Finding good LGBTQ+ films to stream can often be a daunting task, but Amazon Prime brings with it some great options. From powerful foreign-language features to classic Academy Award nominees and cinematic masterpieces, Amazon Prime's offerings cover many different facets of the rainbow spectrum. It can take a lot of typing since Amazon Prime’s LGBTQ+ catalog rarely auto-fills in the search menu until spelling out most of the title, but the effort is well worth it.
It is perhaps a testament to changing attitudes within the studio system that so many award-winning LGBTQ+ centered films are finally getting made. While not exactly equitable to the number of cisgender heterosexual productions green-lit daily, a global uptick is certainly a move in the right direction for inclusivity. And, the production values have never been greater: what once seemed like an indie genre shot by amateurs now claims top talent in front of and behind the camera.
Add to that the evolving storylines that focus less on an LGBTQ+ person’s trauma and more on the common obstacles in relationships, parenthood, and professional lives that must be overcome, and the films have never been more relatable to a mainstream audience. Unsurprisingly, it turns out crafting LGBTQ+ characters as three-dimensional humans with fully-realized backstories adds far more to a film than over-the-top caricatures who function as comic relief and hit a representation quota. Here are fourteen of the best LGBTQ+ films available to stream on Amazon Prime right now.
15 Years
From writer-director Yuval Hadadi comes this Israeli film centered around a Tel Aviv architect, Yoav (Oded Leopold), and the two people closest to him: Dan (Udi Persi), a lawyer who’s been Yoav’s partner for 15 years; and Alma (Ruti Asarsai), Yoav’s best friend since childhood whose photography gallery exhibit features Yoav as her prime subject. When Yoav learns Alma is pregnant, he begins to unravel, especially when Dan admits he would like to one day become a father himself. What follows is a compelling tale about the changing dynamics of relationships as they age. 15 Years won the Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at The Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival and Chicago Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival.
A Dog Barking at the Moon
Writer-Director Lisa Zi Xiang presents an innovative and intricately woven story about a Chinese woman, Li Jiumei (Renhua Na), who discovers her husband is gay, and the different ways she comes to reconcile that revelation with the societal norms of her country. Told in non-linear progression, A Dog Barking at the Moon deftly balances humor with grief as it explores the contrasts of traditional and progressive values while offering surprising visual and thematic cohesion in a manner best left experienced than explained. The film won the Teddy Jury Award at the Berlin Film Festival, Best Narrative Feature Jury Award at the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival, and Best Feature Film Audience Award at the Torino International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
Any Day Now
Based on a true story set in the 1970s, this heart-wrenching family drama, written and directed by Travis Fine alongside co-writer George Arthur Bloom, centers around a teenager with Down Syndrome (Isaac Leyva) who is abandoned when his neglectful mother gets arrested on drug charges. After a neighboring gay couple (Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt) takes the boy in and provides him with a stable home environment, they must fight a culture war and legal system that considers them unsuitable for parenthood. Any Day Now won the Tribeca Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, and Los Angeles Outfest Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature.
A Sweetest Kiss
Director Nguyen Nguyen and co-writer Steven Joshua Morrison bring to the screen an emotional story about Alice (Stefanie Estes of Tales from the Loop season 1), a lesbian prostitute who unsuccessfully attempts to reconcile with her estranged family. With nowhere else to go, Alice accepts housing with a conservative Christian family and soon develops an attraction to their daughter, Annabel (Olivia Howell). When Alice’s sexuality is exposed, however, she attempts to adopt Christianity and date a man but can’t help but get drawn back into Annabel’s orbit. A Sweetest Kiss won Best Narrative Feature Film at the Los Angeles Film Awards and Best Feature All Genres at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards.
Boy Meets Girl
From writer-director Eric Schaeffer comes a sex-positive rom-com about a young transgender woman, Ricky (Michelle Hendley), who sparks an instant connection with the new-to-town Francesca (Alexandra Turshen) when she stumbles into the coffee shop Ricky works at. Complicating matters are Francesca’s engagement to David (Michael Galante), a marine who is less than accepting of Ricky’s identity, and Robby (Twilight actor Michael Welch), Ricky’s best friend since childhood, whom people keep assuming is in love with her. A true gem of storytelling, young angst, and layered character, this is a film not to be missed. Boy Meets Girl took home eleven top prizes at FilmOut San Diego and won Best Feature at the Outflix, Louisville LGBT, Fairy Tales, and Iris Prize Film Festivals.
Everybody Changes
Set in Bambito, Panama, Everybody Changes centers around Federico (Arantxa de Juan) and Carol (Gaby Gnazzo), parents to three children who keep a secret that could destroy their family. When Federico and Carol go out on date nights, they are joined by Lizzie, a charismatic, confident lady who is, in reality, Federico dressed as a woman. Directed by Arturo Montenegro and written by Henry Corcuera, the film chronicles the obstacles Federico encounters when he decides to undergo gender reassignment surgery in Thailand. Everybody Changes took home Best Feature at the Hollywood Gold Awards, New York Movie Awards, Sweden Film Awards, Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, and Oklahoma Cine Latino Film Festival, among many other category wins.
