The Best Lesbian Movies Ever Made, from ‘D.E.B.S.’ and ‘Carol’ to ‘Bound’ and ‘Pariah’
If “Barbie” was supposed to be the Year of the Girl, then what do you call the three-month stretch of 2024 that gave us “Love Lies Bleeding,” “Drive-Away Dolls,” and a musical “Mean Girls” with lesbian intern Reneé Rapp?
When the power goes out and the group’s premiere fuckboy (oh, hey, Pete Davidson) turns up dead, it takes next to nothing for the supposedly far-left cool kids to turn on each other like narcissistic jackals.
Rachell Sennnott is bi-coded as ever in her unforgettable turn as the hysterical Alice, but there’s a particularly fine point put on the thorny nature of lesbian situation-ships.
Queerness isn't just a subplot—it’s baked into the DNA, particularly in Eleanor’s coming-of-age arc, which gives Hawke space to shine.
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The Fear Street Trilogy (2021)
Comprised of three films—Fear Street Part One: 1994, Part Two: 1978, and Part Three: 1666—this interconnected horror series follows a chilling curse that haunts the town of Shadyside across three time periods.
Based on Shamim Sarif’s novel of the same name, “I Can’t Think Straight” sees the filmmaker and author adapt her own work to create a culturally distinct consideration of familial obligation. A forbidden love story between a teen spy and an evil but hot international diamond thief, the movie features early performances by Jimmi Simpson (“Westworld”) and Jordana Brewster (“The Fast and the Furious”).
When a sweet yet stupid football player (Daniel Diemer) hires shy, booksmart Ellie (Leah Lewis) to write a love letter to his crush Aster (Alexxis Lemire), the last thing Ellie expects is to fall in love with Aster herself.
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You can skip the web series and jump into this flick, but we recommend watching Anne’s entire trajectory.
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'Beauty' (2022)
(Image credit: Stephanie Meiling/Netflix)
On the cusp of fame in the late 1970s, the titular Beauty (Gracie Marie Bradley) must decide if she wants to choose her public life and family or her girlfriend.
Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950)
One of the greatest movies ever made, “All About Eve” is ostensibly the tale of a bunch of straight women being passive-aggressive backstabbers toward each other. Please, dear God, can someone yell at me on social media for quoting “BoJack Horseman” when “Tuca & Bertie” was right there?!
“Shiva Baby” (dir. The star-crossed romance follows two teens, Kena (Samantha Mugatsia) and Ziki (Sheila Munyiva), who fall in love despite their families’ political rivalry. According to GLAAD’s 2023 Studio Responsibility Index, more LGBTQ+ characters were prominently included in studio-backed feature films in 2022 than in the previous 11 years of the study's existence.
You'll find super steamy films like Duck Butter, easy-to-watch teen flicks like TheProm, and heartfelt documentaries like Tig (and just about every genre in between).
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'Anne+: The Film' (2021)
(Image credit: Netflix)
Based on the Dutch web series ANNE+, this feature film follows Anne, a 20-something lesbian (Hanna van Vliet) in Amsterdam, as she deals with writer’s block, an impending move to Montreal, and a tricky relationship with her ex, which could change her whole life.
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21. “Kajillionaire” (dir. Read on for IndieWire’s list of the 40 Best Lesbian Movies Ever Made. She has a chance at breaking free when she meets pink-haired cutie Lucy (Leisha Hailey), but gets pulled back in when Ellen’s boyfriend drama becomes dire. Rachel Sennott broke out in Emma Seligman’s film playing Danielle, a directionless young woman who grapples with feelings of inadequacy and resentment when she attends a shiva with her parents.
Bi-erasure sucks worse than being sacrificed to the devil by a boy band, so we’ve also made room for “Jennifer’s Body” and a few more movies that go both ways. Wanuri Kahiu, 2018)
Initially banned in its home country of Kenya, this tender queer romance pulses with bright colors and the electric butterflies of young love.
Hot Sapphic… Spring? Ethan Coen, 2024)
When his creative partnership with his brother Joel went on an indefinite hiatus, Ethan Coen was freed up to explore his true passion: making shaggy, sapphic b-movie-inspired comedies with his lesbian wife, Tricia Cooke. Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson infuses the film with campy glam and dark wit, creating an acid-tongued satire of high school toxicity.
But the film is a lot like its protagonist; so damn lovely, it’s no wonder everyone wants to kiss it. But the film has always been catnip for queer cinephiles, and queer readings of its themes have existed for decades.