mardi gras queer movies

HAPPY MARDI GRAS: 10 Queer Movies To Stream Right Now That Aren’t Shit

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LGBTIQ+ themed cinema is a tricky genre, paved by some frankly awful films and the occasional game-changer. Where it’s often necessary to wade through the terrible (looking at you the painfully bad Jenny’s Wedding) to find something of decent quality.

We have done the grunt work for you, finding some truly brilliant queer movies worth a watch this Mardi Gras weekend – ready for your streaming pleasure!

Binge away, here they are:

Moonlight (2016)
Stan

This movie didn’t cause all that Oscars commotion for nothing. It’s a modern masterpiece, as it chronicles the life of a young gay black man from childhood to adulthood, growing up in a rough neighbourhood of Miami.


Weekend (2011)
iTunes

By the guy responsible by the great but short-lived series Looking, Andrew Haigh’s Weekend tells of a whirlwind romance between Russell (Tom Cullen) and Glen (Chris New) over the course of one weekend.


Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013)
Netflix

A tale of first love between young and inexperienced Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and a blue-haired artist Emma (Léa Seydoux) and it will make you feel all the things.


Gayby Baby (2015)
SBS

This is that documentary that gained a ridiculous amount of controversy after shown at a Victorian school. Gayby Baby is a portrait of four kids – Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham – whose parents all happen to be gay. In this critically acclaimed documentary, the kids wrestle with the challenges of adolescence, issue of marriage equality, and whether or not kids like them are at risk.


Boy Meets Girl (2014)
iTunes

Set in rural Kentucky, Boy Meets Girl is a romantic comedy that plot centers around four characters in a small town: a transgender woman (Michelle Hendley), a barista who aspires to be a fashion designer, a car mechanic (Michael Welch), a Southern belle (Alexandra Turshen), and a military veteran.


52 Tuesdays (2013)
SBS

Winner of the Crystal Bear ‘Generation 14plus – Best Film’ at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival, this touching Australian film follows 16-year-old Billie’s evolving relationship with her mother, who reveals plans to gender transition- their time together becomes limited to Tuesday afternoons.


Bridegroom (2013)
Netflix

An award-winning documentary about two men – Tom and Shane – whose relationship is cut short when one of them dies in a tragic accident. It’s a gut-wrenchingly sad story, watch with plenty of tissues!


Appropriate Behaviour (2014)
SBS

A secretly bisexual Brooklynite Shirin (Desiree Akhavan) from a traditional Persian family struggles with her identity and the disintegration of her relationship with her girlfriend (Rebecca Henderson).


The Kids Are Alright (2010)
iTunes

In this award-winning film navigates the moral struggles of a same-sex committed couple with two teenage children, Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore). They are about to send their daughter, Joni (Mia Wasikowska), off to college when her younger brother, Laser (Josh Hutcherson), asks for help in seeking out the sperm donor of his biological father.


Tomboy (2011)
SBS

This refreshing French drama follows 10 year old Laure move to a new apartment with her parents and younger sister. When new neighbour Lisa accidentally mistakes her for a boy, Laure takes the opportunity to live out a new persona.

This article has been updated since it was originally published.