The 25 best gay movies of all time

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15. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (2013)

The movie: Reports of a war-torn set only add to the aura of intrigue surrounding this five-star drama. Was the director a complete bastard? Well, whatever he did worked. A three-hour epic of teenage angst, desire and - yes - lesbian sex, its in-yer-face mattress shenanigans set headlines ablaze.  

Why it's worth a watch: Underneath those more scintillating aspects lie two stunning performances from Lea Seydoux and Adle Exarchopoulos. This pair are riveting to watch as they fumble with young romance; prepare to have your hearts broken. 

14. Beautiful Thing (1996)

The movie: Growing pains reverberate through this sweet-nature Brit flick. Set in a London suburb, Hettie MacDonald's upbeat movie follows the story of two youngsters growing up in a London housing estate. During one blistering hot summer the geeky Jamie (Glen Berry) falls for his athletic neighbour Ste (Scott Neal). Ah, bless.  

Why it's worth a watch: What's most touching about this tender-hearted flick is how innocent the pair are. Neither has experienced these types of feelings before, and watching them try to understand what it means to be gay (one scene in particular has them both scouring a copy of Gay Times for clues) is heart-warming. The soundtrack's great, too, featuring the trippy-hippy likes of The Mamas & The Papas. 

13. The Kids Are All Right (2010)

The movie: Who knew lesbians liked watching gay porn? Well they do in this flick. Out and proud director Lisa Cholodenko lifts the lid on real-life lesbian relationships, casting Annette Bening and Julianne Moore as life-long partners raising their two children. 

Why it's worth a watch: It's one of the first movies to explore how gay families operate. Which.... is pretty much exactly the same as straight ones! Still the differences that do exist are expertly navigated, particularly the tricky logistics of building a family outside of heterosexuality.  

12. A Single Man (2009)

The movie: Fashionista Tom Ford dresses Colin Firth up in suits from his own line as George Falconer, a college professor suffering from depression after the death of his lover (Matthew Goode) several months before. The film unfolds over the course of a day, following George's plans to commit suicide that evening. Sounds bleak, but it's a considered, sensitive drama. 

Why it's worth a watch: Ford brings a trained eye to his directorial debut, ensuring that every shot is one of breath-snatching beauty. A particularly nice touch is the way the colour of a scene brightens whenever our lead's interest is sparked.  

11. Philadelphia (1993)

The movie: Jonathan Demme shines a light on prejudice and homophobia as Andrew Beckett fights back when he's fired from his job after it's discovered he has AIDS. Casting Tom Hanks in the lead was a daring move at the time, what with Hanks being something of an icon for all things traditional. Demme's risk paid off, giving us one of the actor's best performances to date.  

Why it's worth a watch: Watching Hanks spar with Denzel Washington, as Beckett's homophobic lawyer, makes for one of the finest dramas ever made. 

Gem Seddon
Gem Seddon

Gem Seddon is GamesRadar+'s west coast Entertainment News Reporter, working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter.