Last year I reviewed Queer RomComs. Back in February I split the genre in half and gave you five Queer Romances. Now it’s time for the other half: Queer Comedy Films! However like the trouble I had with isolating romances, I had a tricky time determining solely queer comedy films for this month’s post. After all, comedy and romance often go hand in hand together – and for good reason! But I think these five queer comedy films are a great choice!
First up is a queer classic! Followed by a more recent film that was just as groundbreaking when it was released. While it balances the line between romance and comedy, I think it fits best as a Comedy. The final three films are a bit older or a more niche film. You may have heard of them, but you might not have either. Which is of course why I am sharing the films for you to learn about!
But what makes a good queer comedy film? According to IMDb, a comedy is a film where a majority of the scenes contain characters participating in humorous or comedic experiences. The comedy can be exclusively for the viewer, at the expense of the characters in the title, or be shared with them. Comedy includes many sub-genres such as spoof, parody, irony, slapstick, farce, and many more.
So grab a drink, sit back and enjoy these five queer comedy films. Then go watch them!
[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 Queer Comedy Films
Armand Goldman (Robin Williams) owns a popular drag nightclub in South Miami Beach. His long-time lover, Albert (Nathan Lane), stars there as Starina. “Their” son Val (Dan Futterman) (actually Armand’s by his one heterosexual fling, twenty years before) comes home to announce his engagement to Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart), daughter of Kevin Keeley (Gene Hackman), US Senator, and co-founder of the Committee for Moral Order. The Senator and family descend upon South Beach to meet Val, his father and “mother.” What ensues is comic chaos.
Robin Williams, Nathan Lane in drag, and a fabulous adaption of the stage musical “La Cage Aux Folles” – what more could you want in a queer comedy film! While the story itself is a bit dated now, this film is one of the classic queer films that every gay man should watch at least once. The story is full of comedy and farce, yet there’s an honest realness to some of the discussions between the openly gay Armand & Albert and the very conservative Keeleys. Hopefully you’ve already seen “The Birdcage” – but if not, what are you waiting for?!
Watch “The Birdcage” on Amazon, Prime Video, and YouTube.
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) it’s a little more complicated: he’s yet to tell his family or friends he’s gay and he doesn’t know the identity of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online.
“Love, Simon” is a newer queer film that continued breaking new grounds as the first film by a major studio to showcase a gay teenage protagonist. Reaching a much wider audience, this heartfelt film touches on many experiences that young queer teenagers face today. Yet even despite the drama twist of what is essentially teenage blackmail, the film keeps a positive tone. Perhaps the best scenes, aside from the climatic finale where Simon finally meets his online friend Blue, are the two talks Simon has with his parents. If you aren’t crying tears of joy after both, I’d be shocked. Due to “Love, Simon’s popularity, you probably have already seen this queer comedy film. If not, then this queer coming out story is not one to miss!
Watch “Love, Simon” on Amazon, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and YouTube.
A fresh, funny, real story about a group of gay men in Hollywood, their lovers and friends, and the often hilarious, occasionally poignant space in between — that is if they can get any space at all. As they make their ways in the world with and without each other, they are suddenly faced with an unexpected tragedy. The group finds comfort the only way they ever have — together.
“The Broken Hearts Club” is an older film now, however this queer comedy film does an excellent job at showing the real-life troubles for a group of gay men in the late 90’s. We have the “player”, the gay couple with problems, the guy who’s lover left him, an actor, the twink newbie, and even a lesbian couple in a committed relationship. In the middle of this gaggle of gays is Dennis: a single, lonely guy facing his own mid-life crisis. Told in a vignette style, this film uses light-hearted comedy to bring a bit of freshness to the couple heavier issues this group go through over the course of the film. The ensemble nature may seem a bit scattered at times, however I encourage everyone to watch “The Broken Hearts Club” at least once – perhaps with your own gaggle of gay friends.
Watch “The Broken Hearts Club” on Amazon and Prime Video.
A fish-out-of-water comedy about a conservative Southern mom, Mae (Joanne McGee), who discovers that her only son, Brian (Stewart Carrico), is gay. Determined that he won’t go through life alone, she sets out to find him a husband along with her sister, Rose (Carol Goans).
At first glance, “You Should Meet My Son” appears over the top, camp, and most certainly an independent film. The script jumps around a bit, the cinematographic elements aren’t the greatest – but I absolutely LOVE this queer comedy film! There’s just something special about the overall journey that Mae and her sister Rose take while trying to find Brian the perfect partner. They both share an initial reluctance and even fear to discovering Brian is gay but in the end, all they care about is his happiness. And that’s when the comedic fun really begins! Between the women checking out Manhunt to their escapes with drag queens, strippers, and more at the local gay bar – you’ll be laughing your ass off! Yet by the end, love wins. It’s hysterical and a tad cheesy, but I highly encourage you to find a copy of this queer comedy!
Watch “You Should Meet My Son” on Amazon and Prime Video.
The marriage of mutual friends reunites former college roommates Bob (Alexis Arquette) and Brendan (Christian Maelen), who tried to ignore the sexual tension that always flowed between them. Brendan finally comes out to Bob at the reception, but is it a case of too little, too late?
Although it’s another niche indie film, “I Think I Do” is quite a fun queer comedy! With a style torn between classic 90’s heterosexual RomComs and a soap opera, there’s a ton of great comedic jokes within the script! Oh, and there’s actually a closeted soap opera actor amidst the cast to add even more drama. Yet at the heart of this queer comedy film is the unrequited love Bob had for his roommate. In a twist of irony and comedy twist, his college crush is actually gay – but could the timing be any worse? At their friends wedding, right after getting engaged to his current boyfriend is usually not the time to suddenly confess that you’ve loved your best friend the entire time! If you want a great comedy film to watch with the iconic happy ending, “I Think I Do” is a great choice.
Watch “I Think I Do” on Amazon and Prime Video.
So what did you think – do you agree with these five Queer Comedy Films? Have you seen all of them yet? If so, let me know which one was your favourite. And if you haven’t watched them all yet, I highly encourage you to add these Queer Comedy Films to your watch list ASAP!
