Queer cinema is alive and well, with a variety of new and upcoming releases hitting screens in homes and theaters everywhere. Spanning genres, cultures, and time periods, these films each offer unique (and in some cases, underexplored) approaches to LGBTQ+ stories. Whether you’re looking for something heartwarming, horrifying, or hilarious, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
In Theaters
The Queen of My Dreams
Now in theaters, Fawzia Mirza’s acclaimed directorial debut draws heavily from her own life and her love of Bollywood films. When her father, Hassan (Hamza Haq), dies suddenly, acting student Azra (Amrit Kaur) travels to Pakistan for his funeral, butting heads with her conservative mother, Mariam (Nimra Bucha). The Queen of My Dreams transports readers across borders of time and space, from 1990s Toronto to the Karachi, Pakistan of 1969, where her parents fell in love, and again to 1980s Nova Scotia, where young Azra and her parents are the only South Asian family in a white neighborhood. This semi-autobiographical film tackles generational trauma and friction with compassion, understanding, and hope.
Ponyboi
Written by lead actor and intersex activist River Gallo, this groundbreaking thriller follows the titular Ponyboi, a New Jersey sex worker, through a chaotic Valentine’s Day. When a drug deal goes wrong, Ponyboi finds himself on the run from his boss and occasional lover, Vinnie (Dylan O’Brien). A ruggedly handsome stranger headed to Vegas may be the key to Ponyboi’s freedom — but his troubles, and his past, are hot on his heels.
I Don’t Understand You
This unhinged comedy-horror takes loose inspiration from the creators’ real life and dials the chaos up to eleven. Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells star as Dom and Cole, a gay couple whose Italian vacation goes off the rails when they get a call from Candace, a woman whose unborn child they’re hoping to adopt. It turns out Dom and Cole will stop at nothing to get to their baby, leaving a trail of destruction — and bodies — in their wake.
Now Streaming
The Parenting
The weekend retreat Rohan (Nik Dodan) and Josh (Brandon Flynn) have organized for their parents to get to know each other is off to a poor start. Their families just can’t seem to get along — and to make matters worse, a 400-year-old ghost has been haunting their rental home. When it possesses one of the parents, those left standing have no choice but to band together to survive. Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, Edie Falco, and Brian Cox round out the cast of this Max Original comedy-horror.
A Nice Indian Boy
Executive produced by Mindy Kaling, A Nice Indian Boy loosely adapts Madhuri Shekar’s stage play for the screen. After years of struggling with love, Dr. Naveen Gavaskar (Karan Soni) falls head over heels for Jay Kurundkar (Jonathan Groff), a photographer. Adopted by Indian parents as a young orphan, Jay’s always dreamed of a Bollywood wedding — but first, he has to meet Naveen’s parents. Directed by Soni’s real-life partner, Roshan Sethi, this quietly revolutionary film presents a fresh, sweet take on the rom-com.
The Wedding Banquet
Ang Lee’s 1993 rom-com gets a star-studded remake celebrating the power of chosen family. With his visa about to expire and his boyfriend, Chris (Bowen Yang), reluctant to commit, Min (Han Gi-chan) makes a drastic decision. He’ll fund IVF treatment for their friend Lee (Lily Gladstone) if her partner, Angela (Kelly-Marie Tran), marries him so he can get his green card. What they don’t count on is Min’s grandmother (Minari’s Youn Yuh-jung) throwing Min and Angela an elaborate traditional wedding banquet.
On Swift Horses
Adapted from a 2019 novel by Shannon Pufahl, this historical romance explores life beyond the conformity of 1950s suburbia. In the wake of the Korean War, newly married Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Lee Walker (Will Poulter) set out from Kansas to find work and stability in San Diego. Lee’s recently discharged brother Julius, meanwhile, takes up pit surveillance in a Vegas casino. Dissatisfied with her new life, Muriel starts a gamble of her own: betting on horse races. As she and Julius continue to write to each other, they each find new loves — and new complications.
Upcoming Releases
Honey Don’t!
Hitting theaters August 22, Honey Don’t! is the second installment in a “lesbian B-movie trilogy” collaboration between husband-wife duo Ethan Coen (director) and Tricia Cooke (screenwriter). Fresh off her star turn in The Substance, Margaret Qualley plays private detective Honey O’Donohue, investigating a string of deaths connected to a strange church. Among those joining her are Chris Evans as the church’s leader, Reverend Drew Devlin, and Aubrey Plaza as police officer MG Falcone.
Twinless
Writer-director James Sweeney costars in this Sundance-acclaimed dark comedy slated for a September 5 theatrical release. After the death of his identical twin, Rocky, Roman (Dylan O’Brien) joins a support group for grieving twins. There, he meets Dennis (Sweeney), Rocky’s former partner, and a complicated friendship unfolds between the two.
What new LGBTQ+ films did we miss? Which ones are you most excited for? Let us know on Instagram, Facebook, or Bluesky!
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