Dec 27
Big Gay Movie Roundup: 13 Notable Films from 2024
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 16 MIN.
Moviegoers like spectacle in their big-screen entertainment. Big fights, big explosions, big romance... it's all at home in the 1.85:1 format (or, if you like to go IMAX like Christopher Nolan, 1.43:1).
Queer moviegoers, like everyone else, appreciate it when Hollywood stories take notice of their lives. Hence, James Bond's bisexual teasing in "Skyfall" (2012), the same-sex marriage that pops out of the background and into the main narrative briefly in Marvel's "The Eternals" (2021), and the gay couple who redecorate Michael Meyers' childhood home, much to the killer's displeasure, in "Halloween Kills" (2021).
But queer representation in cinema isn't simply a sideshow or afterthought in heteronormative moviemaking; its own vibrant and increasingly sophisticated genre of film craft. If we have "gay marriage," then we ought to be honest about the inevitability of gay divorce ("Our Son," 2023); if we're going to go in for a gay spin on rom-coms ("Bros," 2022), then we should also look at gay bereavement ("Good Grief," 2023).
Moreover, LGBTQ+ cinema isn't just a matter of substance; style plays into it as well. Queer filmmakers are establishing themselves as the same sort of auteurs that certain straight directors have been seen to be; Pedro Almodóvar's new film "The Room Next Door" may not be queer, but it is certainly queer-adjacent. With "Misericorida," Alain Guiraudie - the director behind "Stranger by the Lake" - reconfirmed his mastery, while Ferzan Özpetek made the voluptuous "Diamanti" and François Ozon gave us "When Fall is Coming."
Still, there's nothing quite as satisfying as a straight-up, in your face gay good time at the movies. So, what stood out in 2024, whether for story, tone, performances, or steamy gay loving? Here's a totally subjective grab bag of thirteen candidates for your viewing pleasure.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.