The first time I watched pride was at my best friends house she’d recently come out as a lesbian and I’d been out as trans and bi for quite a while but oh god it was such an experience and boy did we cry at the end it’s definitely my favourite LGBT+ film and watching it with her is one of my favourite memories
"But I'm a Cheerleader" is 100% my favourite queer film of all time! Funnily I do not remember how I came across it, but at first I was striken by the absolutely stunning cinematic experience and THEN the last scene happened......tears of JOY
Another great lesbian movie: Saving Face (2004): It's an interesting film with how it interacts with different facets in what Chinese/ Chinese-American culture is like. Here's the google synopsis: Wil (Michelle Krusiec) is a lesbian, but she not dare tell her widowed mother, Hwei-lan (Joan Chen), or her very traditional grandparents. She's shocked, however, to find out she's not the only one in her family with romantic secrets when she learns that her 48-year-old mother is pregnant. Unwilling to reveal who the father is, Hwei-lan is kicked out of her parents' home and must move in with Wil, which puts a strain on Wil's budding relationship with openly gay Vivian (Lynn Chen). Highly recommend as a feel good LGBT movie, it just warms my heart! :)
a french lesbian film that came out last year is Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu. This is a movie taking place in 1400-180l (i dont rly remember the exact dates lol) about a painter who has to do a portrait of a girl so she gets married. Spoiler warning : homoromantic feelings will be involved. I really really like it and i recommand it 👩❤️👩
I didnt know that the english title was "the way he looks". I wasn't expecting this movie to be in the list, so i was very happy when i saw it. It's a truly wonderful movie. Ps: the translation of the original title of the movie and the short movie are "today i dont want to go back alone"/today i want to go back alone" (movie/short). It sounds better in portuguese I promise.
When I was in ecuador I realized that movies have such different titles in spanish- they almost never translated the english title literally, and often changed it to something completely different. It was disorienting but also interesting lol
oh im so happy you've included Princess Cyd. it really is one of the few authentic asexual characters even if not stated directly. and also gender explorations from katie was really good to see (that rooftop scene!)
"Gentleman Jack" is a really good series on HBO about a historical figure, Anne Lister, and her life. She was a rich, English woman who lived in the 1800s and eventually married another woman. Highly recommend!
I may or may not have watched this show 16 times... and read all of Anne’s published diaries... and watched every video on youtube about her... and started transcribing her unpublished diaries.... 😳😳
Pride is my ultimate comfort movie! It’s gotten me through one of my serious episodes of burnout, exams, periods of self-hatred, and more. It’s a fixture in my life at this point and I fall back in love with it each time I rewatch it
As an Australian I feel obliged to point out 'the Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert' which is the most iconic film about drag queens on a road trip in the Australian outback. It's a fab mix of humor and wholesomeness and I recommend it to everyone. Way ahead of its time and such a bright, fun film.
Agreed! I used to host a monthly LGBT+ film night and it was so hard to find movies that weren't horribly depressing but were also, y'know, good. "Priscilla" was one of our favorites-just enough gay angst to hit home, but very much a celebration of how wonderful the gay experience can be!
let me know your fave comforting lgbt movies (and why you're recommending them) in the comments - and please support awesome film organisations like Peccadillo Pictures and the BFI by paying to watch/rent/buy queer movies :)
Idk - I'm new to this. I would love to have some comforting trans comedies, but I can't find any! Even though there is so much humour from being trans! 😆
i love God's Own Country, another commenter called it the brokeback mountain with a happy ending and i have to agree. the main characters are so lonely but over the course of the film open up to each other; its so beautiful and contemplative.
Boy Meets Girl is a very good movie with a trans main character. It has a happy ending, too. :) Also, not sure if it fits but Billy Elliot is always a comfort for me.
Rent the movie is weird af but so much rep!! - Love , Simon is basic but g r e a t - The miseducation of Cameron Post is super sad but good rep - The perks of being a wallflower isn't a lgbt movie but does have some great rep - Booksmart has a main lesbian character who's sexuality isn't really discussed and has a super cute love interest
Oh my, I can't believe they translated "The way he looks" like this. The original title, by literal transition, is "Today I want to go back alone", which is literally the whole point of the movie, the main character conquering independence, falling in love, trying to move abroad.
Oh my God, Shelter is my comfort movie, I have watched this so many times!! Can also recommend God's own country, which really surprised me with it's positivity. It's basically the English broke back mountain but with a better ending and, in my opinion, better story overall.
I love God's Own Country! I always felt that in Brokeback Mountain everyone was always so miserable and you felt bad for every character and in GOC the story is more heartfelt and also has a satisfying ending?
I totally agree, I do not hear enough people talking about God's Own Country! It's so raw and gritty and real, but it has a happy ending, which really pleasantly surprised me!
I’ve see Pride a million times but it still has the same effect each time I watched it. And watching it with LGBTQ+ friends (...all my friends) it so so emotional.
One of my favourites is "4th Man Out". It's about a guy who comes out to his straight male friends. Obviously, awkwardness and hilarity ensue, but I love how it's not only about the coming out experience but also about friendship. Edit: grammar ;)
alasthyheart this is the one I was going to suggest. It’s such a great movie about friends learning together when one of them comes out to the others. Then they all decide they want to wingman for there friend. It was such a feel good movie for me. It’s one of the ones that started me thinking about how it might be okay to be honest with my friends.
book smart is genuinely one of the funniest movies i’ve ever seen, it’s so crazy and unrealistic but also so deeply teenage realism and j love it so much
I know it's probably like "eh whatever" but I have to recommend Love, Simon. Even if you've seen it before. It makes me cry every single time I see it. I get the feels just thinking about the "You can exhale now" scene. This movie is so so important for me, it made me feel normal and validated as a person. It feels like a classic John Hughes teen comedy film, it's so sweet and heartwarming and the fact it's so mainstream is so important I think. The book too "Simon vs the Homosapien's Agenda" is great. I read it in one sitting and absolutely balled.
I was OBESSED with DEBS as a teenager, I wish everyone had seen that movie so I had more people to talk to about it. The bit where Lucy sings and the henchmen join in has me in stiches every time
oh, I love Pride. I Love the gut who confesses to being gay and absolutely no-one is surprised they just never mentioned it, the guy had clearly worried about it his entire life and was underwhelmed by the awareness that everyone knew, but were just purposely queer blind for him.
I'm personally disappointed that the two boys in Handsome Devil don't get together, but I really like that they made this movie about Gay friendship rather than the typical romance.
Saving Face! It's my absolute favorite. NY rom-com about two Chinese-American women. There's a happy ending, a really lovely storyline about family and self-acceptance, and just a very high level of quality with the production. Love, love, love it!
My feel good (or rather hurt/comfort) tv series is „Everything sucks“. As it‘s about a lesbian teenage girl in the 1990s, it‘s the teenage life I wish I had in my own 1990s. I also love „One Mississippi“ as s true feel good tv series for it‘s humour, authenticity and positivity. - I‘m still looking for a feel good lesbian movie though.
Pride is literally one of my family's all-time-favourite films to watch. You can watch it a million times and it doesn't get old! My mother especially loves quoting it all the time, which is adorable Another one I really love is _In And Out_ which is one of my favourite comfort movies to watch
Desert Hearts! A really positive, beautiful, happy, sexy 80s lesbian film set in 1950s Nevada. Just a beautiful love story between two gorgeous women, no evil men, no awful homophobia. I was so delighted when I discovered it!
I remember looking up and seeing the font from Simon V.S. The Homosapiens Agenda on a red billboard. It was all I saw but I scrambled through my purse for my phone and after googling if the book was getting a movie and confirming what I saw was true I rushed to the theater as soon as the movie premiered and I sat in the very back of the theater crying at the movie all alone lol. I wanna watch it again.
One of my favorite movies that I never see brought up on LGBT movie lists is Taking Woodstock. The main focus of the film is around the family who planned Woodstock back in the 60’s but a substantial portion of the film revolves around the main character finding his identity and coming to terms with being gay and his family. I highly recommend it!
