I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately about 1990s Queer filmmaking. Artists were getting into the dirt, producing some of the most daring, innovative, and searing art of the late 20th century. Dubbed “New Queer Cinema” in 1992 by writer B. Ruby Rich in the September issue of Sight & Sound magazine, these films didn’t just rambunctiously brush up against the status quo; they gleefully busted right through it. Filmmakers such as Jennie Livingston, Todd Haynes, Lisa Cholodenko, Gregg Araki, Derek Jarman, Cheryl Dunye, Rose Troche, and Stephan Elliott took breathtaking chances with risky narratives, frequently using their own money and never taking “no” for a final answer when complications arose.
This plethora of talented creators planted the seeds that have blossomed into this century’s cinematic wonderments that branch across genres, stylistic choices, and wildly divergent budgets. We’ve seen major (mostly straight) actors step into the shoes of ill-fated Gay cowboy lovers, Transgender sex workers combat AIDS, and doe-eyed Lesbian socialites collide with social and class norms, determined to rip them apart — and many of these stars flirted with Oscar glory in the process (deservedly or not). We’ve had sexually rambunctious high school students start a fight club, Yorkshire farmers find solace in one another’s arms, a drug dealer discover redemption through admitting his love for a childhood friend, and a codependent Lesbian space alien making first contact by giving their heart to a perplexed human who didn’t know she was seeking an otherworldly adventure until it landed on her doorstep. The list is endless.
With current social and political events being what they are, it feels right to celebrate this era of Queer filmmakers and cinema with the same fanfare we now give to the New Queer Cinema of the 1990s. These storytellers — some of them brand-new to the medium, others respected masters who have been working behind the camera for over 40 years — have continued to explore a variety of fascinating narratives with inquisitive and introspective abandon. Their creativity is impossible to question, as is their utilization of stylistic techniques that bring old and new media into exciting synchronicity.
As is the style of the day, this discussion results in what could easily be construed as a “best-of” list. But I don’t want to call it that. This isn’t some polled, peer-reviewed ranking of Queer films released between 2000 and 2024. Instead, these are 25 of my personal favorites, nothing more and unquestionably nothing less, based on how I felt at the time of writing. Additionally, it’s a ranking that could be reshuffled and should not be taken as definitive.
Also, I have made the conscious decision to include just one film per director. Had I not done so, it is likely that Céline Sciamma, Todd Haynes, Jane Schoenbrun, Andrew Haigh, and the immortal Pedro Almodóvar would have taken up over half of the list by themselves, and I wanted to spotlight as many filmmakers as possible. I also excluded 2025 releases, so while stunners like Come See Me in the Good Light, Peter Hujar’s Day, Pillion, She’s the He, and Twinless were all worthy of consideration, frankly, I haven’t had enough time to fully weigh their historical merits. (But they’re all great. You should watch them.)
Another personal choice? I tried not to include stories that primarily focused on straight characters, no matter how strong their Queer components (and overall greatness). This explains the absence of such heavyweights like Y tu mamá también, Wonder Boys, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Beginners, Your Sister’s Sister, both versions of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and, yes, as problematic as it may be, Dallas Buyers Club. I am a massive fan of all of these (many are among my favorites of this still young century), and I wouldn’t hold a grudge against anyone who chose to include them on their personal list of top Queer titles.
The other omission I think might confuse some involves David Lynch’s sublime 2001 masterwork Mulholland Drive. Make no mistake: there is a large crowd of critics and scholars who feel this is not only one of the best films of the 21st century but one of the greatest pieces of cinema ever made — and I wholeheartedly agree. But, much like, say, 1991’s Silence of the Lambs or 1970’s adaptation of The Boys in the Band, the way Lynch handles the Queer content is (to put it mildly) wildly discomforting. His picture is an unparalleled masterpiece, but also one that makes me feel slightly icky, and not in ways that produce fascinating discussions or complex debate. Instead, they only make me perplexed (and more than a little sad).
