If you’re looking for a film that highlights what it means to be both British and gay, look no further than the list below.
This selection contains ten of the best LGBTQ films that have been made in the UK.
Have we missed a movie that you think deserves a place on this list? Let us know in the comments below.
Weekend (2011)
Director Andrew Haigh knows how to pull on our heartstrings. His most recent film, the devastating All of Us Strangers (see below) was a deeply emotional meditation on loss and grief with its tale of a gay man haunted by memories of a lost lover. Weekend is just as moving, though this time around, the men at the centre of the tale haven’t yet parted.
Russell (Tom Cullen) and Glen (Chris New) meet at a gay nightclub in Nottingham. They hook up for what is ostensibly a one-night stand. However, their encounter turns out to be something far more than a night of meaningless sex. As the two get to know one another, intimately and otherwise, they form an intense connection with one another over the course of one weekend.
In a rom-com, this would be the beginning of a happily-ever-after story. But that isn’t the case here. Their love affair isn’t destined to last as one of them is about to leave the country.
If you have ever had a fleeting connection with somebody who slipped out of your grasp, you’ll relate to the guys in this achingly realistic tale.
All of Us Strangers (2023)
Andrew Scott stars as Adam, a lonely, 30-something gay Londoner, who is drawn back to his childhood home where memories of his past relationship with his parents rise to the surface.
As he grieves their loss, he has a chance encounter with a mysterious man named Harry (Paul Mescal). They form an intimate connection but as was the case in Haigh’s previous movie, Weekend, they have no chance of a future relationship. The reason why will haunt you for days.
The plotline unfolds like a hazy dream as Adam journeys to the past and back again via memories that are fractured and twisted in his mind. All of Us Strangers is an unforgettable movie that you’ll find hard to shake after the end credits have rolled.
God’s Own Country (2017)
Unusually for an LGBTQ film, God’s Own Country is set in the Yorkshire countryside instead of a cosmopolitan city. Such a setting is usually the home of a cozy family drama (think Heartbeat or All Creatures Great and Small). But God’s Own Country is not the kind of movie that is fit for Sunday teatime viewing!
The film stars Josh O’Connor as a young farmer who blots out his mundane existence with alcohol and casual sex. His life is pretty miserable but his fortunes change when he forms an intense relationship with a Romanian migrant worker who has arrived for lambing season. What follows is an unsentimental story about gay love that is sexually explicit and refreshingly authentic.
This promising feature debut from director Francis Lee was described as the British version of Brokeback Mountain on its release, though the relationship at its core is arguably more raw and primal.
Beautiful Thing (1996)
Set on a London council estate, this engaging coming-of-age story tells of the relationship between a bullied young lad named Jamie and a popular kid in school named Ste who both deal with the trials and tribulations of “coming out.”
Coming out as gay is rarely easy for young people, especially on a housing estate where tolerance towards homosexuality can’t always be expected.
Don’t be fooled by the film’s premise though – this isn’t a grim and miserable kitchen sink drama that is without any hope. It’s certainly true-to-life but it eschews a heavy tone to offer something that is light-hearted, positive, and occasionally quite funny.
My Summer of Love (2004)
Here’s another gay romance set in Yorkshire that once again proves that queer dramas don’t have to be set within London, Manchester, and other major cities around the UK.
The movie stars Natalie Press and Emily Blunt as two girls with very different personalities and upbringings who meet one summer and form a tender relationship. Paddy Considine also stars, as the religiously obsessed brother of one of them.
My Summer of Love is beautifully acted and gorgeously shot on the magnificent Yorkshire moors. The pace is slow and there’s not a lot of plot to speak of. But as a snapshot of a time and a place where love can exist – even if it’s only fleeting – this is an engaging watch that might make you think back to your younger years and your first experiences of romantic love and sexual passion.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (2021)
16-year-old Jamie is desperately looking forward to going to prom. But as he wants to attend the event in drag, his teachers don’t have many positive things to say about his unconventional dream!
Based on a true story, this is a funny, inspirational, and occasionally quite heartbreaking film about a young gay man who dares to be himself in the face of his prejudiced classmates and equally prejudiced teachers.
This isn’t only a movie about one young man’s journey towards coming out, as loudly and proudly as possible, however. It’s also the story of a teenage boy whose sexuality is deeply at odds with the ideals of his masculine father. As such, Jamie’s experiences will prove relatable to anybody whose own fathers have cast a disapproving eye over their sexual identity.
My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
This two-fingered salute to Margaret Thatcher’s Britain tells the story of two gay men – a young Pakistani and a former member of the National Front – who open up a glamorous laundrette together and become unlikely lovers.
Gordon Warnecke and Daniel Day-Lewis star as the complete opposites who overcome racial and prejudicial boundaries to stick it to the world and form a romantic relationship. The film was considered ground-breaking at the time of its release due to its multicultural love story and honest depiction of homosexuality.
Femme (2023)
Here’s a movie with a startling twist! After cross-dressing gay man Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) becomes the victim of a hate crime, he discovers his attacker, a brutish thug named Preston (George MacKay), is also queer after seeing him in a gay sauna.
What follows is a twisted revenge plot in which Jules forms a sexual relationship with Preston, with the aim of outing him to his homophobic friends.
The characters in this movie are emotionally complicated, with little in common except the sexual drive that causes them to enter into a difficult and dangerous relationship.
Supernova (2020)
Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci star as middle-aged gay couple Sam and Tusker, who travel across England in their RV to visit friends, family members, and places from their past.
You might assume this is a road movie of sorts, with two people enjoying a jolly holiday together as they catch up with people they haven’t seen in a while. In a way it is, but there is much more to the movie than that as we discover Tusker has dementia and that the holiday he and Sam are having together is likely to be their last.
As you might expect, Supernova is an emotionally shattering film. It tells yet another story of a doomed romance – a common theme on this list. But while the film is tear-jerking, it’s tenderly romantic too, thanks to the two talented actors in the lead who bring to life two people who are very much in love.
Blue Jean (2022)
Here’s another movie set in the Thatcherite Britain of the 1980s when the Conservative government were about to pass a law that stigmatized the gay population.
This one tells the story of Jean (Rose McEwen), a closeted teacher who is at risk of being outed by a new girl in school who has seen her at a gay bar.
Blue Jean is a reminder that coming out is as difficult for adults as it is for teens. This is a truth that has never gone away, although it was particularly hard back in the 80s when being gay was far less acceptable than it is in today thanks to the prejudiced government that cared little for gay rights.