I recommend a film called Benjamin - It's about a filmmaker and his fear of being unable to love and be loved and it has a happy ending but I have to put this out with with trigger warnings for s*icide as a theme and despite that I still consider it a thoroughly heartwarming film just please be careful if you think that could trigger you. It also stars Colin Morgan (from BBC Merlin)
It's written by Simon Amstell, whose stand up I would recommend (he's got the vibe of a character that would be played by Jesse eisenberg, bit of an arse but really funny)
I've been trying to watch this but cannot find anywhere to watch it (in Australia). Especially hard to track down as another film named benjamin was released the year afterwards.
Saving Face is just the cutest film. The main character is such a nerd I love her so much. I also think Desert Hearts is very sweet and comforting. Loved the list. I really need to see The Watermelon Woman.
I'm gonna be that one person who recommends anime instead of movies cause there's also quite a lot of feel-good gay stuff that isn't specifically targeted at straight people, but I feel many people overlook it thinking it's just gonna be yaoi/yuri filled with harmful topes. Wandering Son (2011), 12 episodes - about a trans middle school girl and her daily life at home and school, dealing with relationships, her crush (a trans boy), new and old friends, sister and so on. It's slow but pure and relaxing. Kase-san and Morning Glories (2018), movie - shows a beginning of two girls' relationship as they finish high school Yuri on Ice (2016), 12 episodes - probably the most popular here, about a figure skater trying to get his career back on track and getting married to his idol in the process. More seriously, I love this one not only because figure skating is such a beautiful sport, but also because of the main character overcoming his anxiety and gaining confidence, plus the soundtrack is amazing. Given (2019), 11 episodes - this one can be sad and emotional, but overall leaves you feeling warm and has many funny moments, basically about boys playing in a band (don't wanna spoil too much, but deals with grief and finding happiness and expressing emotion after the loss of someone important) Samurai Flamenco (2014), 24 episodes - this one... is a wild ride. I put it here because, even if the two gay storylines aren't at the forefront and it's not a textbook example of represenation, it's still an lgbt-friendly and highly entertaining anime about an aspiring (gay) superhero, it's an absurd parody of the superhero genre as a whole and overall very underrated The Disastrous Life of Saiki K (2017-), idk how many episodes, they're all 5 mins long - another one that most people wouldn't put here, but the main character is pretty much explicitly aro ace. I mean, it doesn't get more explicit that saying "I don't think I'll ever fall in love" and "I don't get what's so great about naked bodies". The series is an absurd comedy about a boy with psychic powers trying his best to hide them, but using them in everyday situations constantly. Highly recommend, it's one of my favorites. Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997), 39 episodes - so this one is very metaphorical and deals with a whole bunch of stuff from oppresive systems to gender roles in society. I wouldn't say it's an easy watch if you're looking for a relaxing time, but it's so worth it cause once you finish it you suddenly gain a whole new appreciation for everything you've seen. I personally love allegories and symbolism all over the place so it's peak art for me. And it has lesbians, some more and some less explicit, but if you watch the movie/sequel/retelling it's very much explicit. Overall recommend if you feel like hating on toxic masculinity. Sarazanmai (2019), 12 episodes - from the creator and director of Utena, it's even wilder and equally metaphorical, has three main queer characters (out of five), basically if you watch it you won't ever need drugs an honorable mention - Cardcaptor Sakura, it's directed at young girls but I love it so much, the main plot is about Sakura collecting magical cards that escaped, it's heart warming and sweet and funny and there's pretty much no straight people (the main character is bi/pan, her best friend and her mother are lesbians, her future boyfriend has a crush on the same guy she does who'S ALSO GAY AND IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HER BROTHER) and now for some I have on my to watch list but haven't seen yet, so I can't judge the represenation but heard it's really good and also sorry for the vague explanations of the plots but that's all I know and I like coming into stuff knowing nothing: Whispered Words, Sweet Blue Flowers and Bloom Into You - heard they're good lesbian stories Doukyuusei - high school boys in a relationship Antique Bakery - I think three out of four mains are queer? Basically men running a bakery Hoshiai no Sora - heard this one has very, very good represenation, I think the main character is discovering being non binary Yurikuma Arashi aka lesbian storm bears - again from the director of Utena, from what I know there's only female characters and they're all lesbians and it's a whole metaphore for discrimination in society Carole & Tuesday - I think it's sci fi with lesbians in a band? idk don't quote me on that
I know it's about films, but I do wanna recommend the book "autoboyography". It's about a mormon character (who happens to be gay), he's the mentor of another boy (bisexual), and they fell in love, but I love that it is focused on the religions' stance about lgbtq+ people and how it difficults the people's lives... If I have grammar mistakes, feel free to correct me (I'd be absolutely delighted)
Thx for the rec! I'm glad there's good media out there for thinking through the relationship between sexuality and religion. Are you a nonnative English speaker? I hope one day to write so casually in the languages I'm learning! As a native Californian, I wouldn't say "it difficults the people's lives," and would instead say "it makes the people's lives difficult," "it causes difficulty in people's lives," or "it negatively impacts people's lives."
@@saffodils Thanks!!! yes, I'm from Argentina, (my native language is Spanish), I'd love travelling to California, everything seems so idealistic to me!!! A lot of freedom (compared to my country)
@@estivymonroe2758 Argentina! Neat! My mom has a coworker from there and she's really nice! If you ever visit California, I hope you enjoy it-everywhere has repression and bigotry, but it's easier to find oases in California than in other states I've been to. I also hope Argentina gets its freedom sooner rather than later.
You listed so many of my favourites!! Some others I would recommend are: - Saving face: I've seen other people in the comments recommend this and there's a good reason for that, as it's such a sweet movie. It's about two Asian American women falling in love and developing a relationship and it's just so good! And it has a happy ending too! - Ek Ladki ko Deka toh aisa laga: It's a Bollywood movie which is set up like a classic heterosexual romantic movie, a guy meets a girl in the city and falls in love with her and then tries to find her again, but plot twist! She's actually gay and has a girlfriend! It's very sweet, as far as I know it's pretty much the first Bollywood movie about a lesbian couple, so yay for that! It also has a happy ending, so that's amazing as well! (It's on Netflix, go watch it!) -Honorable mention as it isn't a movie: I am not okay with this: it's a series about a girl who realizes she's in love with her best friend and in the process also discovers she has some sort of psychic powers. It's been released on Netflix recently, so far it only has one season but I'm pretty sure it'll at least get a second one. Disclaimer: It's not exactly a feel-good type of show, as even though it has really sweet moments, it also has horror elements and a generally more teenage-depression vibe and deals with pretty heavy topics (such as suicide). But I loved it, even though I usually am more into feel-good stuff, so yeah. It's definitely bingeable, so it's great during quarantine! Here's some that have been strongly recommended to me but I haven't managed to watch yet (hopefully I'll find the time now during quarantine!) : -Moonlight -Rafiki -Margarita with a straw -Elisa and Marcela -Portrait d'un Jeune Fille en feu
Great list! My pick would be Big Eden: big city artist returns to the tiny town he grew up in to care for his ailing father, reunites with his old best friend/crush and becomes acquainted with the exceedingly shy owner of the local general store. It has some illness/grief stuff, but ultimately is such a fluffy good rom-com, and paints this town as a little utopia of inclusivity. Everyone is so supportive and they're all rooting for the leads' happiness. It's great for when you basically want to forget that homophobia exists for a couple hours.
yes, omg that scene in Handsome Devil when the teacher and Connor are talking on the field is one of my favorites! it showed the generational divide so well. One of my other faves that wasn't mentioned was Big Eden- it's got a super cute unrequited (wink) crush scenario, good family vibes, adorable supportive friends and town vibe, First Nations rep. It just makes me happy. Also, I haven't seen Nina's Heavenly Delights yet, so I can't totally vouch for it, but we're doing a watch party of it on Thursday bc it's one of my friends' faves, so I'm super optimistic and the trailer looks adorable
A comforting movie that I really like is one called 4th Man Out. It doesn't seem to be really well known, but it's on Netflix (at least in the US). It's about a man who decides to come out to his close group of friends and revolves around him adjusting to life as an out gay man. All of his friends are really accepting, and there's a lot of comedic moments with them learning about gay culture
I highly recommend Big Eden to anyone looking for a bit of comfort -- especially if you have a difficult relationship with rural America. Everytime you think homophobia is coming, it totally subverts your expectations. It also clearly subverts what the gay characters were expecting, leading to some very heartwarming, healing moments. It's definitely not a perfect movie, but I've found it so comforting that I've been watching it nearly everyday during this quarantine. Also, bonus points for the neurodiverse: I personally found Pike's character very resonant with an autistic experience, socially speaking. Not making a diagnosis here -- it's mostly just social stuff like communication style that I find very resonant. But his social difference is dealt with as beautifully by the movie as qu**rness, imo. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. PS: Qu**r is censored because TH-cam has been deleting my comments when I use the word 🙄 I assume it's to censor people using it as an insult but still... Very annoying.
