Six Queer Films You Probably Haven't Seen
Pride month tends to bring out the usual suspects, doesn't it? The safe choices, the ones that have already done the festival circuit twice over and settled comfortably into the "essential viewing" category. But there's a whole other world of queer cinema out there, films that are just as vital and entertaining yet somehow haven't made it into the standard conversation. The six we're looking at here span decades and continents, from documentary work that captures a subculture in all its complexity, to comedies that found cult audiences on the strength of their wit and heart, to recent international projects that deserve far more visibility than they've managed to grab.
What ties them together isn't a particular story or style, but rather a kind of benign neglect from the broader film conversation. These are pictures that word-of-mouth sustains, that film clubs champion, and that tend to be discovered through recommendation rather than publicity bluster. Some are decades old now but have aged remarkably well; others are recent enough that audiences are still finding them on streaming services, often by accident. If you're after something to watch this month that goes beyond the obvious choices, you'll likely find at least one here worth your time.
1. Runs in the Family (2023) ★★★½
Directed by Ian Gabriel · With Ace Bhatti, Rob van Vuuren, Gabe Gabriel
A former conman and his trans drag performer son embark on a road trip through South Africa to retrieve River's estranged mother from rehab whilst racing to get him to a drag competition that could fund his surgery.
2. Joyland (2022) ★★★½
Directed by Saim Sadiq · With Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan
A Pakistani family's traditional expectations clash with their youngest son's hidden life in an adult theatre, where he develops feelings for a transgender performer.
3. Next Goal Wins (2023) ★★★
Directed by Taika Waititi · With Michael Fassbender, Oscar Kightley, Kaimana
A Dutch football manager takes on the challenge of transforming the perpetually unsuccessful American Samoa national team into competitive contenders.
4. Paris Is Burning (1990)
Directed by Jennie Livingston · With Pepper LaBeija, Octavia St. Laurent, Venus Xtravaganza
A documentary exploration of New York's underground ball culture in the 1980s, following the competing drag houses, voguing pioneers and transgender performers who created an expressive art form within their marginalised community.
5. But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) ★★★
Directed by Jamie Babbit · With Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, Cathy Moriarty
A teenage cheerleader is sent to conversion therapy by her concerned parents, where she discovers her true identity alongside other LGBTQ+ teenagers.
6. Booksmart (2019) ★★★½
Directed by Olivia Wilde · With Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams
Two overachieving high school students attempt to compress years of missed partying into a single night before graduation.
These films remind us that queer cinema stretches far beyond the festival circuit darlings and prestige releases that dominate conversations around the community's stories. Whether documentary or drama, recent or older, they share something more valuable than awards recognition: they exist because someone needed to make them, and we're all richer for having them. Sometimes the best films aren't the ones everyone's seen; they're the ones worth seeking out.
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