The Handmaiden
Set in a 1930s Korea under Japanese occupation, The Handmaiden follows Sook-Hee (Kim Tae-ri), a pickpocket recruited to swindle a Japanese heiress named Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) out of her fortune. However, the con job soon finds itself threatened when Sook-Hee realizes she is developing feelings for Lady Hideko. Adapted from the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, this visually stunning masterpiece is co-written by Seo-kyeong Jeong and director Park Chan-Wook and has proven itself a formidable powerhouse in the festivals arena. The Handmaiden took home top honors in foreign language film at ceremonies, including the BAFTA Awards and Saturn Awards.
House of Hummingbird
Writer Bora Kim makes her directorial debut with this measured commentary on the role women are pressured to play in Korean culture. Set in 1994 Seoul, this exceptional coming-of-age story follows the very unexceptional Eun-Hee (Ji-hu Park) as she searches for meaning while forming an unexpected friendship with her teacher, Yong-ji (Sae-byeok Kim). House of Hummingbird earned the coveted Tribeca Film Festival Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Feature, and Best Actress (Ji-hu Park) in the International Narratives categories, as well as Best Feature at the Berlin International and Austin Asian American Film Festivals.
La Cage Aux Folles
The European classic La Cage Aux Folles tells the tale of two gay men who go to extraordinary and often outrageous lengths to hide their sexuality when the son of one of the men gets engaged and invites his fiancé and her conservative parents to meet them. Further complicating matters is the fact both men live atop their workplace: the Saint-Tropez, a nightclub featuring drag entertainment. Adapted from Jean Poiret’s play of the same name and later adapted as The Birdcage starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, and Nathan Lane, the film is co-written by Francis Veber, Marcello Danon, and director Édouard Molinaro. La Cage Aux Folles was nominated for three Academy Awards and won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film.
Saturday Church
Saturday Church follows inner-city teenager Ulysses (Luka Kain) who finds himself struggling with gender and identity issues when he’s forced to take on new responsibilities as the “man of the house” following his father's death. Ulysses begins creating a world of fantasy and dance he can use as an escape and soon finds a place of belonging when he becomes exposed to a vibrant transgender community. Written and directed by Damon Cardasis, Saturday Church was thrice nominated to the Tribeca Film Festival and took home second-place honors in the audience narrative award. The film claimed top wins for narrative feature at a multitude of film festivals.
Saving Face
Writer Alice Wu makes her feature film directorial debut with this heartfelt New York-based story about a Chinese-American lesbian doctor (Michelle Krusiec as Wil) whose traditionalist mother (Joan Chen as Ma) surprisingly lands at her doorstep with shocking news: she’s pregnant! Mother and daughter face parallel conflicts with cultural expectations as Wil sets out to find her mom a Chinese bachelor to marry. At the same time, Ma disrupts Wil’s relationship with Vivian (Lynn Chen), the daughter of Wil’s boss. Saving Face won Viewer’s Choice at the Golden Horse Film Festival, the Visionary Award at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, and the Audience Award for Best Narrative at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.
Uncle Frank
Writer-Director Alan Ball’s Uncle Frank adeptly balances humor and tragedy while chronicling the 1973 journey of Frank (Paul Bettany), a middle-aged man closeted to most of his rural, South Carolinian family, whose niece Beth (Sophia Lillis) shows up unexpectedly to a party at his Manhattan apartment and meets Wally (Peter Macdissi), Frank’s partner of ten years. When Frank’s father unexpectedly dies, Frank, Wally, and Beth set out on an eventful journey that brings them closer together while also threatening to tear them apart. Uncle Frank was Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Television Movie and won Best Creation and Best Film at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival, Outstanding TV movie at the GLAAD Media Awards, and Audience Awards at both the Deauville and Mill Valley Film Festivals.
Make Us Dream
Make Us Dream is a 2018 documentary about the football career of Liverpool FC player Steven Gerrard. One of the best players to join Liverpool's ranks, Gerrard is also one of the greatest openly gay athletes, but his sexuality isn't the central focus of the documentary, which is part of what makes it such a strong film. A sport-focused movie, Make Us Dream instead takes a holistic view of Gerrard's life and career, recognizing all of his achievements for what they are. The film is a more recent addition to Amazon Prime and is absolutely worth the watch.
My Name Is Pauli Murray
From the directors of RBG comes another documentary detailing the life of Black lawyer and Civil Rights activist Pauli Murray. While researching for their film about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Julie Cohen and Betsy West decided to dive into another significant yet often-overlooked name from history who inspired not only RBG, but the likes of Thurgood Marshall as well. Murray, a non-binary feminist activist and poet, was the first Black person to earn a JSD degree from Yale Law School and the first Black person perceived as a woman to become an Episcopal priest in the United States. During their career, they were instrumental in pushing for LGBTQ+ rights, the desegregation of schools, and gender equality. My Name Is Pauli Murray was the Audience Favorite Feature at the 2021 Aspen Film Festival, the winner of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in 2021, and the winner of the Truly Moving Picture Award at the 2021 Heartland Film Festival, and is a must-see on Amazon Prime.