I also imagine some will be shocked to see my exclusion of several notable and largely beloved Queer favorites, like Tangerine, Call Me by Your Name, Big Eden, Saving Face, Mysterious Skin, and Kissing Jessica Stein. It broke my heart to leave them off, too, but there’s only so much room, especially when you limit yourself to 25. Other sensational titles I considered included Lingua Franca, D.E.B.S., And Then We Danced, Yossi & Jagger, Potato Dreams of America, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Afire, Nimona, By Hook or by Crook, Marwencol, Howl, Another Gay Movie, Wild Tigers I Have Known, Disobedience, and Fancy Dance. I urge people to seek all of them out.
Finally, some of my picks will undoubtedly be considered divisive, potentially even problematic (specifically entries 25 and 10). I’m okay with that. The reasons I went with the films I did has everything to do with how much each affected me on a visceral level. Cinema has always been about making an emotional connection. Stories should touch us personally. We laugh. We scream. We cry. We mourn. We cheer. When things click on all levels, we also see ourselves up on the screen. There’s precious little better than that. It’s magic, and all of these selections make me feel that way in one fashion or another.
The following are my personal picks as the top 25 films of the first 25 years of the 21st century:
25. Assassination Nation (2018) (Sam Levinson)
(available to stream for free on Kanopy; also available on DVD, Blu-ray, and multiple streaming platforms)
24. Gun Hill Road (2011) (Rashaad Ernesto Green)
(available to stream for free on Tubi and Hoopla; also available for purchase on multiple streaming platforms)
23. Viva (2015) (Paddy Breathnach)
(available to stream for free on Tubi, Hoopla, and Kanopy; also available for purchase on multiple streaming platforms)
22. Stranger by the Lake (2013) (Alain Guiraudie)
(available to stream for free on Kanopy; also available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
21. A Fantastic Woman (2017) (Sebastián Lelio)
(available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
20. Sweetheart Deal (2022) (Elisa Levine, Gabriel Miller)
(available for purchase on multiple streaming platforms)
19. God’s Own Country (2017) (Francis Lee)
(available to stream for free on Kanopy and the Roku Channel; also available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
18. Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (2011) (Madeleine Olnek)
(available to stream for free on Fandango At Home; also available for purchase on DVD and on multiple streaming platforms)
17. Pain and Glory (2019) (Pedro Almodóvar)
(available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
16. The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) (Desiree Akhavan)
(available to stream for free on multiple platforms including Tubi, Hoopla, and Kanopy; also available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
15. Facing Mirrors (2011) (Negar Azarbayjani)
(available to watch on YouTube but not in the best quality; it is not currently available on physical media or on any official streaming platform)
14. Bottoms (2023) (Emma Seligman)
(available for purchase on Blu-ray and on multiple streaming platforms)
13. Before Night Falls (2000) (Julian Schnabel)
(available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
12. How to Survive a Plague (2012) (David France)
(available to stream for free on Kanopy, Plex, PlutoTV, and the Roku Channel; also available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
11. Pariah (2011) (Dee Rees)
(available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
10. Jennifer’s Body (2009) (Karyn Kusama)
(available to stream for free on Tubi; also available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
9. Brokeback Mountain (2005) (Ang Lee)
(available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, and on multiple streaming platforms)
8. The People’s Joker (2022) (Vera Drew)
(available to stream for free on Tubi; also available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
7. The Edge of Heaven (2007) (Fatih Akın)
(available to stream for free on Hoopla, Kanopy, and Tubi; also available for purchase on DVD and on multiple streaming platforms)
6. All of Us Strangers (2023) (Andrew Haigh)
(available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, and on multiple streaming platforms)
5. Carol (2015) (Todd Haynes)
(available to stream for free on Plex; also available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
4. Moonlight (2016) (Barry Jenkins)
(available for purchase on multiple streaming platforms)
3. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) (John Cameron Mitchell)
(available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) (Céline Sciamma)
(available to stream for free on Kanopy; also available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
1. I Saw the TV Glow (2024) (Jane Schoenbrun)
(available to stream for free on multiple platforms including Tubi, Hoopla, and Kanopy; also available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray, and on multiple streaming platforms)
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