The 20 best LGBTQ+ couples in movies

Kristen Stewart has repeatedly shown that there’s more to her than just Bella of Twilight, and she shines in Love Lies Bleeding, the crime film from 2024. She plays Lou, who falls in love with the bodybuilder Jackie (played by Katy O’Brian), but things get complicated when the latter kills someone. The film is a remarkable example of the “be gay do crimes” model of storytelling, and the committed performances from both Stewart and O’Brian really help it stand out from the crowd. And, unlike so many other “bad gays,” they actually get to have their very own happy ending, free of anyone who’d like to hold them down.

Daniel Day-Lewis gives one of the best performances of his career in My Beautiful Laundrette, in which he plays Johnny, a street punk who falls in love with his friend, Omar (played by Gordon Warnecke). It’s a fascinating look at Thatcherite Britain, as well as a crucial examination of how same-sex love can flourish even across cultural lines. Remarkably, for an LGBTQ+ movie of this era — the film was released in 1985 — the two male leads don’t meet tragic fates. They seem to get their little happy ending, a reminder that sometimes love does conquer all, even in a homophobic era. 

Andrew Haigh’s Weekend deserves its reputation as one of the best LGBTQ+ movies of the 21st century. As its title implies, it follows Russell and Glen, two men who have a hookup during a weekend but find that their feelings are far more profound than either might have imagined. There’s a temporal limit on their bond, and the viewer knows they probably will end up saying farewell to each other. Nevertheless, Russell and Glen and their undeniable romantic bond are reminders that sometimes the most impactful relationships are ephemeral, staying in the mind long after the affair itself is over.

Wong Kar-wai is one of those directors with a keen aesthetic sense, which brings to bear in his haunting and tragic Happy Together. The relationship between Ho Po-Wing and Lai Yiu-Fai is, to put it mildly, a difficult one, particularly once they move to Argentina. It’s clear, though, that there is a rich well of feeling between the two of them, one that continues to bring them together despite their many differences. It’s a film drenched with longing and desire, and it plumbs the depths of a complicated and sometimes downright dysfunctional relationship. It’s a beautiful film with superb acting, a truly stunning example of LGBTQ+ cinema.

Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are at the top of their game in The Birdcage, in which they play a middle-aged gay couple who have to play straight to deceive the conservative parents of their son’s new girlfriend. Though the film is clearly a farce and, as such, goes for the laughs, there’s a genuine heart here, too, and it’s clear how much the charade costs both Armand and Albert as they try their best to do what they can for their son. It all comes out alright in the end, however, and The Birdcage ends up being a poignant portrait of gay love in middle age.

Beautiful Thing is a hidden gem of a film. As an indie British production from the 1990s, it has somewhat faded from view, but there is still much to recommend it. Among other things, it provides a fascinating look at the lives of two working-class British teens who manage to find love even amid their rather dreary living conditions. Their relationship is a slow burn, but it becomes clear that each is a haven for the other, and it melts the heart to watch their friendship blossom into something more. Their story is evidence that love truly can flourish anywhere.

Todd Haynes has long been a director with a keen sense of cinematic style, and he brings his considerable skills to bear in Carol, his adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt.  Cate Blanchett shines as Carol, a wealthy middle-aged woman who falls in love with Rooney Mara’s Therese, a store clerk. Their love unfolds against the backdrop of Cold War America, and thus, it would have been easy for the film to end unhappily. Fortunately, however, not even the restrictions and homophobia of midcentury America can quench their love. Therese realizes that only Carol can give her the love she truly wants and deserves.

Latter Days is one of those LGBTQ+ films that has been somewhat overshadowed in the years since its release, but it’s still quite a sweet story, focusing as it does on the unlikely romance between a gay playboy and a closeted Mormon missionary. From the moment they meet, it’s clear that there’s an attraction between Christian and Aaron, though it takes them quite a while to realize it and to accept what it means for them both as individuals and as a potential couple. Fortunately, the story ends with them getting together,  proving that love really can triumph over religious intolerance.

Shelter remains one of the underrated LGBTQ+ cinematic gems from the 2000s. It focuses on an aspiring artist, Zach, who falls in love with Shaun, his best friend’s older brother. It’s quite beautiful to watch Zach come to terms with his sexuality, and though it takes him some time to figure out his feelings, he eventually realizes Shaun is the one for him. For his part, Shaun is one of the few who sees Zach’s artistic potential, so when the two finally come together as a couple, it serves as confirmation that they are better together.

Few films have captured the devastating ache of longing quite like Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Directed by Céline Sciamma, this film focuses on a painter, Marianne, who is employed to paint the portrait of Héloïse. Even though the latter is engaged, the two still fall passionately in love. The ending isn’t particularly happy — the couple doesn’t end up together, despite all they have shared — but it is not quite as tragic as so many other LGBTQ+ dramas. Instead, it is filled with the same sense of desire unfulfilled, a sense that theirs was a love that changed both of them, even though it was always doomed to be ephemeral.

