Best LGBTQ+ Films on Netflix

In case of a tie, Tomatometer scores for all films were averaged. Also, Indigenous films and Hispanic films were omitted from the analysis. Tomatometer scores for LGBTQ+ films on Netflix released on or after January 1st, 2017 are listed last. Netflix’s ranking of LGBTQ+ films and rankings for LGBTQ+ films released elsewhere are reported here.

Best LGBTQ+ Films

Kate Plays Christine

Kate Plays Christine is a low-budget horror/romance about a young girl who moves to the small Massachusetts town of Busfield, where the local teenage librarian, Maxine, has a crush on her classmate, Kate. Kate accidentally murders Maxine’s boyfriend, Mike, then pretends her death was the result of an assault by a masked man. Tomatometer score: 66% Tomatometer rating: 4.7 (“Fresh”) 89 % What Happens in Vegas: Season

Director: Keith Calder Hawkins

From the director of Timecop, the award-winning Timecop has two incredible trade franchises. The first film’s premise – a series of haphazard events that loosely connect ones that could get messy – is exceedingly clever. The second film’s premise is even better: a group of 40 or so young characters are caught in a tragic and sexually charged situation: 13-year old high school girl Lindsay finds out she has a kinky turn on and decides to expose her to risk it all by dating a stranger. It’s the ideal sum of all the best parts of those film series, and works magnificently in its own special way, when it needs to. DP-PA Oliver Jean sees his chance to shine, but having previously explored the psychological films Super Troopers and Torn, he’s ready for anything. “Making this film allows me to delve into other avenues and territory,” he says. Tomatometer score: 73% Tomatometer rating: 4.8 (“Midnight”) 91 % Purge

Director: James DeMonaco

Our second film review looks at a crime thriller. Mark, the hero of this tale, is enrolled in a man-made commune where he may or may not be in touch with the spirit world. He immediately gets a taste of what it’s like to be hunted by criminals and starts to experience supernatural occurrences. Tomatometer score: 6% Tomatometer rating: 2.4 (“Fresh”) 40 % Anna Karenina

Director: Leo Tolstoy

Engrossing themes such as the vicissitudes of parent-child relationships and the survival of the family tree can be found in numerous works. All The Young Dudes and Strange Days gained their high scores on this one. Tomatometer score: 40% Tomatometer rating: 2.4 (“Fresh”) 24 % Freaky Friday

Director: John Waters

Who would’ve thought that a film using footage of a soap opera would strike a chord with viewers? A classic that posts beautifully, Freaky Friday is the stuff of dark comedy, and a rare example of a film with both a socially-conscious message and a well-crafted film noir twist that stays balanced and doesn’t veer too far from social commentary. Tomatometer score: 46% Tomatometer rating: 2.3 (“Midnight”) 40 % Adam Blampied

Director: Adrian Thomas-Hunt

Adam’s journey to got to television is a truly wild one, but his unlikely quest toward respectability is plotted just right. Situated squarely in the get-crazed noir genre, this is an inviting but archetypal tale of a sly cop in L.A., trying to do his part in fighting the industry’s rampant misogyny. A steady stream of terrific performances and a well-realized intent cause to root for Adam throughout, but his tragic fate doesn’t offer the same comfort. Tomatometer score: 43% Tomatometer rating: 2.3 (“Fresh”) 57 % Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li and Ryu

Director: Joe Haythe

Our first film review looks at a martial arts film. Deep sense of family ties are the drive behind this film, and its ensemble cast of an international cast must pull together to fight perceived stigma. And that can only be done with a bit of baddies. FX’s stop-motion epic Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li and Ryu features some of the greatest sketches and animation in blockbuster history, and continues to impress, thanks to its hyper-rebellious and reclusive protagonist, Ryu, and a sumptuous and funky score by the late, great, De-Gaetano Waller.

Bollywood LGBTQ Movie Review

This ranking is not a complete list of films in the LGBTQ movie genres created by Metacritic; it needs technical improvements as well as a maximum number of reviews to properly represent them.

As a note, since 2000 when IMDB began keeping track, all films released prior to 2000 in the US have been included in the film database regardless of content. This may raise inaccuracies with films released in 2001 and beyond when it comes to the gender balance of films released then and that from 2001 and older. The same rules apply to films with more than one contender.

By association, the Bollywood films are arguably future-shock cinema, but with queer stories overtaking the most mainstream Hollywood titles, they may be the films most able to take advantage of the cutting edge.

Blurred Lines
Starring: Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, Nate Ruess, T.I., Phoebe Bridgers
Review: 4 out of 5 stars, from 1,817 critics 100% on his Twitter feed – Blurred Lines is the first and only “Coming Out Song” to make the top 20 Best ♡♡♡ Jokes of 2012.

Rocky Horror Picture Show
Starring: Tim Curry, Laurie Strode, Susan Sarandon, Lili Taylor and more
Review: 4 out of 5 stars, from 1,816 critics. “Gruesome. Technically skillful. The ultimate ‘pointless comedy.’ And it stands as a witty reminder that, yes, a movie that no one was actually watching is still a great movie. It may not exist in a vacuum, but it has to exist in a picture.”

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Starring: Rob Riggle, Jamie Kennedy, Andrew McCarthy, Brian Posehn, David Koechner, Jimmi Simpson, Michael Richards

Review: 4 out of 5 stars, from 1,775 critics. ” either act smug about recognizing their gay selves or act upset about being recognized by homosexual faces, it doesn’t really matter.”

The Boxtrolls

Starring: James McAvoy, Ben Whishaw, Jude Dibdin, Liam Neeson, Nick Frost, Bill Nighy

Review: 4 out of 5 stars from 1,659 critics “clear statement about the way that society undervalues the partners of transgender people, and what makes the ‘reality’ of same-sex relationships look different.”

Swingers

Starring: Meredith Haggerty, Julie Benz, Jason Lee, Anne Heche, Andrew Rannells, Diana Rigg, Kathleen Turner

Review: 4 out of 5 stars, from 1,645 critics “the strongest erotic romance,” “an exploration into sexuality for people who are too addicted to Drama & ambitions wasted to be forthright.”

The Artist

Starring: Damien Chazelle, Jeremy Renner, Ansel Elgort

Review: 4 out of 5 stars, from 1,543 critics “the most admired movie about gay life in the past half century.”

Pippin

Starring: Robbie Coltrane, Jean Rochefort, Simon Helberg, Jill Scott, Adam Wavell, Justice Smith, Caitlin Fitzgerald & more.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars, from 1,425 critics “a real shame that this ‘mature’ role of being supported by your son wasn’t suggested.”

Good Will Hunting

Starring: Tom Cruise, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Matt Damon, Matt Damon, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Halle Berry

Review: 4 out of 5 stars, from 1,398 critics “Fans of Illumination ‘benchmark’ films Mother and longer-form drama films will have to contend with seeing this film at the same time [as] part of this academic series.”

Around the World in 80 Days

Starring: Cary Grant, Judy Garland, George Peppard, Justo and much more.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars, from 1,342 critics. “a tour de force of cinematography and music that transports us to Europe, Africa and Egypt on the eve of the Emancipation Proclamation.”

Slumdog Millionaire

Starring: Mischa Barton, Clive Owen, Steven Quezada, Ben Kingsley, Mila Kunis

Review: 4 out of 5 stars, from 1,122 critics “I believed I knew Casino even once, but this is a wholly original new experience, notable for its unprecedented human intimacy.”