"Neurodiverse" - I'm #actuallyaustistic, and can't stand it when such characters are shoehorned in. Contemporary film makers need to represent minorities in a naturalistic manner, i.e. as individuals with personalities, not just as a "type" to stand in for an entire group as political propaganda. Most portrayals of autistic people are f-ing awful. I notice that with how a lot of groups are portrayed on film... Only in this case I belong to it. They need to stop talking about neurodiversity and other things as some kind of quota system and just represent them fairly.
"He's not painting the garage, Ed. He's an artist." I love this movie. It's wholesome enough to watch with your parents. For diversity, Pike is also Native American.
Yes! I was hoping this would be in the comments!! It was one of the first LGBT movies that I got to watch when I was younger and is one of my go to comfort movies. There's absolutely some drama that can really poke at the heart, but overall it's such a sweet movie
handsome devil has been my comfort movie for years but i've never heard anyone else talk about it! thank you for including it in your list, it made my little heart so happy
Same! And so well done for its time, both the '14 book and the '87 film! Commentary on class and gender AND a happy ending?? Plus all the repression was very relatable DX
I would absolutely recommend "The Incredible True Adventure of Two Girls in Love". One of my go-to feelgood movies. It's not the best made movie, but I enjoy how the girls relationship grow and there's a lot of cute funny moments between the different characters.
Nice! I'll have to check these out! Thank you for this. I'd recommend checking out Big Eden (2000). It's basically a sweet hallmark-esque movie about going back to your quiet, supportive hometown but about gay men. It does have a major subplot about death and old age, so fair warning to those who find those topics hard to watch.
The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls in Love! Is one of my top feel good lesbian movies, i don't know how to give it the justice it deserves but it's cute and has a specific style I live about it
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995). It's about three drag queens with hearts of gold who make a pit stop in a rural town on a cross country road trip starring Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and a fucking scene stealing John Leguazamo. It's so. Fucking. Good. Also features Stockard Channing, RuPaul and Julie Newmar herself.
Alex Strangelove has got to be one of my favourites. it's a cute little high school romcom where the main Alex is working out his feelings with his girlfriend (spoiler: there's a guy involved). each of the actors are amazing and do such a good job of playing teens going through their last year of high school!
i've just watched When I'm 64 (2004) which is a film about two older men who become friends and then lovers with a happy ending! i was really impressed by the intimacy in the film which often feels missing from even more recent media with older queer characters. featuringclass differences, soft timid hand holding, tender touching of scars, kissing tattoos, v heartfelt coming outs. it's Rlly good and bc it was a made for tv bbc film that never was released on dvd it's not rlly well known. it stars alun armstrong and paul freeman so it's really well acted. if anyone wants a link hit me up because you can't buy it :/
@@sahelichowdhury Hello! Sorry I was replying on my phone and I have the link saved on my laptop so I didn't think about it!! Here's the link - I can only find it with Spanish subtitles but I've not had any problems with the site at all :D www.nuevatematica.men/2019/02/cuando-tenga-64-anos.html
Curmudgeons is a short film starring Our Boy Danny Devito that I absolutely CANNOT recommend enough. deffo deserving of an honourable mention in another of these videos.
I read that Anthony Stewart-Head story and img, my heart was full to bursting. Not just supportive, but he really went out of his way to make a trans kid feel accepted and loved. What a lovely man.
OMG, I loved Handsome Devil. At first, I was put off by the title but I'm really glad I gave it a shot. What I liked most about it was how this very naturally developed friendship does not automatically turn into romance.
Handsome devil is a phrase used a lot here in Ireland when talking about a goodt looking guy. Usually old woman use it when talking about sons/ nephews /grandsons "ahh isn't he a handsome devil, I'm sure the girls are always chasin after him " Connor is popular and the best player on his team so he's probably been called this many times(as in he's straight passing) . I think the title is fitting.
@@ciarafarrell3742 If you put it like that it makes sense. I am not from Ireland which may be why I did not make the connection, so thank you for providing some context. 😊
My mum took me and my sister to see 'Pride' at the cinemas because it was "an important movie" and I can't thank her enough because that's how I knew that it was okay to be queer in my family. Sometimes words are a lot harder to believe than going-out-of-your-way actions. Thanks Mum!
an episode of hbo’s high maintenance called “trick” offers some really sweet and unique asexual representation. it’s about a woman who works as an intimacy coordinator on movies who begins dating a man who identifies as asexual.
Love, Simon always had a special place in my heart because it was the first queer movie my mother and I watched together shortly after I came out to her. Admittedly it's kinda sad in the middle and it has its flaws but overall I just think it's a sweet movie with some really great acceptance speeches from the parents in it.
My favorite queer movies are obviously: but im a cheerleader, GBF, and idk if if it is officially a queer movie but its my all time favorite movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
I’m soooo happy you mentioned Shelter. It was one of the first queer movies I saw and it always has a special place in my heart. It was the first queer movie I found that had a happy ending.
This is exactly what I needed right now with everything going on. I'd love to see a video along the same lines regarding lgbt+ book recommendations, be it fiction or non fiction (historical)
When Night Is Falling is like a fairytale romance with complications. If you've ever wanted to run away with the circus this is the movie for you. I dont know how it holds up to younger folk now, especially since society has changed so quickly, but it made me feel hopeful when I was younger.
I feel like everyone forgot that A Beautiful Thing existed. That was probably one of the first gay films I ever saw and I still love it to this day. It's definitely not easily acessable like others on streaming platforms. You have to actually search for it. I wish it was on a streaming platform, because I want others to see and enjoy it like I have.
I do not particularly know why i like this movie so much but i do. The movie is called freier fall (free fall in english). It is a german movie obviously and it depictes this cute love between the new gay guy and a regular looking dude both of whom are trainees in the police academy.
I agree but to me their love felt really cute and pure. And i know it doesn't really have a happy ending but i just wanted to mention it as i believe it is quite overlooked and undervalued.
I recommend Emo the Musical! There's a subplot involving two guys in love and they are so adorable and I love them and they get a happy ending that made me cheer in my dorm room when I first watched the film. And the rest of the film is really fun, too. Great rock songs, makes fun of stereotypes about emos, Christians, and mental health pharmaceuticals. This is a weird descriptions and it sounds super silly and weird but I think it's actually wonderful.
Pride will forever be my favourite comfort movie - I love it so much and it was just put on Netflix in Australia so I've decided that it's the perfect time to force all my friends to witness its beauty and wholesomeness (with a good side of old ladies yelling "WHERE ARE MY LESBIANS?!)
4th man out is a really good movie in my opinion, it's about a gay man coming out to his straight friends, and you see him coming to terms with himself. It's heartwarming and funny! Reccomend it
i've been (re)watching Pride because it's amazing and my teacher talked about it so i feel less guilty to watch a film instead of doing the tooone of work my teachers gave us to do in lockdown but you added great movies to my list and i can't waaaait to watch them ! thank you for this awesome video in this anxious time
BENJAMIN!!!!!!! I first watched it last night and I had to pause it multiple times just to laugh my head off for a few minutes. I also cried. a lot. and when I finished it i was left with such a warm feeling in my heart that is still there now and i just highly recommend it. It deals with some difficult topics and it handles them really well but is also somehow is so incredibly light-hearted and hilarious. I'm not sure if it is available outside of the UK but it's only £1.99 on Amazon and it's sooooo so underrated and amazing PLEASE WATCH IT.
