Last year, I shared my list of five Queer Drama Films. But if you recall, I had a difficult time picking only five dramas to make the cut. To be fair, there are TONS of amazing and worthy queer dramas to choose from. So this month we’re going to revisit the drama genre with five MORE Queer Drama Films that are worth watching!
If you missed that post, I highly encourage you to go check out the first round of queer drama films I recommend. Read it HERE. But don’t forget to come back and discover the next batch.
Let’s also recap what makes a film a Drama According to IMDb, the Drama genre: “Should contain numerous consecutive scenes of characters portrayed to effect a serious narrative throughout the title, usually involving conflicts and emotions. This can be exaggerated upon to produce melodrama. Subjective“
Now, this month’s five films are worthy in and of themselves. Heck, one is the first gay film to win an Oscar! Another queer drama was utterly groundbreaking when it was released, partly because it’s the film adaptation of an equally groundbreaking play. While the other three films may not have won any major awards, they are still revolutionary themselves. They all tackle acceptance: the adolescent struggles of curiosity and homophobia, the struggles of acceptance within religion, and self-acceptance when life takes you in a different direction than you planned.
So take a few minutes and learn about five MORE Queer Drama Films that are worth watching.
[Note: Not all of these films have full reviews yet – but they’re added to the quickly growing list of films I plan to tackle soon!]
5 More Queer Drama Films
A witty, perceptive and devastating look at the personal agendas and suppressed revelations swirling among a group of gay men in Manhattan. Harold (Leonard Frey) is celebrating a birthday, and his friend Michael (Kenneth Nelson) has drafted some other friends to help commemorate the event. As the evening progresses, the alcohol flows, the knives come out, and Michael’s demand that the group participate in a devious telephone game, unleashing dormant and unspoken emotions.
I’ve got a confession to make: I’ve only recently seen “The Boys in the Band” – shocking, I know! This queer drama film is actually an adaptation of the groundbreaking stage play of the same name by Mart Crowley. After a successful run of the play, it quickly was filmed with the original cast of the play and continued reaching more viewers. Critics viewed both favorably, however it received mixed reviews among the queer community. While the play and subsequent film depicted homosexual life rather well for the time period, many also couldn’t look past the jaded, self-loathing, and self-deprecating stereotypes on display. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite a fan. Sure, this queer drama captures a pre-liberation snapshot of the homosexual lifestyle. This is why while I strongly encourage every queer person to watch “The Boys in the Band”, I advise that you keep in mind that this queer drama film remains stuck in the past.
Watch “The Boys In The Band” on Amazon, Prime Video, and Criterion Channel.
The tender, heartbreaking story of young man, Chiron’s (Ashton Sanders), struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.
In 2017, “Moonlight” shattered the lavender-ceiling when this queer film became the first gay film to win an Oscar for Best Picture! It’s clear why this queer drama won, as it showed the harsh reality of Chiron growing up queer as a black man living in poverty. While the subject matter is actually quite dark and gritty, so much of the film’s story lies in what is not always spoken aloud. That internal struggle of battling against others while growing up, while also battling against accepting one’s own sexuality is a key defining moment in Chiron’s life. However, the film won also because of how they told his story. Breaking up the story into three segments, and then casting different actors to accurately portray Chiron through each moment of his life worked extremely well. However, despite being a clear-cut award-winning film, I still felt a bit of a disconnect. But don’t let my experience diminish the fact that “Moonlight” is a MUST see among queer drama films!
Watch “Moonlight” on Amazon, Prime Video, and YouTube.
Two popular teen boys, Franky (Josh Wiggins) and Ballas (Darren Mann) best friends since childhood, discover their lives, families, and girlfriends dramatically upended after an unexpected incident occurs on the night of a 17th birthday party.
Wow – “Giant Little Ones” is a powerful film; full of vibrant visually laid out moments that are underscored by an energetic electronic soundtrack. But what makes this film even stronger is the script – and how it masterfully delves into the world of high school adolescent teenagers trying to figure out their sexuality in a modern, sex and party fuelled atmosphere. Writer & Director Keith Behrman weaves all of these elements to create a film that is a “must-see” among modern queer cinema. But be warned, it’s also a difficult film to watch. There is no glitter or gay pride parades, but darkness, uncertainly, and a lot of unanswered questions. So go grab yourself a copy of this film, buckle down for quite a ride – and enjoy! Then watch it again because, as one of the key points to the plot highlights – things are not always what they seem, and the wrong first impression can be damning.
Watch “Giant Little Ones” on Amazon and Prime Video.
Christian (Wes Ramsey), a hunky, 20-something, West Hollywood party boy gets more than he bargains for when he tries to seduce 19-year-old Elder Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), a sexually confused Mormon missionary who moves into his apartment complex.
“Latter Days” is one of my go-to queer films – and is among some of the first queer films I recall watching as I was discovering my sexuality. While I was raised Catholic instead of Mormon, there is something about “Latter Days” that hit close to home because I myself struggled with religious homophobia against my own sexuality. Seeing that story unfold in this queer drama helped me and is something that many of us can relate to ourselves. Is it a perfect film? Nope. It has some issues, including cliche stereotypes and some questionable acting. However, there are some scenes that cause you to overlook those issues. And the overall message at the heart of this queer drama is one that I fully stand behind. If you have not yet seen this queer classic drama, what are you waiting for?
Watch “Latter Days” on Amazon, Prime Video, and Dekkoo.
A promising career with the police, a baby on the way… Marc’s (Hanno Koffler) life seems to be right on track. Then he meets fellow policeman Kay (Max Riemelt) and during their regular jogs Marc experiences a never-before-felt sense of ease and effortlessness — and what it means to fall in love with another man.
“Free Fall”, or Freier Fall, is a queer drama film that is oft referred to as the German version of “Brokeback Mountain”. The plot follows a rather similar process: a straight man in a very heterosexually dominating field meets a man who he not only has an affair with but who also opens and awakens his mind to possibility. Throw in his pregnant girlfriend, homophobic fellow police coworkers, and an initial resistance to even accepting he might be attracted to guys – it’s very easy to see how the comparison lands. Heck, even cinematographically there are many similarities. The scenic views are stunning, the sound and score are superb, and the script is well-written with so much subtext. And its all delivered by phenomenal actors. It’s quite a captivating film to watch and really delves into Marc’s life as everything starts falling apart on him in a free fall. This queer film is part romance, but it also is definitely a queer drama film; I won’t give away any spoilers – but the film’s ending tugs at your heartstrings. In short, “Free Fall” is a great film to watch!
Watch “Free Fall” on Amazon, Prime Video, Dekkoo, Hulu, and Piccadillo Pictures.