Based on the novel of the same name by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe focuses on the friendship between the two characters who meet as teenagers and establish a strong friendship. As time passes, it’s clear that there’s something more there, and their bond grows into a true romance. Given that they’re both teens, it has its fair share of problems, particularly since Ari also has to contend with the fact that his sexuality is more complicated than he thought. In the end, though, love wins out, providing both characters with a new take on the beauty of the cosmos.

Love, Simon is a fascinating film, in part because it reveals the extent to which the closet is still very much a part of teen life since Simon spends the whole movie afraid his sexuality might be revealed to his high school. There’s also a mystery at the heart of it since he begins to fall in love with a mysterious correspondent known only as “Blue.” In the end, of course, it’s revealed that his friend, Bram, has been Blue all along, and they end up sharing a beautiful and touching kiss on the Ferris wheel. And, as the series Love, Victor demonstrates, theirs is a love that can endure even beyond high school.

At first glance, it might seem strange to include Brandon and Phillip from Hitchcock’s Rope in a list of LGBTQ+ couples, particularly since the film begins with their brutal murder of a classmate. However, their ruthlessness, combined with the undeniable on-screen charisma of both John Dall and Farley Granger, means that these are the type of dangerous queer characters that it’s impossible to dismiss. They spend most of the movie playing a sadistic mind game with their acquaintances, holding a dinner party while the corpse of their victim lies just out of sight. They are a killer couple, even if their arrogance ultimately proves to be their undoing.

Call Me By Your Name is an intoxicating film about the power and folly of young love, focusing on Elio, a young man growing up in Italy with his parents, and the graduate student Oliver, who studies with Elio’s father. The two begin a passionate and physical relationship, and it’s clear that it means much more to Elio than it does to Oliver, who ultimately goes back to the States and gets engaged. Theirs might not be an enduring relationship, but it is still a powerful one, thanks in no small part to the performance from Timothée Chalamet, who nicely captures Elio’s youthful longing.

Moonlight more than deserves its critical reputation, and it deserved its Best Picture Oscar. The story's beating heart is the fraught relationship between Chiron and Kevin, who share an erotic encounter as teenagers that will reshape the rest of their lives. Even though different actors play the roles in each of the film’s three acts, it’s clear from the beginning that the two share a bond that time itself cannot break. The final pairing, with Trevante Rhodes as Chiron and André Holland as Kevin, lands like an arrow in the heart as the two finally find peace in one another’s arms.

Even though E.M. Forster’s novel Maurice wasn’t published until after his death, it has nevertheless enjoyed a long legacy, thanks in no small part to the Merchant Ivory film from 1987. From youth, Maurice knows that he’s different, but it’s only once he goes to university that he realizes that he is attracted to men, and it’s not until near the end of the film that he manages to find true happiness and completeness with the working-class Alec Scudder. The fact that they are willing and able to forge a life and a destiny for themselves despite the potent homophobia of the Edwardian England in which they live grants this period piece a truly extraordinary emotional potency.

The year 2022 was particularly good for LGBTQ+ representation, and Billy Eichner’s Bros received much attention for its status as a thematically released romantic comedy. The romance centers on Bobby and Aaron, who, like many other couples, start off on less-than-ideal footing but eventually discover their mutual attraction. What’s especially remarkable about their relationship is that they don’t, in the end, decide to get married but instead decide to see where things go. Even without this closure, however, there’s still much to love about this couple, who manage to be so different but still manage to find a connection that means a lot to both of them.

In addition to being quite funny, the romantic comedy Fire Island is a whip-smart adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. At the heart of the story are Noah and Will, who meet on Fire Island and immediately take a disliking to one another. As so often in Austen-inspired fiction, however, there’s more than a little attraction there, too, and it’s not long before their bickering turns to something more. It’s a lot of fun watching the two of them come to terms with their desire for one another, particularly since there’s undeniable chemistry between Joel Kim Booster and Conrad Ricamora. 

The Wachowskis have always been known for being stylish directors, and they bring their considerable gifts to bear in Bound,  which focuses on Corky and Violet. There’s an immediate attraction between these two women, and each clearly sees the other as a means of escaping their own unhappy lives, particularly once they decide to steal money from the mob. The film’s neo-noir aesthetic makes for a compelling watch, as does the undeniable chemistry between Jennifer Tilly (Violet) and Gina Gershon (Corky). And, unlike in many other films, they actually manage to get away with their crime, earning themselves a place in LGBT Q+ cinema history.

Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain  more than deserves its reputation as one of the true landmarks of LGBTQ+ cinema. Its depiction of the tragic romance between Ennis and Jack is as touching as it is devastating. After all, their love unfolds in a time and a place where acceptance is still a thing of the future, which just makes their obvious passion and devotion to one another that much more poignant. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal give textured and complex performances, and one can’t help but want things to work out for them even though one also knows they cannot. Theirs is a love that, while tragic, nevertheless endures in the mind long after the final scene.