The 18 Best LGBT Movies on Netflix Right Now (January 2021)

Enjoy pride anytime with the best queer, trans, bisexual, lesbian, and gay films

by
Robert Wells
Robert Earl Wells III
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Robert Wells is a professional writer and amateur game developer. His specialties include web development, cryptocurrency, and cybersecurity.
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Robert Earl Wells III
Updated on January 01, 2021

There are so many LGBT movies on Netflix right now that it's impossible to watch them all in a month. That's why we put together a rundown of the best gay and lesbian movies on the streaming service. On this list, you'll find award-winning films, historical dramas, documentaries, and coming of age stories.

01
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The Prom (2020): Best LGBT-Themed Musical With an All-Star Cast

The cast of The Prom (2020)

Netflix

IMDb Rating: 6.2

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical

Starring: Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman

Director: Ryan Murphy

TV Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 130 minutes

An adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, The Prom is about a duo of down-on-their-luck actors who decide to take on a cause in hopes of revamping their public image. They hear about a small Indiana town where the local school board has canceled prom after teenager Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman) expresses her intent to bring her girlfriend, which seems like the perfect test case.

Meryl Streep shines as Dee Dee Allen, and the rest of the cast does a suitable job with the musical numbers. The whole thing is pretty campy, but it has an uplifting message, and the choreography is often mesmerizing.

02
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Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen (2020): Best Documentary About Transgender Representation in Movies

Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen on Netflix

Netflix

IMDb Rating: 8.3

Genre: Documentary

Starring: Laverne Cox, Bianca Leigh, Jen Richards

Director: Sam Feder

TV Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 108 minutes

For most of film history, transgender people have been depicted in a negative light. Fortunately, that's beginning to change. In Disclosure, transgender actors and film historians share their experiences in the industry and talk about the portrayal of gender non-conforming characters in cinema.

It's unfortunate that Disclosure didn't get a proper theatrical release, but its distribution on Netflix ensures that it attracts a wide audience. While there's still a lot of work to be done, seeing how much progress has been made over the past few decades is inspiring.

03
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Let it Snow (2019): Best Rom-Com With an LGBT Romance

The cast of Let It Snow

Netflix

IMDb Rating: 5.8

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Starring: Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Odeya Rush

Director: Luke Snellin

TV Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 92 minutes

If you're in the mood for a Holiday-themed romantic comedy that's not your average cookie-cutter Hallmark movie, give Let It Snow a try. In this Netflix exclusive, a group of teens is unexpectedly brought together by a snowstorm. Dorrie (Liv Hewson) and her cheerleader girlfriend Kerry (Anna Ankana) have been trying to keep their relationship a secret, but Dorrie is beginning to crack under the pressure.

An adaptation of the popular young adult novel, Let It Snow features several former child actors, including Kiernan Shipka and Odeya Rush. While not an explicitly LGBT-themed movie, the lesbian relationship plays a central role in the story.

04
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Straight Up (2019): Most Creative Comedy About Romantic Exploration

James Sweeney and Katie Findlay in Straight Up

Netflix

IMDb Rating: 6.8

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Starring: James Sweeney, Omar Guazzelli, Brendan Scannell

Director: James Sweeney

TV Rating: Not Rated

Running Time: 95 minutes

Straight Up is a curious romantic comedy that challenges the notion of romantic love altogether. A young man with OCD named Todd (James Sweeney) finds himself attracted to men, but his hangups prevent him from getting too intimate. After deciding to experiment with women, he befriends an actress named Rory, and their relationship develops in unexpected ways.

Straight Up follows rom-com tropes while simultaneously subverting them. The movie explores the complexities of physical and romantic attraction in a novel way, exposing the innate messiness of love.

05
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I Am Jonas (2018): Best Foreign Gay Romantic Mystery Movie

Christophe Charrier in I Am Jonas

Netflix

IMDb Rating: 7.0

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance

Starring: Félix Maritaud, Nicolas Bauwens, Tommy-Lee Baïk

Director: Christophe Charrier

TV Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 82 minutes

I Am Jonas is a French coming-of-age film chronicling two periods in the life of Jonas, played by Félix Maritaud and Nicolas Bauwens. As a 15-year-old in the late 90s, Jonas witnessed the abduction of his lover. Eighteen years later, he's haunted by his past and still searching for answers about what happened that night.

It may sound similar to Moonlight, but instead of unfolding linearly, the story switches back-and-forth between past and present. The narrative structure, along with strong performance, makes I Am Jonas highly rewatchable.

06
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The Feels (2017): Best Lesbian Bachelorette Party Movie

The Feels 2017

Netflix

IMDb Rating: 5.1

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Starring: Constance Wu, Angela Trimbur, Josh Fadem

Director: Jenée LaMarque

TV Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 90 minutes

In this largely improvised comedy, a group of friends throws a bachelorette party for soon-to-be brides Andi (Constance Wu) and Lu (Angela Trimbur). During the drunken festivities, Lu drops a secret that shocks everyone and devastates her fiance.

Things don't get too dramatic, though. The mood is light-hearted, and you can tell that the cast is having fun. The Feels kind of feels like a made-for-TV movie, but there's nothing necessarily wrong with that. It's perfect if you're in need of a good laugh.

07
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Dear Ex (2018): Best Taiwanese LGBT Family Drama

Spark Chen in Dear Ex

Warner Bros.

IMDb Rating: 7.3

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Starring: Roy Chiu, Ying-Xuan Hsieh, Spark Chen

Director: Chih-Yen Hsu, Mag Hsu

TV Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 80 minutes

Dear Ex is a Taiwanese comedic drama that explores the complexities of families and parenthood. After the death of his father, young Song Cheng-xi (Joseph Huang) finds himself in the middle of a dispute between his mother (Ying-Xuan) and his dad's departed lover (Chiu).

Dear Ex received international acclaim and numerous accolades, including the Best Lead Actor award for Roy Chiu and the Best Lead Actress award for Hsieh Ying-Xuan at the 2018 Faro Island Film Festival. American audiences can watch the movie dubbed in English on Netflix.

08
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The Boys in the Band (2020): Best Second Film Adaptation of a 60s Era Play

The cast of The Boys in the Band

Netflix

IMDb Rating: 6.8

Genre: Drama

Starring: Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer

Director: Joe Mantello

Motion Picture Rating: R

Running Time: 121 minutes

The Boys in the Band is a 1968 play that was revived for Broadway in 2018 with a cast of all openly gay actors. The movie tells the same story about a group of gay friends in Manhattan, and it stars the same actors as the Broadway play.

This 2020 version is the second film adaptation of The Boys in the Band. If you enjoyed the movie and want to know more about the story behind the source material, you can also watch the short documentary The Boys in the Band: Something Personal on Netflix.

09
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Duck Butter (2018): Most Erotic Lesbian Romance

Alia Shawkat in Laia Costa Duck Butter

The Orchard

IMDb Rating: 5.3

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama

Starring: Alia Shawkat, Laia Costa, Mae Whitman

Director: Miguel Arteta

TV Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 93 minutes

In this sexually-charged romantic comedy, two women who meet at a club named Naima (Alia Shawkat) and Sergio (Laia Costa) decide to date for a 24-hour period. Will their tryst survive the day?

The movie, like their relationship, isn't particularly deep. Nonetheless, it's an enjoyable watch for adults. The lead actresses have great chemistry, even if their characters aren't fully developed.

10
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Secret Love (2020): Best Documentary About Lesbians in Sports

A Secret Love on Netflix

Blumhouse Production

IMDb Rating: 7.9

Genre: Documentary, Drama

Starring: Terry Donahue, Pat Henschel, Diana Bolan

Director: Chris Bolan

TV Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 81 minutes

A Secret Love documents the lives of professional baseball player Terry Donahue and her partner Pat Henschel, who maintained a secret relationship for over 60 years. Through social discrimination and personal adversity, their love endured.

The film is both heartwarming and sad at some points, but it's an overall sweet story that will touch and inspire anyone. It never made it to the film festival circuit, but if it had, the movie would have likely picked up a few awards.

11
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Transformer (2017): Best Film About a Transgender Athlete

Janae Marie Kroczaleski in Transformer

Netflix

IMDb Rating: 7.5

Genre: Biography, Documentary

Starring: Janae Marie Kroczaleski

Director: Michael Del Monte

TV Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 78 minutes

Transformer documents the gender transition of former U.S. Marine and competitive bodybuilder Janae Kroc. This movie challenges preconceived notions about gender and serves as an inspiration to all competitive athletes.

Transformer won audience awards at the 2017 Austin Film Festival, the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and the 2018 Queer North Film Festival. Editor Graham Withers was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Editing in a Documentary.

12
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Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019): Best LGBT Bollywood Movie

The cast of Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
Fox Star Studio

IMDb Rating: 5.5

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Starring: Sonam Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao

Director: Shelly Chopra Dhar

TV Rating: TV-14

Running Time: 120 minutes

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, which roughly translates to "How I felt when I saw that girl," is a Hindi-language comedy about a young lesbian named Sweety (Sonam Kapoor) who is pressured into dating men by her conservative Indian family. When a charming playwright proposes to her, Sweety must choose between being true to herself or keeping others happy at her own expense.

LGBT characters are still rare in Bollywood films, so it's exciting to see more diversity in the genre. Fans of Bollywood may recognize stars like Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla.

13
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Alex Strangelove (2018): Best Gay High School Coming Out Movie

Daniel Doheny and Antonio Marziale in Alex Strangelove

Netflix

IMDb Rating: 6.3

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Starring: Daniel Doheny, Antonio Marziale, Madeline Weinstein

Director: Craig Johnson

TV Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 99 minutes

Well-written, well-acted, and well-directed, Alex Strangelove is a teenage romantic comedy about a young man dealing with competing feelings for his female best friend and an openly gay boy who has an obvious crush on him.

This Netflix exclusive is by no means groundbreaking, but it's a great movie for parents and older teens to watch together. The film concludes with an inspirational montage of real-life coming out stories from people of all ages.

14
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Moonlight (2016): Best Academy Award Winning LGBT Movie

Moonlight promotional image

A24

IMDb Rating: 7.4

Genre: Drama

Starring: Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, Alex Hibbert

Director: Barry Jenkins

Motion Picture Rating: R

Running Time: 111 minutes

If you're in the mood for a gay-themed movie with a strong black lead, you can't go wrong with an Oscar winner. Moonlight is an emotional coming-of-age tale that covers three defining periods in the life of a gay African American man (played by Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, and Alex Hibbert).

It's the first LGBT-themed film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and it's the first movie with an all-black cast to receive the honor. In fact, Moonlight is considered by some critics to be one of the best films of the century so far.

15
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The Danish Girl (2015): Best Transgender Themed Movie

Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl

Working Title

IMDb Rating: 7.1

Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard

Director: Tom Hooper

Motion Picture Rating: R

Running Time: 119 minutes

The Danish Girl tells the story of Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne), who transitioned from male to female in 1920s Copenhagen. The costumes and sets capture the spirit of the time period while exploring a little-known figure in history.

Based on a book by David Ebershoff, the movie takes some liberties with historical facts. Nonetheless, The Danish Girl got several Academy Awards nominations as well as the BAFTA Award for Best British Film.

16
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The Half Of It (2020): Best Lesbian Coming of Age Story

Daniel Diemer and Leah Lewis in The Half of It

IMDb Rating: 6.9

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Starring: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire

Director: Alice Wu

Motion Picture Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 104 minutes

In The Half Of It, a high school jock (Daniel Diemer) recruits a shy straight-A student named Ellie (Leah Lewis) to help him win the heart of the girl he has a crush on. Little does he know, Ellie has her eyes on the same girl, causing their unlikely friendship to evolve in unexpected ways.

Directed by Alive Woo, The Half Of It received the award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. The film is light-hearted and appropriate for teens, and it brings some much needed Asian-American representation to the LGBT genre.

17
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Wanda Sykes: Not Normal (2019): Best LGBT Stand-Up Comedy

Wanda Sykes in Wanda Sykes: Not Normal

Netflix

IMDb Rating: 7.1

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Wanda Sykes

Director: Linda Mendoza

TV Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 60 minutes

One of the funniest comics of a generation offers some much-needed laughs and social commentary with this topical stand-up set. Wanda Sykes isn't afraid to get political, but she doesn't forget to also be funny.

This Netflix exclusive won several awards and nominations, including the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Special. It's only one hour long, so give it a shot.

18
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The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017): Best Queer Documentary

Marsha P. Johnson in The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

Public Square Films

IMDb Rating: 7.2

Genre: Documentary

Starring: Michael Baden, Taylor Mead, Victoria Cruz

Director: David France

TV Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 105 minutes

Marsha P. Johnson was a key figure in the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York. A life-long advocate for transgender people, people of color, and homeless youth, Johnson drowned in the Hudson river in 1992.

This film follows LGBT rights activist Victoria Cruz as she investigates the mysterious circumstances of Johnson's death.

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson is an emotionally gripping documentary that will inspire and outrage viewers. It's highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of LGBT activism.

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