The 11 Best LGBT Movies on Netflix Right Now (August 2020)

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

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.

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

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.

Dallas Buyers Club (2013): Best Movie About the AIDS Crisis

Although it's not an explicitly LGBT-themed film, the story of Dallas Buyers Club centers largely around the business partnership and friendship that emerges between a rugged, heterosexual man (Matthew McConaughey) and a transgender woman (Jared Leto) who are both diagnosed with AIDS. The duo team up to illegally traffick life-saving drugs to people dying of the disease in America.

Dallas Buyers Club swept the 2013 Oscars, winning the awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor among several others. Based on a true story, the film provides a stark look at a time in history that is too often ignored.

Concussion (2013): Best Drama About the Trappings of Domestic Life

Not to be confused with the 2015 Will Smith film with the same title, Concussion tells the story of Abby (Robin Weigert), a loving wife and mother who adopts a new persona after suffering a traumatic head injury. Inspired by the director's real-life experiences, the film explores the complexities of marriage and parenthood.

Concussion won an award at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival for Best LGBT-Themed Movie. Some of the scenes get pretty hot and heavy, so watch this one without your kids.

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin (2017): Best Documenatry About a Gay Author

Despite knowing he was gay as a child, Armistead Maupin hid his sexuality until adulthood for fear of the discrimination he'd face living in the American South. He worked for notoriously conservative North Carolina congressman Jesse Helms before denouncing the senator at a gay pride march on the state capitol. Soon after, Maupin moved to San Francisco and became one of the most prolific writers of his generation.

Maupin's books have been adapted into films and can be found on the shelves of almost every public library in America. Even if you're not a huge fan of literature, you may find Maupin's story inspiring.

The Danish Girl (2015): Best Transgender Themed Movie

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.

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

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.

Elisa & Marcela: Best LGBT Historical Love Story

The story of Elisa Sanchez Loriga (Natalia de Molina) and Marcela Gracia Ibeas (Greta Fernández) is finally getting the attention it deserves thanks to Elisa & Marcela. This Spanish movie recounts the first known same-sex marriage in Spain, which took place in 1901. Elisa Sanchez Loriga adopted a male persona to marry her partner, but her true identity was eventually discovered by the Catholic church.

Elisa & Marcela received international praise, including a nomination for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. It's worth checking out if you're into love stories and historical dramas.

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

One of the funniest comics of a generation offers some much-needed laughs and social commentary with this topical standup 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 an hour long, so give it a shot.

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

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 both inspire and outrage viewers. It's highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of LGBT activism.