoers in search of thought-provoking drama.
#52
Adjusted Score: 95535%
Critics Consensus: My Name Is Pauli Murray educates and uplifts in equal measure while paying stirring tribute to a largely unsung — yet hugely important — individual.
#53
Adjusted Score: 95516%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to Emmy-worthy performances from a reputable cast, The Normal Heart is not only a powerful, heartbreaking drama, but also a vital document of events leading up to and through the early AIDS crisis.
#54
Adjusted Score: 97203%
Critics Consensus: While its premise is ripe for comedy — and it certainly delivers its fair share of laughs — Priscilla is also a surprisingly tender and thoughtful road movie with some outstanding performances.
#55
Adjusted Score: 115396%
Critics Consensus: Led by an outstanding Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once lives up to its title with an expertly calibrated assault on the senses.
#56
Adjusted Score: 103016%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by Sean Penn’s powerhouse performance, Milk is a triumphant account of America’s first openly gay man elected to public office.
#57
Adjusted Score: 100985%
Critics Consensus: Held aloft by remarkable performances from John Lithgow and Alfred Molina, Love Is Strange serves as a graceful tribute to the beauty of commitment in the face of adversity.
#58
Adjusted Score: 96312%
Critics Consensus: Farewell, My Queen transcends its gaudy period trappings to offer an affecting historical drama built on timeless – and timely – themes.
#59
Adjusted Score: 95722%
Critics Consensus: Empathetic and well-acted, The Fallout uses the aftermath of teen trauma to grapple with the experience of grief.
#60
Adjusted Score: 94208%
Critics Consensus: Compassionate, emotionally detailed, and populated with resonant characters, The Way He Looks leaves a warmth that lingers.
#61
Adjusted Score: 102136%
Critics Consensus: Worthwhile as both a well-acted ensemble piece and as a smart, warm statement on family values, The Kids Are All Right is remarkable.
#62
Adjusted Score: 99958%
Critics Consensus: Earnest without being didactic and uplifting without stooping to sentimentality, Pride is a joyous crowd-pleaser that genuinely works.
#63
Adjusted Score: 104418%
Critics Consensus: Dallas Buyers Club rests squarely on Matthew McConaughey’s scrawny shoulders, and he carries the burden gracefully with what might be a career-best performance.
#64
Adjusted Score: 105012%
Critics Consensus: Love, Simon hits its coming-of-age beats more deftly than many entries in this well-traveled genre — and represents an overdue, if not entirely successful, milestone of inclusion.
#65
Adjusted Score: 95833%
Critics Consensus: Hedwig and the Angry Inch may very well be the next Rocky Horror midnight movie. It not only knows how to rock, but Hedwig’s story has an emotional poignancy.
#66
Adjusted Score: 96607%
Critics Consensus: Udo Kier’s layered performance lends Swan Song a nuance and poignancy that offset its potentially outlandish story.
#67
Adjusted Score: 96179%
Critics Consensus: An auspicious debut for writer-director Cheryl Dunye, The Watermelon Woman tells a fresh story in wittily irreverent style.
#68
Adjusted Score: 94081%
Critics Consensus: Summertime (La Belle Saison) presents a well-acted, beautifully framed period romance that offers a refreshing perspective on its era in the bargain.
#69
Adjusted Score: 93997%
Critics Consensus: Unpregnant puts a compelling twist on the road trip comedy — and treats its sensitive subject with heart.
#70
Adjusted Score: 98433%
Critics Consensus: Great performances and evocative musical numbers help Cabaret secure its status as a stylish, socially conscious classic.
#71
Adjusted Score: 99138%
Critics Consensus: Boasting a stellar performance from Lily Tomlin and some powerfully empathetic work from writer-director Paul Weitz, Grandma is a dramedy that shouldn’t have to ask you to visit.
#72
Adjusted Score: 93034%
Critics Consensus: A naturalistic depiction of teenage life, Show Me Love has a charming, authentic feel.
#73
Adjusted Score: 95578%
Critics Consensus: Narratively challenging and visually haunting, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair adds a uniquely ambitious and unsettling entry to the crowded coming-of-age genre.
#74
Adjusted Score: 103735%
Critics Consensus: With an outstanding starring performance from Benedict Cumberbatch illuminating its fact-based story, The Imitation Game serves as an eminently well-made entry in the “prestige biopic” genre.
#75
Adjusted Score: 102640%
Critics Consensus: Thrillingly provocative and original, Titane reaffirms writer-director Julia Ducournau’s delightfully disturbing vision.
