Those in film industry with the power to influence what stories are told have finally begun to realize that there is a high demand for LGBTQ+ stories. Many talented filmmakers have put out movies with LGBTQ+ stories at the forefront, and these stories span time periods, cultures, and identities.
There's great value in stories that create awareness and empathy for the struggle that LGBTQ+ folks face due to homophobia and transphobia, but sometimes it's nice to watch a LGBTQ+ love story with an uplifting ending. These films feature characters that go through struggles of various kinds, but each one ends with the promise of love and personal growth.
But I'm A Cheerleader (1999)
Perhaps the greatest strength of But I'm a Cheerleader is the cast. Led by Natasha Lyonne, who has a talent for both the comedic and the dramatic, But I'm a Cheerleader is a heartfelt and hilarious movie about coming to terms with personal sexuality.
Her love interest is played with a sense of reality and sentiment by Clea DuVall, who would later go on to direct the successful Happiest Season. Their relationship is the heart of the film, and the two young actresses have the sweet chemistry of first love. Since its initial release, it's developed something of a cult following, with many citing it as an early high point in Natasha Lyonne's career and LGBTQ cinema as a whole.
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
The Kids Are All Right follows Nic and Jules (played by Anette Benning and Julianne Moore), a married couple who have each had children using the same male donor. When their kids wish to meet their biological father, his insertion into their family life causes trouble. He begins an affair with Jules, and starts to make Nic feel left out of her own family through his interference with her children.
The LGBTQ+ film walks the line between drama and comedy, with as many scenes that will make you laugh as there are moving and emotional. Despite all of the drama and heartbreak that ensues when Jules' affair becomes known, the film ends on a happy note.
Carol (2015)
Carol is a beautifully made LGBTQ+ film that depicts a love story between two women. It features incredible performances from Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, as well as a devastatingly romantic score. Perfectly balanced between passion and restraint, Carol is perhaps one of the greatest romances to come out in recent years. Despite the depiction of the struggles gay women faced in the 1950s, the story ends on an uplifting, romantic note for Carol and Therese.
Moonlight (2016)
Moonlight is more than a love story, following a young boy's journey from childhood to adulthood. It's an astonishing work of art, but perhaps not something that would come to mind when one thinks of stories that are "uplifting". Chiron feels real, and the script, camerawork, and performances by the three actors who bring him to life make the viewing experience one where we feel highs and lows alongside him.
While this is Chiron's story, and much of his life is defined by his struggles, there is a romance woven throughout his life that is truly beautiful. It's through this love story that Moonlight finds an ending that feels hopeful.
Colette (2018)
Colette follows much of the traditional biopic formula, but between Keira Knightley's performance and the titular woman herself, there is enough to convince you that this story needed to be told. Colette tells the story of the famous French author, starting with her marriage to an older man. When she shows her talent for writing, her husband sees an opportunity to make himself some money, and the film shows her quickly becoming a bestseller. While her marriage with her husband is strained, Colette and her husband separately strike up affairs with the same woman.
Rafiki (2018)
Rafiki follows the love that grows between two young women in Kenya, where it's considered illegal to be gay. The two truly care for each other, but their relationship faces all kinds of obstacles due to the prejudice they find themselves the targets of. They must separate for the time being, as their relationship has become unsafe due to outside forces. Despite the heartbreak this LGBTQ+ film puts audiences through, the ending is quite positive.
Booksmart (2019)
Booksmart is an instant classic, a coming-of-age buddy comedy that follows two young women during their last night of high school. It focuses on the touching friendship between the girls, who quickly realize that while they spent years denying themselves any fun in favor of studying, their hard-partying classmates all got in to good colleges while having fun. This pushes them to go out and have one crazy night with their classmates, who they realize each have personalities beyond the stereotypes they're known for.
Amy has her first hookup with a girl, which starts out romantic and quickly becomes as awkward as first times typically are.
Rocketman (2019)
Rocketman is a biopic about Elton John (starring Taron Egerton), one of the most famous musicians of all time who also happens to be a gay icon.
The film explores his life through his music, taking a musical approach to the highs and lows that have led him to where he is. Though the film is a lot of fun, it doesn't shy away from the darker things Elton John has gone through, including, most notably, his struggles with addiction.
Happiest Season (2020)
Though Happiest Season is rather formulaic, the genuinely fantastic cast and heartfelt script make it stand out as one of the best of its kind. It tells the story of a young woman named Abby (played by Kristen Stewart) going to spend Christmas at her girlfriend Harper's family home. What she soon finds out, however, is that Harper isn't out to her family, and has a lot of fear about being rejected by them once they find out.
This leads to plenty of scenarios, both hilarious and heart-wrenching, and has raised plenty of debate about coming out and being true to yourself.
The Half Of It (2020)
The Half of It follows an intelligent teenager named Ellie who runs a small business writing papers for her classmates. A football player approaches her and asks her to write love letters for him to a girl named Aster. The catch is that Ellie is also crushing on Aster, though she doesn't seem ready to admit it. The movie is a charming, (albeit occasionally clichéd) LGBTQ+ coming-of-age story.