Whether it's Valentine's Day or you're just in the mood for love, it's always a good time to get stuck into one of the best LGBT romances in movies. Grand gestures on the big screen aren't just the remit of traditional heterosexuality – the canon of queer cinema is full of gems, from foreign-language flicks to heartbreaking dramas and heartwarming comedies.
If you're looking to expand your watch list, we've got you covered with a ranking of the 10 best LGBT romances to hit the silver screen, featuring movies from directors like the Wachowskis, Barry Jenkins, and Céline Sciamma. Whether you're a romantic at heart or a bit of a cynic, there should be something here for you.
10. Anything's Possible
Billy Porter's directorial debut centers Kelsa (Eva Reign), a trans girl navigating her senior year of high school and a crush on the guy her best friend likes. Part rom-com and part coming-of-age movie, this is a sweet, warm story about learning to open up your heart and feel comfortable in your own skin. A decidedly modern and Gen Z-esque take on the rom-com, the chemistry between the two leads makes the film a worthy addition to the genre.
9. Imagine Me & You
Lesbian movies have a reputation for unhappy endings, but that's not always the case. '00s rom-com Imagine Me & You is a fun and frothy affair, with just the right amount of tension. Rachel (Piper Perabo) doesn't believe in love at first sight, but sparks fly when meets florist Luce (Lena Headey) for the first time – but it just so happens to be on her wedding day, when she's marrying a man (Matthew Goode). The pair strike up a friendship and try to ignore their burgeoning connection – but how long can they pretend there's no frisson between them?
8. Ammonite
Ammonite, Francis O'Connor's follow-up to God's Own Country is a fictionalized take on the real life of Mary Anning (Kate Winslet), a self-taught paleontologist who works on the English coast in 1840s Lyme Regis. Charlotte, played by Saoirse Ronan, is brought to stay with Mary by her husband after suffering a personal tragedy – he hopes the sea air will be good for her. Mary reluctantly agrees to take her in, and the film charts their relationship as they learn to overcome their conflicting personalities and social backgrounds.
7. Orlando
Based on Virginia Woolf's 1928 novel of the same name, director Sally Potter's movie adaptation follows the genderfluid, ageless protagonist in life and love across four hundred years of history. Tilda Swinton plays the titular character, an Elizabethan nobleman offered land and a castle by the dying queen on the condition that he does not grow old. Orlando keeps his promise but, after a couple of hundred years and travels in the Ottoman Empire, transforms into a woman. While not strictly a romance movie, Orlando's rich, centuries-spanning life encompasses plenty of love and lust.
6. Bound
The Wachowskis sisters' directorial debut, Bound, was released in 1996. The movie follows Violet (Jennifer Tilly), a woman trapped in a relationship with her mafia boyfriend (Joe Pantoliano) who has an affair with an ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon) after she's hired to renovate the apartment next door to theirs. Violet longs for freedom, and the pair hatch a plan to steal $2 million of mob money in Caesar's care. This slick, funny crime thriller has action and sensuality in equal measure.
5. All of Us Strangers
Andrew Scott is a lonely writer in All of Us Strangers, the latest movie from director Andrew Haigh. He plays Adam, who's trying to use his memories of his dead parents (killed in a car accident when he was 12) to pen a new screenplay. Seeking inspiration, he travels back to his childhood home, only to encounter his mother and father exactly as he remembers them. Meanwhile, he strikes up a romance with his mysterious neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal), seemingly the only other resident of their London tower block. A word of warning from us: don't wear mascara to watch this one.
4. God's Own Country
Josh O'Connor plays Johnny, a young farmer in the north of England with a penchant for binge drinking and casual sex, in God's Own Country, Francis Lee's directorial debut. Johnny's life is changed irrevocably with the arrival of Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu), a Romanian migrant farm worker. Intense feelings ignite between the two, rocking Johnny's world and setting him on a new path. The movie marked a breakthrough role for O'Connor when it was released in 2017 – and for good reason.
3. Brokeback Mountain
Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal star as cowboys Ennis and Jack in Brokeback Mountain, which charts their relationship over the course of two decades. After being hired to take care of a farmer's sheep through the summer, charismatic Jack eventually wears down Ennis' gruff exterior and the two begin a passionate affair. As the years go by, the pair meet sporadically on so-called fishing trips in order to spend time together, but Ennis' refusal to leave his wife (Michelle Williams) results in ongoing tension between the pair. Jack can't quit Ennis, though, for better or worse.
2. Moonlight
Barry Jenkins' Oscar-winning coming-of-age movie features a reserved and tender romance between Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) and his childhood friend Kevin (André Holland). Bullied in childhood for being perceived as gay, Chiron also struggles with his relationship with his mother, who struggles with addiction, but finds comfort as a teenager in his friendship with Kevin. One night, the pair share an intimate moment on the beach, but teenage bravado prevents anything from progressing further. As an adult, Kevin reaches out to Chiron, and their eventual reunion is a truly beautiful moment.
1. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Céline Sciamma's 2019 period drama follows Marianne (Noémie Merlant), an artist sent to a remote French island to act as a companion to aristocrat Héloïse (Adèle Haenel). That's not really why she's there, though – Héloïse's countess mother has hired her to secretly paint her marriage portrait, which she refuses to sit for. As Marianne spends more and more time with Héloïse, however, a tentative bond starts to form between the pair and romance begins to blossom, all the while with Héloïse's impending marriage hanging over their heads. Set against a backdrop of Brittany coastline, this gorgeous, heartbreaking love story will have you swooning and crying in the same breath.
Not feeling so romantic? Check out our guide to the best anti-Valentine's Day movies.