Glad to hear it! I’ve been going through a little bit of a tough spot and it’s just the perfect way to get away from it all for me, hope you enjoy it just as much as you did the first time lol
Love, Simon is like a gateway drug into every other uplifting romantic positive lgbtq+ media. Its overwhelming popularity among the general public i feel made me feel like there aren't many other movies with that kind of feelgood romantic tone but i was so glad to be proven wrong, that's the kind of lgbtq+ content i love the most.
One of my favourite comfort movies is Big Eden, it's about a gay artist who moves back to his small hometown in Montana to take care of his grandfather, and he has to confront his unresolved feelings towards his best friend from high school while being completely oblivious to the shy general store owner pining for him. The movie came out in 2000 and it's so comforting because it doesn't even reference homophobia, (almost) everyone is aware of the main characters sexuality and is completely supportive, it's just so so nice!
Great recs! Here's some of my faves that have POC in them as well, Kiss of the Rabbit God (兔兒神) short film Ek ladki Dekha toh Aisa Laga (how I felt when i saw that girl) 2019 Chutney Popcorn Rafiki (2018)
Your absolute ecstasy when describing these films makes me want to go watch all of them immediately. I've been looking for lists like this and I'm so happy it's here! Please make more...
I used to love Shelter but haven’t seen it in ages, I’ll have to get the DVD out for a rewatch. I also like Pride, 4th Man Out and Love Simon as feel good films. Special mention to the beautiful Andrew Scott who’s in Pride, Handsome Devil and plays a gay character in last years Modern Love TV series ❤️
i recomend this mexican movie called "i dream in another language", it's about this dude who wants to preserve a native language that only has three fluent speakers alive, an old woman, and two old men, the problem is that the woman dies of old age and the other two haven't talked to each other in decades because of something that "happened" when they were young and best friends (look i'm just trying to not spoil it, but you can already guess what happened). this movie isn't exactly feel-good though, it actually has some really dramatic and somewhat intense elements, but it has a happy ending
I honestly love how much this video feels like a good friend recommending shit because it's just you freaking out about how cute and awesome these movies are and "ahh just watch it"
Can't wait to check these movies out! Would you mind putting a list of the movies in the description box? It makes it a bit easier to come back and find them rather than struggling and jumping through the video.
G.B.F is one of my favourite feel good movies. It's about a shy guy who gets outed as the first gay guy at his school and 3 girls compete for him to be their Gay Best Friend. It's like mean girls but make the message about how people aren't accessories. It's very quotable
I started watching this video, and as soon as you finished recommending the movie Pride I paused the video and opened up a new tab to watch it. What a wonderful movie-- I'm very glad I saw this rec vid of yours so that I could learn that I needed to watch it. I know and love most of the videos you had recommended, but never heard of that one before. Definitely going to share it with all my friends!
"Pride" has been on my To-Watch list since I started watching your videos a few years ago. Maybe a pandemic will finally be the thing that makes me actually watch it lol Great list\video (as always); as a transguy I just wish that there were more movies about trans people that fit into this category! (its kind of sad that the most notable movie about a trans man is "Boys Don't Cry")
“have you ever wanted the hero and villain to get together and also be women” um yes of course, i did watch Kim Possible as a kid
Shego and Kim will always be the best ship
Killing Eve!
Yes! Omg! Hell yes!!!
I was literally thinking about Kim and Shego as she was saying this!
I shipped them so hard
The first time I watched pride was at my best friends house she’d recently come out as a lesbian and I’d been out as trans and bi for quite a while but oh god it was such an experience and boy did we cry at the end it’s definitely my favourite LGBT+ film and watching it with her is one of my favourite memories
Omg that sounds so nice! 😭
"But I'm a Cheerleader" is 100% my favourite queer film of all time! Funnily I do not remember how I came across it, but at first I was striken by the absolutely stunning cinematic experience and THEN the last scene happened......tears of JOY
IKR!!! One of my favorite things is Ru Paul wearing a shirt that says straight it's great. I Litterally LOVE the movie so muchhhh.
Ahhh omg same
Yes! Its my favorite queer movie too!
The actors of Graham and Megan did *amazing* in the film. Ive always watched it and rewatched it to just look back at it every now and then.
I literally just finished watching it. Absolutely amazing 😭❤️❤️❤️❤️
Another great lesbian movie: Saving Face (2004): It's an interesting film with how it interacts with different facets in what Chinese/ Chinese-American culture is like. Here's the google synopsis: Wil (Michelle Krusiec) is a lesbian, but she not dare tell her widowed mother, Hwei-lan (Joan Chen), or her very traditional grandparents. She's shocked, however, to find out she's not the only one in her family with romantic secrets when she learns that her 48-year-old mother is pregnant. Unwilling to reveal who the father is, Hwei-lan is kicked out of her parents' home and must move in with Wil, which puts a strain on Wil's budding relationship with openly gay Vivian (Lynn Chen).
Highly recommend as a feel good LGBT movie, it just warms my heart! :)
Thanks for mentioning this movie! I was itching to write a comment to bring it to this corner of TH-cam but you've done fantastically :)
The same director just can out with “the half of it” on netflix
10/10 Have recommended. Loved this movie.
Saving Face is my favorite lesbian movie hands down, has been since it came out.
YESSS also the scene of wil collapsing on the floor was absolutely the most “useless lesbian” thing lmfodjfj
Pride is the ONE movie that I can watch over and over again and it never fails to make me bawl my eyes out. It's a special gem.
i hear “there is power in a union” and start sobbing. it’s such a fantastic film. as a working class lesbian, i love it so much
a french lesbian film that came out last year is Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu. This is a movie taking place in 1400-180l (i dont rly remember the exact dates lol) about a painter who has to do a portrait of a girl so she gets married. Spoiler warning : homoromantic feelings will be involved. I really really like it and i recommand it 👩❤️👩
I second that ! This film is just so amazing
The english Title is _Portrait of a Lady on Fire,_ in case anyone wanted to know
she talked about this movie in other video uwu
I love that film so much
@@hexx2211 I really wanted to watch this in my country's film Fest but I live in a homophobic country, so I was "too young to watch ot"
I didnt know that the english title was "the way he looks". I wasn't expecting this movie to be in the list, so i was very happy when i saw it. It's a truly wonderful movie. Ps: the translation of the original title of the movie and the short movie are "today i dont want to go back alone"/today i want to go back alone" (movie/short). It sounds better in portuguese I promise.
Lara Pereira it’s one of my favorite movies ever!
Its one of my favourites, I’ve never seen it in any other language than Portuguese and it’s the whole reason I want to learn Portuguese
Teddy Bear -There are subtitles on Netflix
When I was in ecuador I realized that movies have such different titles in spanish- they almost never translated the english title literally, and often changed it to something completely different. It was disorienting but also interesting lol
Olha BR aê kkkkk
This isn’t a film but please watch pose! It’s a series abt ball culture and historical queerness. It’s so good oml
Also, 'Paris is burning'.
Saturday Church is another great one with Indya Moore !
What platform could I watch it on? I tried finding it but I couldn't (I'm Canadian)
There’s 2 seasons and you can find season 1 on Netflix. I dont know if they’ll ad s2 tho
@@virtualvenus not on the canadian netflix unfortunately
To this day I often say "Where are my lesbians ?" randomly, I absolutely love Pride
oh im so happy you've included Princess Cyd. it really is one of the few authentic asexual characters even if not stated directly. and also gender explorations from katie was really good to see (that rooftop scene!)
when the aunt points out cyd doesn't know katie's pronouns and cyd's just like "oh yeah, that's a fair point" WE STAN
I mean... Cake. She fucking mentions cake specifically. I don't know if that was accidental but like. I chose not to believe that to be an option lol.
"Gentleman Jack" is a really good series on HBO about a historical figure, Anne Lister, and her life. She was a rich, English woman who lived in the 1800s and eventually married another woman. Highly recommend!
Ah YES. I think I will have to rewatch... I catch myself thinking about Anne Lister all the time now...
I may or may not have watched this show 16 times... and read all of Anne’s published diaries... and watched every video on youtube about her... and started transcribing her unpublished diaries.... 😳😳
YESS
There is a pretty catchy song with her as the subject as well
I literally bought the series on DVD just a couple of days ago, god it's so good!
