Best gay movies of the 90s
Before playing queer characters became surefire Oscar bait, movies about LGBTQ+ existence were scarce and underseen — but those that existed were still powerful. In 1993, Tom Hanks won an Oscar for his portrayal of a lawyer fighting a battle against his possess employer, having been dismissed due to his sexuality and for being HIV positive, in Philadelphia. A new era of effusively lgbtq+ 1990s cinema was, by this aim , already in motion, but they were operating on a less mainstream level than the awards-friendly big studio features.
Many have, over period, crafted huge legacies: Paris is Burning remains a gay classic over 30 years later, despite being criticised for its probing and cishetero-friendly framing by many who materialize in it. And despite its (assumedly) hetero leads, My Own Private Idaho holds a exceptional place in many queer hearts.
But what about the underground movies, the small budget affairs, that didn’t get the love they deserved back then? Good, here are 10 of them you can catch up with and stream in present day.
1. Butterfly Kiss (1995)
This sapphic romantic-thriller was the big screen directorial debut of prolific British filmmaker Michael Winter
The Rectangular View
If you’re looking for something decent to watch for Pride, you’re sure to find it in this list of the best queer movies from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. Some of the films listed are modern gay classics, others are hidden gems.
The Boys in the Band (1970)
The Boys in the Band directed by William Friedkin is a must-see for anybody interested in gay cinema. It’s not an easy production to watch, but it’s an honest depiction of the emotional damage caused from living in the closet.
You can read my review of The Boys in the Band here.
The Hunger (1983)
The Hunger is a sexy bisexual vampire horror starring Catherin Deneuve, David Bowie, and Suan Sarandon. Bowie plays a vampire who is rapidly aging, Deneuve is Bowie’s wife and Sarandon is the woman Deneuve is planning to use as Bowie’s replacement.
The Hunger is hip, cool, highly stylized, and sexy.
An First Frost (1985)
An Early Frost is a made for TV movie, and the first film made by a major studio to talk about AIDS. It has a top-notch cast and was viewed in 34 million households across the United States when it aired
Ahead of Glorious Call Me By Your Name, Here are 9 LGBT Coming-of-Age Films From the ’90s
The LGBT coming-of-age movie has come a extended, long way. In 2016, the world watched in astonishment (and some initial confusion) as Moonlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was an incredible moment in which African-Americans and LGBT people saw a story about their communities embraced by mainstream culture. A year and half later, another LGBT coming-of-age motion picture, Call Me by Your Name, is a tough front-runner in this year’s fast approaching awards season. The ways in which sexual orientation or gender expression initiate us into the adult world seems, at last, to own gained the stature of a universal story.
LGBT coming of age movies came of age themselves in the 1990s. Prior to then, they weren’t unheard of, just too few and far between. Once the 90s arrived, however, both gay and non-gay filmmakers took full advantage of newfound cinematic and societal freedoms. Here are nine from the 90s – among many others – that merit a stare back.
Paris Is Burning(1990). This groundbreaking documentary explores Harlem’s once-underground ball scene, in w
How the New Queer Cinema Shaped the ‘90s Indie Film Boom
Coined by the film historian and critic B. Ruby Rich in 1992 to give voice to the explosion in queer film she was witnessing on the burgeoning film festival circuit, the New Queer Cinema’s affect on independent film cannot be overstated. The ‘80s saw films like Jim Jarmusch’s “Stranger Than Paradise” and Steven Soderbergh’s “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” explode the idea of what film could be, in turn inspiring a unused generation of radical gender non-conforming filmmakers to pick up the camera and crack the whole thing roomy open.
As Hollywood churned out blockbusters like “Terminator 2” and “Jurassic Park,” anyone paying attention could notice that the real amusing was being had way below budget. Sundance was still a new petite gathering in Park Municipality, where someone fresh out of film school could show a film and meet likeminded artists. Throughout the decade, Sundance gradually established itself as the epicenter of the American film market, and suddenly indie movies had a real shot at playing in theaters worldwide.
Documenting Gay Life
Shot in the mid-to-late ‘
Best LGBTQ+ Movies of the '90s, Ranked
LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream cinema has approach a long way since the '90s. Now, we notice more and more queer films creature awarded at the Oscars, reaching wider audiences, and achieving international acclaim and success. Streaming services are constantly adding more inclusive titles, such as Horseplay, Fanfic, Lonesome, and You Can Inhabit Forever. This is partially due to the '90s entity a stepping stone and marking a change in filmmaking, with LGBTQ+ content becoming more mainstream through flicks such as The Birdcage and Philadelphia.
While films such as those mentioned previously were achieving more commercial success, there was also a surge happening in less accessible works through the rise of New Queer Cinema, a movement of LGBTQ+ movies that produced impactful titles, thus paving the way for more popular content. From Heavenly Creatures to Paris is Burning, here are the best LGBTQ+ movies of the '90s.
Updated June 2023: If you are interested in queer cinema, you're in luck. This article has been updated with additional content and entries by Mona Bassil.
11 Heavenly Creatures
Directed by Peter J