I’ve been searching for a way to organize 2019 as a year dedicated to queer cinema. It hasn’t been easy to find a pre-existing catalogue of queer film art, other than a one-at-a-time search and find.
So, in the spirit of randomness, I’ve decided this list from Time Out London, called The 50 Best Gay Movies: The best in LGBT+ filmmaking, shall be the primary principle. It’s structured as a countdown of “the best” in queer filmmaking, but as I have no real interest in pitting art against art, I’m approaching it instead only as a collection of sign posts through the history of LGBTQ cinema. It’s neither comprehensive, nor dictating.
Anyway, please tell me what’s missing.
Here is Time Out’s list. I reorganized the films alphabetically because I mean it: art making is not a competition.
| 120 Beats Per Minute – 2017 |
| All About My Mother – 1999 |
| Bad Education – 2004 |
| Beautiful Thing – 1996 |
| Blue is the Warmest Color – 2013 |
| Bound – 1996 |
| Boys Don’t Cry – 1999 |
| Brokeback Mountain – 2005 |
| But I’m A Cheerleader – 1999 |
| By Hook or By Crook – 2001 |
| Call Me By Your Name – 2017 |
| Death In Venice – 1971 |
| Edward II – 1991 |
| Fellini-Satyricon – 1969 |
| Fox and His Friends – 1975 |
| God’s Own Country – 2017 |
| Happy Together – 1997 |
| Heavenly Creatures – 1994 |
| Hedwig and the Angry Inch – 2001 |
| High Art – 1998 |
| Longtime Companion – 1989 |
| Ma Vie en Rose – 1997 |
| Maurice – 1987 |
| Midnight Cowboy – 1969 |
| Moonlight – 2016 |
| My Beautiful Laundrette – 1985 |
| My Own Private Idaho – 1991 |
| Orlando – 1992 |
| Pariah – 2011 |
| Paris Is Burning – 1990 |
| Parting Glances – 1986 |
| Pink Flamingos – 1972 |
| Pink Narcissus – 1971 |
| Pride – 2014 |
| Scorpio Rising – 1964 |
| Show Me Love – 1998 |
| Stranger Inside – 2001 |
| The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert – 1994 |
| The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant -1972 |
| The Boys in the Band – 1970 |
| The Children’s Hour – 1961 |
| The Hours – 2002 |
| The Kids Are All Right – 2010 |
| The Killing of Sister George – 1968 |
| The Terence Davies Trilogy – 1983 |
| The Wizard of Oz – 1939 |
| Theorem – 1968 |
| Transamerica – 2005 |
| Un Chang d’Amour – 1950 |
| Weekend – 2011 |