Pride is my ultimate comfort movie! It’s gotten me through one of my serious episodes of burnout, exams, periods of self-hatred, and more. It’s a fixture in my life at this point and I fall back in love with it each time I rewatch it
same with me! so good
Timestamps (mainly for me)
1:50 The Way He Looks (Wholesome Gay Teen Movie)
3:00 PRIDE (Heartwarming True Story / Culture Clash)
3:59 Imagine You & Me (Lesbian Rom-Com)
5:20 Shelter (2007) (Sweet Indie Gay Movie)
6:27 D.E.B.S (Campy Lesbian Spy Movie)
7:18 Handsome Devil (Gay Teen Sports Movie)
9:02 Booksmart (Teen Comedy / Queer-Straight Female Friendship)
10:30 Princess Cyd (Teen Lesbian Slice of Life / Summer Break)
11:54 Boy Meets Girl (Trans Girl Romance)
12:53 But I'm a Cheerleader (Lesbian Satire/Romance)
Honorable Mentions:
14:03 San Junipero (Black Mirror Episode ft. Queer Women)
14:24 The Watermelon Woman (Black Lesbian Cinema)
Every woman is a lesbian at heart
Every woman is a lesbian at heart
Every woman is a lesbian at heart
Including Reggie's mum.
Artie person guy One of my FAVORITE parts!! 🎶🌈🥰
I loved this part and it got stuck in my head for a week
solidarity forever who?? I only know every woman is a lesbian at heart
Where are My lesbians???
This was stuck in my head for like a year and I had to try soooo hard not to sing it out loud
As an Australian I feel obliged to point out 'the Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert' which is the most iconic film about drag queens on a road trip in the Australian outback. It's a fab mix of humor and wholesomeness and I recommend it to everyone. Way ahead of its time and such a bright, fun film.
From another Aussie Priscilla is the absolute best! It's such a nice movie to just get sucked into and ignore the world with!
Agreed! I used to host a monthly LGBT+ film night and it was so hard to find movies that weren't horribly depressing but were also, y'know, good. "Priscilla" was one of our favorites-just enough gay angst to hit home, but very much a celebration of how wonderful the gay experience can be!
I went to see this at the cinema and loved it.
It's incredibly strange
Yes!
let me know your fave comforting lgbt movies (and why you're recommending them) in the comments - and please support awesome film organisations like Peccadillo Pictures and the BFI by paying to watch/rent/buy queer movies :)
Idk - I'm new to this. I would love to have some comforting trans comedies, but I can't find any! Even though there is so much humour from being trans! 😆
could you pls list the movie titles in the description? thanks:)))
i love God's Own Country, another commenter called it the brokeback mountain with a happy ending and i have to agree. the main characters are so lonely but over the course of the film open up to each other; its so beautiful and contemplative.
Boy Meets Girl is a very good movie with a trans main character. It has a happy ending, too. :) Also, not sure if it fits but Billy Elliot is always a comfort for me.
Rent the movie is weird af but so much rep!!
- Love , Simon is basic but g r e a t
- The miseducation of Cameron Post is super sad but good rep
- The perks of being a wallflower isn't a lgbt movie but does have some great rep
- Booksmart has a main lesbian character who's sexuality isn't really discussed and has a super cute love interest
Oh my, I can't believe they translated "The way he looks" like this. The original title, by literal transition, is "Today I want to go back alone", which is literally the whole point of the movie, the main character conquering independence, falling in love, trying to move abroad.
Oh my God, Shelter is my comfort movie, I have watched this so many times!!
Can also recommend God's own country, which really surprised me with it's positivity. It's basically the English broke back mountain but with a better ending and, in my opinion, better story overall.
God's Own Country is SO MUCH BETTER THAN BROKEBACK. 💕💕
agreed!!
YES
I love God's Own Country! I always felt that in Brokeback Mountain everyone was always so miserable and you felt bad for every character and in GOC the story is more heartfelt and also has a satisfying ending?
I totally agree, I do not hear enough people talking about God's Own Country! It's so raw and gritty and real, but it has a happy ending, which really pleasantly surprised me!
I’ve see Pride a million times but it still has the same effect each time I watched it. And watching it with LGBTQ+ friends (...all my friends) it so so emotional.
"It's really gay, just watch it!"
THAT'S IT, I'M SOLD! I'M JUST GONNA WATCH IT RIGHT NOW!
One of my favourites is "4th Man Out". It's about a guy who comes out to his straight male friends. Obviously, awkwardness and hilarity ensue, but I love how it's not only about the coming out experience but also about friendship.
Edit: grammar ;)
alasthyheart this is the one I was going to suggest. It’s such a great movie about friends learning together when one of them comes out to the others. Then they all decide they want to wingman for there friend. It was such a feel good movie for me. It’s one of the ones that started me thinking about how it might be okay to be honest with my friends.
I've had that on my watch later for a long time never got around to watching it, it looks really cute
Ohhh I will. Netflix just recommended it to me when I was adding Handsome Devil.
I saw it closing night at the queer film festival and loved it. I’ve since rewatched it a few times on Netflix.
Shelter has been my go to comfort movie for years.
I will come back to this movie every few years just to feel good
@KamAndKami Now I have to rewatch this movie
The Miseducation of Cameron Post slaps so thats my recommendation, also i love ‘the way he looks’ and ‘pride’
its a great movie but not very comforting.. its kinda sad
I watched Pride because of this recommendation and loved it so much! It's a perfect mix of realistic and heart-warming
Remember Andrew Scott is in Pride too!
"I am home and I am gay"
@@assemmukhametkaliyeva7021 And I'm Welsh!
book smart is genuinely one of the funniest movies i’ve ever seen, it’s so crazy and unrealistic but also so deeply teenage realism and j love it so much
I know it's probably like "eh whatever" but I have to recommend Love, Simon. Even if you've seen it before. It makes me cry every single time I see it. I get the feels just thinking about the "You can exhale now" scene. This movie is so so important for me, it made me feel normal and validated as a person. It feels like a classic John Hughes teen comedy film, it's so sweet and heartwarming and the fact it's so mainstream is so important I think. The book too "Simon vs the Homosapien's Agenda" is great. I read it in one sitting and absolutely balled.
i really loved it ! it was so cheesy and cute and cliche romantic teen movie and overall made me feel so good inside
I love the book so much I just can't enjoy the movie 😭
Alice Lafler-Austern same 😭
when I saw the movie I thought it wasn't really thaaat good, but then I read the book and absolutely loved it
kinda boring and stereotypical tho and why did his friends get so pissed at him? idk it’s been a while but it was v cringe to me
I was OBESSED with DEBS as a teenager, I wish everyone had seen that movie so I had more people to talk to about it. The bit where Lucy sings and the henchmen join in has me in stiches every time
I don't know if anyone will agree on this one, but Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is such a feel-good movie for me.
It just dropped on netdlix where i'm at ao i will check it out, thanks for the rec! :D
oh, I love Pride.
I Love the gut who confesses to being gay and absolutely no-one is surprised they just never mentioned it, the guy had clearly worried about it his entire life and was underwhelmed by the awareness that everyone knew, but were just purposely queer blind for him.
After I first saw Pride I watched it everyday for a week - it's such a comforting, beautiful movie that never fails to make my smile
I'm personally disappointed that the two boys in Handsome Devil don't get together, but I really like that they made this movie about Gay friendship rather than the typical romance.
Saving Face! It's my absolute favorite. NY rom-com about two Chinese-American women. There's a happy ending, a really lovely storyline about family and self-acceptance, and just a very high level of quality with the production. Love, love, love it!
Yes!! It's one of my favourites, too!!
wow you took the words out of my mouth
My feel good (or rather hurt/comfort) tv series is „Everything sucks“. As it‘s about a lesbian teenage girl in the 1990s, it‘s the teenage life I wish I had in my own 1990s. I also love „One Mississippi“ as s true feel good tv series for it‘s humour, authenticity and positivity. - I‘m still looking for a feel good lesbian movie though.
I second "everything sucks", really wish they decided to make more seasons
i love Everything Sucks! so much
I wish they made more seasons of Everything Sucks! It is so great
Pride is literally one of my family's all-time-favourite films to watch. You can watch it a million times and it doesn't get old! My mother especially loves quoting it all the time, which is adorable
Another one I really love is _In And Out_ which is one of my favourite comfort movies to watch
Desert Hearts! A really positive, beautiful, happy, sexy 80s lesbian film set in 1950s Nevada. Just a beautiful love story between two gorgeous women, no evil men, no awful homophobia. I was so delighted when I discovered it!
I'm so glad you mentioned DEBS! It feels like hardly anyone knows that movie, but it's one of my favorites.
May i add a couple of my favorite Movies to this list:
God's Own Country
Beautiful thing
The Adventures of Priscilla
Love, Simon
Jongens / Boys
anwar haddad yes someone finally saying The Adventures of Priscilla queen of the dessert
!!!! i love adventures of priscilla and jongens!!!!
LOVE God's Own Country!! It's so slept on
I remember looking up and seeing the font from Simon V.S. The Homosapiens Agenda on a red billboard. It was all I saw but I scrambled through my purse for my phone and after googling if the book was getting a movie and confirming what I saw was true I rushed to the theater as soon as the movie premiered and I sat in the very back of the theater crying at the movie all alone lol. I wanna watch it again.
G. O. C. Is so special!
One of my favorite movies that I never see brought up on LGBT movie lists is Taking Woodstock. The main focus of the film is around the family who planned Woodstock back in the 60’s but a substantial portion of the film revolves around the main character finding his identity and coming to terms with being gay and his family. I highly recommend it!
I recommend a film called Benjamin - It's about a filmmaker and his fear of being unable to love and be loved and it has a happy ending but I have to put this out with with trigger warnings for s*icide as a theme and despite that I still consider it a thoroughly heartwarming film just please be careful if you think that could trigger you. It also stars Colin Morgan (from BBC Merlin)
It's written by Simon Amstell, whose stand up I would recommend (he's got the vibe of a character that would be played by Jesse eisenberg, bit of an arse but really funny)
My brothers name is Colin and my name is Morgan lmao
I've been trying to watch this but cannot find anywhere to watch it (in Australia). Especially hard to track down as another film named benjamin was released the year afterwards.
Saving Face is just the cutest film. The main character is such a nerd I love her so much. I also think Desert Hearts is very sweet and comforting. Loved the list. I really need to see The Watermelon Woman.
Saving face is great 😍
Thanks so much for your comment, it says all I wanted to say. Desert Hearts need to be known!
PRIDE is THE lgbt movie, anyone can fight me on it. I love it so much.
I'm gonna be that one person who recommends anime instead of movies cause there's also quite a lot of feel-good gay stuff that isn't specifically targeted at straight people, but I feel many people overlook it thinking it's just gonna be yaoi/yuri filled with harmful topes.
Wandering Son (2011), 12 episodes - about a trans middle school girl and her daily life at home and school, dealing with relationships, her crush (a trans boy), new and old friends, sister and so on. It's slow but pure and relaxing.
Kase-san and Morning Glories (2018), movie - shows a beginning of two girls' relationship as they finish high school
Yuri on Ice (2016), 12 episodes - probably the most popular here, about a figure skater trying to get his career back on track and getting married to his idol in the process. More seriously, I love this one not only because figure skating is such a beautiful sport, but also because of the main character overcoming his anxiety and gaining confidence, plus the soundtrack is amazing.
Given (2019), 11 episodes - this one can be sad and emotional, but overall leaves you feeling warm and has many funny moments, basically about boys playing in a band (don't wanna spoil too much, but deals with grief and finding happiness and expressing emotion after the loss of someone important)
Samurai Flamenco (2014), 24 episodes - this one... is a wild ride. I put it here because, even if the two gay storylines aren't at the forefront and it's not a textbook example of represenation, it's still an lgbt-friendly and highly entertaining anime about an aspiring (gay) superhero, it's an absurd parody of the superhero genre as a whole and overall very underrated
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K (2017-), idk how many episodes, they're all 5 mins long - another one that most people wouldn't put here, but the main character is pretty much explicitly aro ace. I mean, it doesn't get more explicit that saying "I don't think I'll ever fall in love" and "I don't get what's so great about naked bodies". The series is an absurd comedy about a boy with psychic powers trying his best to hide them, but using them in everyday situations constantly. Highly recommend, it's one of my favorites.
Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997), 39 episodes - so this one is very metaphorical and deals with a whole bunch of stuff from oppresive systems to gender roles in society. I wouldn't say it's an easy watch if you're looking for a relaxing time, but it's so worth it cause once you finish it you suddenly gain a whole new appreciation for everything you've seen. I personally love allegories and symbolism all over the place so it's peak art for me. And it has lesbians, some more and some less explicit, but if you watch the movie/sequel/retelling it's very much explicit. Overall recommend if you feel like hating on toxic masculinity.
Sarazanmai (2019), 12 episodes - from the creator and director of Utena, it's even wilder and equally metaphorical, has three main queer characters (out of five), basically if you watch it you won't ever need drugs
an honorable mention - Cardcaptor Sakura, it's directed at young girls but I love it so much, the main plot is about Sakura collecting magical cards that escaped, it's heart warming and sweet and funny and there's pretty much no straight people (the main character is bi/pan, her best friend and her mother are lesbians, her future boyfriend has a crush on the same guy she does who'S ALSO GAY AND IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HER BROTHER)
and now for some I have on my to watch list but haven't seen yet, so I can't judge the represenation but heard it's really good and also sorry for the vague explanations of the plots but that's all I know and I like coming into stuff knowing nothing:
Whispered Words, Sweet Blue Flowers and Bloom Into You - heard they're good lesbian stories
Doukyuusei - high school boys in a relationship
Antique Bakery - I think three out of four mains are queer? Basically men running a bakery
Hoshiai no Sora - heard this one has very, very good represenation, I think the main character is discovering being non binary
Yurikuma Arashi aka lesbian storm bears - again from the director of Utena, from what I know there's only female characters and they're all lesbians and it's a whole metaphore for discrimination in society
Carole & Tuesday - I think it's sci fi with lesbians in a band? idk don't quote me on that
Thanks for the recommendations!
THE FACT WE HAVEN'T HAD A NEW SEASON OF YURI ON ICE IS LITERALLY DESTROYING MY DUMB GAY HEART
i love you, thanks for this. love me some good gay anime
@@HeyRowanEllis LITERALLY IT SHOULD BE AGAINST THE LAW
I suggest No.6! A little bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but it's beautiful
I know it's about films, but I do wanna recommend the book "autoboyography". It's about a mormon character (who happens to be gay), he's the mentor of another boy (bisexual), and they fell in love, but I love that it is focused on the religions' stance about lgbtq+ people and how it difficults the people's lives... If I have grammar mistakes, feel free to correct me (I'd be absolutely delighted)
Thx for the rec! I'm glad there's good media out there for thinking through the relationship between sexuality and religion. Are you a nonnative English speaker? I hope one day to write so casually in the languages I'm learning! As a native Californian, I wouldn't say "it difficults the people's lives," and would instead say "it makes the people's lives difficult," "it causes difficulty in people's lives," or "it negatively impacts people's lives."
@@saffodils Thanks!!! yes, I'm from Argentina, (my native language is Spanish), I'd love travelling to California, everything seems so idealistic to me!!! A lot of freedom (compared to my country)
@@estivymonroe2758 Argentina! Neat! My mom has a coworker from there and she's really nice! If you ever visit California, I hope you enjoy it-everywhere has repression and bigotry, but it's easier to find oases in California than in other states I've been to. I also hope Argentina gets its freedom sooner rather than later.
I watched Pride in the cinema twice. It was just so uplifting and being in a crowd laughing at it and enjoying it together was so wonderful.
D.E.B.S is a great and uplifting movie ❤️
Is silly but I love it
You listed so many of my favourites!! Some others I would recommend are:
- Saving face: I've seen other people in the comments recommend this and there's a good reason for that, as it's such a sweet movie. It's about two Asian American women falling in love and developing a relationship and it's just so good! And it has a happy ending too!
- Ek Ladki ko Deka toh aisa laga: It's a Bollywood movie which is set up like a classic heterosexual romantic movie, a guy meets a girl in the city and falls in love with her and then tries to find her again, but plot twist! She's actually gay and has a girlfriend! It's very sweet, as far as I know it's pretty much the first Bollywood movie about a lesbian couple, so yay for that! It also has a happy ending, so that's amazing as well! (It's on Netflix, go watch it!)
-Honorable mention as it isn't a movie: I am not okay with this: it's a series about a girl who realizes she's in love with her best friend and in the process also discovers she has some sort of psychic powers. It's been released on Netflix recently, so far it only has one season but I'm pretty sure it'll at least get a second one. Disclaimer: It's not exactly a feel-good type of show, as even though it has really sweet moments, it also has horror elements and a generally more teenage-depression vibe and deals with pretty heavy topics (such as suicide). But I loved it, even though I usually am more into feel-good stuff, so yeah. It's definitely bingeable, so it's great during quarantine!
Here's some that have been strongly recommended to me but I haven't managed to watch yet (hopefully I'll find the time now during quarantine!) :
-Moonlight
-Rafiki
-Margarita with a straw
-Elisa and Marcela
-Portrait d'un Jeune Fille en feu
Great list! My pick would be Big Eden: big city artist returns to the tiny town he grew up in to care for his ailing father, reunites with his old best friend/crush and becomes acquainted with the exceedingly shy owner of the local general store. It has some illness/grief stuff, but ultimately is such a fluffy good rom-com, and paints this town as a little utopia of inclusivity. Everyone is so supportive and they're all rooting for the leads' happiness. It's great for when you basically want to forget that homophobia exists for a couple hours.
yes, omg that scene in Handsome Devil when the teacher and Connor are talking on the field is one of my favorites! it showed the generational divide so well.
One of my other faves that wasn't mentioned was Big Eden- it's got a super cute unrequited (wink) crush scenario, good family vibes, adorable supportive friends and town vibe, First Nations rep. It just makes me happy.
Also, I haven't seen Nina's Heavenly Delights yet, so I can't totally vouch for it, but we're doing a watch party of it on Thursday bc it's one of my friends' faves, so I'm super optimistic and the trailer looks adorable
Handsome Devil is one of my favorites!
Big Eden is such a wonderful feel good rom com.
A comforting movie that I really like is one called 4th Man Out. It doesn't seem to be really well known, but it's on Netflix (at least in the US). It's about a man who decides to come out to his close group of friends and revolves around him adjusting to life as an out gay man. All of his friends are really accepting, and there's a lot of comedic moments with them learning about gay culture
I highly recommend Big Eden to anyone looking for a bit of comfort -- especially if you have a difficult relationship with rural America. Everytime you think homophobia is coming, it totally subverts your expectations. It also clearly subverts what the gay characters were expecting, leading to some very heartwarming, healing moments. It's definitely not a perfect movie, but I've found it so comforting that I've been watching it nearly everyday during this quarantine.
Also, bonus points for the neurodiverse: I personally found Pike's character very resonant with an autistic experience, socially speaking. Not making a diagnosis here -- it's mostly just social stuff like communication style that I find very resonant. But his social difference is dealt with as beautifully by the movie as qu**rness, imo. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough.
PS: Qu**r is censored because TH-cam has been deleting my comments when I use the word 🙄 I assume it's to censor people using it as an insult but still... Very annoying.
Yes!! I love this movie!!
Big Eden is one of my favourite wholesome gay films ever. Always puts a smile on my face =)
"Neurodiverse" - I'm #actuallyaustistic, and can't stand it when such characters are shoehorned in. Contemporary film makers need to represent minorities in a naturalistic manner, i.e. as individuals with personalities, not just as a "type" to stand in for an entire group as political propaganda. Most portrayals of autistic people are f-ing awful. I notice that with how a lot of groups are portrayed on film... Only in this case I belong to it.
They need to stop talking about neurodiversity and other things as some kind of quota system and just represent them fairly.
"He's not painting the garage, Ed. He's an artist." I love this movie. It's wholesome enough to watch with your parents. For diversity, Pike is also Native American.
Yes! I was hoping this would be in the comments!! It was one of the first LGBT movies that I got to watch when I was younger and is one of my go to comfort movies. There's absolutely some drama that can really poke at the heart, but overall it's such a sweet movie
handsome devil has been my comfort movie for years but i've never heard anyone else talk about it! thank you for including it in your list, it made my little heart so happy
my favorite gay film that i could watch over and over again is Maurice!!
Also a wonderful read!
maurice is so good!!!!
Same! And so well done for its time, both the '14 book and the '87 film! Commentary on class and gender AND a happy ending?? Plus all the repression was very relatable DX
it's an amazing book and movie :))
I was so shocked when I saw the happy ending, really wasn't expecting it (which is sad) but now it's one of my favourite films!
I would absolutely recommend "The Incredible True Adventure of Two Girls in Love". One of my go-to feelgood movies. It's not the best made movie, but I enjoy how the girls relationship grow and there's a lot of cute funny moments between the different characters.
Nice! I'll have to check these out! Thank you for this.
I'd recommend checking out Big Eden (2000). It's basically a sweet hallmark-esque movie about going back to your quiet, supportive hometown but about gay men. It does have a major subplot about death and old age, so fair warning to those who find those topics hard to watch.
OMG I HAD NO IDEA THAT THE SHORT FILM WITH THE BLIND GUY WAS MADE FULL LENGTH I LOVED THAT SHORT I NEED TO WATCH THIS
The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls in Love! Is one of my top feel good lesbian movies, i don't know how to give it the justice it deserves but it's cute and has a specific style I live about it
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995).
It's about three drag queens with hearts of gold who make a pit stop in a rural town on a cross country road trip starring Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and a fucking scene stealing John Leguazamo. It's so. Fucking. Good.
Also features Stockard Channing, RuPaul and Julie Newmar herself.
Alex Strangelove has got to be one of my favourites. it's a cute little high school romcom where the main Alex is working out his feelings with his girlfriend (spoiler: there's a guy involved). each of the actors are amazing and do such a good job of playing teens going through their last year of high school!
i've just watched When I'm 64 (2004) which is a film about two older men who become friends and then lovers with a happy ending! i was really impressed by the intimacy in the film which often feels missing from even more recent media with older queer characters. featuringclass differences, soft timid hand holding, tender touching of scars, kissing tattoos, v heartfelt coming outs. it's Rlly good and bc it was a made for tv bbc film that never was released on dvd it's not rlly well known. it stars alun armstrong and paul freeman so it's really well acted. if anyone wants a link hit me up because you can't buy it :/
This sounds so sweet!! Would love a link if you want to share it!
Do you need somewhere to send it? Idk if youtube has private messages anymore haha 😅
This really sounds wonderful! But how would you share a link if I ask for it?
@@sahelichowdhury Hello! Sorry I was replying on my phone and I have the link saved on my laptop so I didn't think about it!! Here's the link - I can only find it with Spanish subtitles but I've not had any problems with the site at all :D www.nuevatematica.men/2019/02/cuando-tenga-64-anos.html
@@HisNeverland www.nuevatematica.men/2019/02/cuando-tenga-64-anos.html here you go!
Even just listening to you talk about these movies was such a comfort 💙
Curmudgeons is a short film starring Our Boy Danny Devito that I absolutely CANNOT recommend enough. deffo deserving of an honourable mention in another of these videos.
I read that Anthony Stewart-Head story and img, my heart was full to bursting. Not just supportive, but he really went out of his way to make a trans kid feel accepted and loved. What a lovely man.
OMG, I loved Handsome Devil. At first, I was put off by the title but I'm really glad I gave it a shot.
What I liked most about it was how this very naturally developed friendship does not automatically turn into romance.
Handsome devil is a phrase used a lot here in Ireland when talking about a goodt looking guy. Usually old woman use it when talking about sons/ nephews /grandsons "ahh isn't he a handsome devil, I'm sure the girls are always chasin after him " Connor is popular and the best player on his team so he's probably been called this many times(as in he's straight passing) . I think the title is fitting.
@@ciarafarrell3742 If you put it like that it makes sense. I am not from Ireland which may be why I did not make the connection, so thank you for providing some context. 😊
My mum took me and my sister to see 'Pride' at the cinemas because it was "an important movie" and I can't thank her enough because that's how I knew that it was okay to be queer in my family. Sometimes words are a lot harder to believe than going-out-of-your-way actions. Thanks Mum!
an episode of hbo’s high maintenance called “trick” offers some really sweet and unique asexual representation. it’s about a woman who works as an intimacy coordinator on movies who begins dating a man who identifies as asexual.
Love, Simon always had a special place in my heart because it was the first queer movie my mother and I watched together shortly after I came out to her. Admittedly it's kinda sad in the middle and it has its flaws but overall I just think it's a sweet movie with some really great acceptance speeches from the parents in it.
I’d just been rewatching But I’m A Cheerleader and I see this! Brilliant video, Rowan:)
But I'm A Cheerleader is literally one of my favorite movies of all timeeee
I could basically recite the entirety of Pride off by heart at this point, hands down my favourite film ever
Great picks. I'd like to add The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love. It's very cute and light hearted.
My favorite queer movies are obviously: but im a cheerleader, GBF, and idk if if it is officially a queer movie but its my all time favorite movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
So happy to see someone else mentioning Handsome Devil and Shelter!!
Love your list, I can't wait to check out Pride!
I’m soooo happy you mentioned Shelter. It was one of the first queer movies I saw and it always has a special place in my heart. It was the first queer movie I found that had a happy ending.
This is exactly what I needed right now with everything going on. I'd love to see a video along the same lines regarding lgbt+ book recommendations, be it fiction or non fiction (historical)
When Night Is Falling is like a fairytale romance with complications. If you've ever wanted to run away with the circus this is the movie for you.
I dont know how it holds up to younger folk now, especially since society has changed so quickly, but it made me feel hopeful when I was younger.
I feel like everyone forgot that A Beautiful Thing existed. That was probably one of the first gay films I ever saw and I still love it to this day. It's definitely not easily acessable like others on streaming platforms. You have to actually search for it. I wish it was on a streaming platform, because I want others to see and enjoy it like I have.
I do not particularly know why i like this movie so much but i do. The movie is called freier fall (free fall in english). It is a german movie obviously and it depictes this cute love between the new gay guy and a regular looking dude both of whom are trainees in the police academy.
It's not exactly comforting or heartwarming though
I agree but to me their love felt really cute and pure. And i know it doesn't really have a happy ending but i just wanted to mention it as i believe it is quite overlooked and undervalued.
I recommend Emo the Musical! There's a subplot involving two guys in love and they are so adorable and I love them and they get a happy ending that made me cheer in my dorm room when I first watched the film. And the rest of the film is really fun, too. Great rock songs, makes fun of stereotypes about emos, Christians, and mental health pharmaceuticals. This is a weird descriptions and it sounds super silly and weird but I think it's actually wonderful.
Pride will forever be my favourite comfort movie - I love it so much and it was just put on Netflix in Australia so I've decided that it's the perfect time to force all my friends to witness its beauty and wholesomeness (with a good side of old ladies yelling "WHERE ARE MY LESBIANS?!)
Not a film, a book, but it's addictive (!!) Royal Red White and Blue - it's so light and silly but also resonant, affecting and poetic. BRILLIANT
OH! Amazon keeps recommending me that one. :D
Your recommendation tipped me over. Think, I will read that one next.
now a film too AA sorry i had to say smth i love rwrb
4th man out is a really good movie in my opinion, it's about a gay man coming out to his straight friends, and you see him coming to terms with himself. It's heartwarming and funny! Reccomend it
I watched Pride last night after watching this vid. I could not stop crying it made me so happy.
Pride is one of my favourite movies and also stars Andrew Scott, so I'm glad it was mentioned.
i've been (re)watching Pride because it's amazing and my teacher talked about it so i feel less guilty to watch a film instead of doing the tooone of work my teachers gave us to do in lockdown
but you added great movies to my list and i can't waaaait to watch them ! thank you for this awesome video in this anxious time
BENJAMIN!!!!!!! I first watched it last night and I had to pause it multiple times just to laugh my head off for a few minutes. I also cried. a lot. and when I finished it i was left with such a warm feeling in my heart that is still there now and i just highly recommend it. It deals with some difficult topics and it handles them really well but is also somehow is so incredibly light-hearted and hilarious. I'm not sure if it is available outside of the UK but it's only £1.99 on Amazon and it's sooooo so underrated and amazing PLEASE WATCH IT.
If you haven’t already, go watch God’s Own Country, I saw it the other day and my words can’t do it justice 🥰
Oohh i'll watch that!! Thanks!
Glad to hear it! I’ve been going through a little bit of a tough spot and it’s just the perfect way to get away from it all for me, hope you enjoy it just as much as you did the first time lol
YES I love that movie
That movie is just so heartwarming, I love it ! (And I'm pretty sure it's on TH-cam if you can't afford buying it)
What a wonderful comfy sweater of a movie
Love, Simon is like a gateway drug into every other uplifting romantic positive lgbtq+ media. Its overwhelming popularity among the general public i feel made me feel like there aren't many other movies with that kind of feelgood romantic tone but i was so glad to be proven wrong, that's the kind of lgbtq+ content i love the most.
such a good list :) I watched Pride for the first time two days ago and have already rewatched it, it's so fun and comforting :3
One of my favourite comfort movies is Big Eden, it's about a gay artist who moves back to his small hometown in Montana to take care of his grandfather, and he has to confront his unresolved feelings towards his best friend from high school while being completely oblivious to the shy general store owner pining for him.
The movie came out in 2000 and it's so comforting because it doesn't even reference homophobia, (almost) everyone is aware of the main characters sexuality and is completely supportive, it's just so so nice!
Great recs!
Here's some of my faves that have POC in them as well,
Kiss of the Rabbit God (兔兒神) short film
Ek ladki Dekha toh Aisa Laga (how I felt when i saw that girl) 2019
Chutney Popcorn
Rafiki (2018)
Your absolute ecstasy when describing these films makes me want to go watch all of them immediately. I've been looking for lists like this and I'm so happy it's here! Please make more...
I used to love Shelter but haven’t seen it in ages, I’ll have to get the DVD out for a rewatch. I also like Pride, 4th Man Out and Love Simon as feel good films.
Special mention to the beautiful Andrew Scott who’s in Pride, Handsome Devil and plays a gay character in last years Modern Love TV series ❤️
Imagine me&you has been one of my absolute favorite films for a LONG time.
i recomend this mexican movie called "i dream in another language", it's about this dude who wants to preserve a native language that only has three fluent speakers alive, an old woman, and two old men, the problem is that the woman dies of old age and the other two haven't talked to each other in decades because of something that "happened" when they were young and best friends (look i'm just trying to not spoil it, but you can already guess what happened). this movie isn't exactly feel-good though, it actually has some really dramatic and somewhat intense elements, but it has a happy ending
I honestly love how much this video feels like a good friend recommending shit because it's just you freaking out about how cute and awesome these movies are and "ahh just watch it"
Can't wait to check these movies out! Would you mind putting a list of the movies in the description box? It makes it a bit easier to come back and find them rather than struggling and jumping through the video.
And knowing how things are spelt is important too!
G.B.F is one of my favourite feel good movies. It's about a shy guy who gets outed as the first gay guy at his school and 3 girls compete for him to be their Gay Best Friend. It's like mean girls but make the message about how people aren't accessories. It's very quotable
When you've watched pretty much all of these films
I started watching this video, and as soon as you finished recommending the movie Pride I paused the video and opened up a new tab to watch it. What a wonderful movie-- I'm very glad I saw this rec vid of yours so that I could learn that I needed to watch it. I know and love most of the videos you had recommended, but never heard of that one before. Definitely going to share it with all my friends!
"Pride" has been on my To-Watch list since I started watching your videos a few years ago. Maybe a pandemic will finally be the thing that makes me actually watch it lol
Great list\video (as always); as a transguy I just wish that there were more movies about trans people that fit into this category! (its kind of sad that the most notable movie about a trans man is "Boys Don't Cry")
I came to make sure you mentioned Shelter and Handsome Devil and I was not disappointed.