Though LGBTQ voices have found a stronger footing in mainstream cinema, there remain a handful of films that have done a truly remarkable job of rendering complex, nuanced queer characters. Lauded by critics and box offices alike, in such works, coming out is hardly the central point of the plot, as protagonists undertake dynamic journeys anchored in their specific milieu. From the 1996 release Beautiful Thing, to the 2020 movie Happiest Season, Bazaar India walks you through a selection of eye-opening movies with sensitive portrayals of the LGBTQ world. 

Beautiful Thing (1996)

Released in the aftermath of the Margaret Thatcher era that imposed inhibitions around gay rights, and in the midst of the deathly AIDS crisis that plagued the British LGBTQ community in the early 1990s, the film is centred around working-class queer characters. And it was truly groundbreaking for its historical background. While the rom-com explores the intimate process of coming out for two gay high-school kids, it has been critically acclaimed for its intersectionality—also portraying its heroes through the layered lens of race and class.  

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

The Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger-starrer is extolled for being the first mainstream blockbuster queer film, having stolen multiple awards at major ceremonies including the Oscars, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs. An evergreen tearjerker, it spotlights two cowboys in ’60s America and their intricate relationship, which ranges from denial to defiance.

Carol (2015)

Todd Haynes’s touching adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s classic novel presents exceptional performances from Cate Blanchette—who essays the role of a 30-year-old married woman on the brink of a divorce—and Rooney Maara, who plays a 19-year-old supermarket salesgirl. Inspired by the author’s own story, the film, set in 1950s New York, is considered one of the trailblazing masterpieces in its portrayal of on-screen lesbian love. 

Moonlight (2016)

One of the rare works of cinema showing queer, black love, this coming-of-age drama succeeds in its intersectional exploration of black identity. The film, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017, carefully captures the emotional, interior world of its shy protagonist at different stages of his life—from a bullied student to a buffed-up drug dealer. 

Happiest Season (2020)

The record-breaking rom-com—featuring Kristen Stewart and Aubrey Plaza as lovers—marked a watershed moment for holiday films as the first entrant in the category centered around a same-sex couple. The film stands out in its genre for its celebration of queer joy, commenting on what it can mean to be a lesbian couple in the modern world, while also serving up all the mushy, feel-goodness of a good watch.