#76
Adjusted Score: 102479%
Critics Consensus: While Passing‘s delicate approach has a dampening effect on its story, debuting director Rebecca Hall makes the most of an impressive cast — and handles thorny themes with impressive dexterity.
#77
Adjusted Score: 101724%
Critics Consensus: Propulsive and over-the-top, Bottoms is an instant high school comedy classic that feels both current and nostalgic.
#78
Adjusted Score: 92485%
Critics Consensus: My Summer of Love is a moody, bittersweet love story featuring outstanding performances from the leads.
#79
Adjusted Score: 93752%
Critics Consensus: Harrowing yet stirring, Boys Don’t Cry powerfully commemorates the life — and brutally unjust death — of transgender teen Brandon Teena.
#80
Adjusted Score: 92774%
Critics Consensus: The main character may be hard to like, but Anaïs in Love offers a well-acted and breezily humorous take on its admittedly well-worn themes.
#81
Adjusted Score: 92444%
Critics Consensus: Keep the Lights On is a mysterious, sexy journey deep into the love affair of two men that always manages to stay true to life.
#82
Adjusted Score: 100415%
Critics Consensus: Led by moving performances from Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci, Supernova is a heartbreaking look at the emotional toll that comes with accepting mortality.
#83
Adjusted Score: 101181%
Critics Consensus: Bros marks a step forward in rom-com representation — and just as importantly, it’s a whole bunch of fun to watch.
#84
Adjusted Score: 97618%
Critics Consensus: A beautiful, epic Western, Brokeback Mountain’s love story is imbued with heartbreaking universality thanks to moving performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.
#85
Adjusted Score: 97288%
Critics Consensus: Raw, honest, powerfully acted, and deliciously intense, Blue Is the Warmest Color offers some of modern cinema’s most elegantly composed, emotionally absorbing drama.
#86
Adjusted Score: 92603%
Critics Consensus: A layered, wonderfully-acted, and passionate drama.
#87
Adjusted Score: 92392%
Critics Consensus: Fear Street Part Three: 1666 sends the slasher series back in time for a trilogy-concluding installment that caps things off on a screaming high note.
#88
Adjusted Score: 90396%
Critics Consensus: A charming tale of a love affair that overcomes cultural taboos.
#89
Adjusted Score: 91348%
Critics Consensus: Bound‘s more titillating elements attracted attention, but it’s the stylish direction, solid performances, and entertaining neo-noir caper plot that make it worth a watch.
#90
Adjusted Score: 96591%
Critics Consensus: Professor Marston & The Wonder Women winds a lasso of cinematic truth around a fascinating fact-based tale with strong performances from its three stars.
#91
Adjusted Score: 93791%
Critics Consensus: Though the costumes are beautiful and the art direction impeccable, what stands out most from this debut by fashion designer Tom Ford is the leading performance by Colin Firth.
#92
Adjusted Score: 89345%
Critics Consensus: Bold performances and sensitive, spot-on direction make watching this difficult tale of trauma and abuse a thought-provoking, resonant experience.
#93
Adjusted Score: 88481%
Critics Consensus: A thought-provoking, insightful look into Iranian youth culture.
#94
Adjusted Score: 89205%
Critics Consensus: Overflowing with ideas as it moves across genres, The Five Devils uses intoxicating magical realism to explore a family’s troubled past.
#95
Adjusted Score: 92225%
Critics Consensus: Wearing its twee heart on its sleeve, Beginners explores the depths of modern, multi-generational romance with wit and depth.
#96
Adjusted Score: 86705%
Critics Consensus: A tersely told yet deeply felt romance.
#97
Adjusted Score: 88387%
Critics Consensus: Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood offers plenty of prurient thrills for film fans, but beyond the gossip lies a poignantly illuminating look at decades of sexual mores.
#98
Adjusted Score: 88265%
Critics Consensus: A serene, melancholy beauty permeates this meditative portrait of deep friendship and faded glory.
#99
Adjusted Score: 87162%
Critics Consensus: Other People resists easy melodrama, rewarding viewers with a smart, subtle look at family dynamics with a talented cast and a finely calibrated blend of funny and serious moments.
#100
Adjusted Score: 93780%
Critics Consensus: David Lynch’s dreamlike and mysterious Mulholland Drive is a twisty neo-noir with an unconventional structure that features a mesmerizing performance from Naomi Watts as a woman on the dark fringes of Hollywood.