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11 FEEL-GOOD QUEER ROMANC TO WATCH RIGHT NOW (OR VERY SOON)FROM HEARTSTOPPER TO BUT I’M A CHEERLEAR, WE’VE PILED THE BT QUEER ROMANC THAT WILL LEAVE YOU WH A SE ON YOUR FACE.BY CHRIS MURPHYAUGT 2, 2023SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEFDG AN UPLIFTG PIECE OF MEDIA ABOUT A QUEER UPLE—ONE THAT DON’T HAVE A PRSG ENDG—N BE EASIER SAID THAN DONE. FROM CAROL AND CALL ME BY YOUR NAME TO BROKEBACK MOUNTA AND MOONLIGHT, AN OVERWHELMG NUMBER OF QUEER ROMANC END TEARS, IF NOT OUTRIGHT TRAGEDY.THANKFULLY, NOT EVERY STORY THAT PUTS QUEER LOVE AT THE FOREONT WILL LEAVE YOUR HEART ACHG. INSPIRED BY THE RETURN OF HEARTSTOPPER AND THE UPG PREMIERE OF RED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE, WE’VE PILED 11 MOVI AND TELEVISN SHOWS THAT CENTER QUEER ROMANCE WHOUT SACRIFICG QUEER JOY. PUT AWAY THE TISSUE BOX, AND GET READY TO SE.HEARTSTOPPER (2022)HEARTSTOPPERCOURTY OF NETFLIX.THERE’S NOTHG LIKE YOUNG REQUED LOVE. THIS BRISH G-OF-AGE SERI, BASED ON THE GRAPHIC NOVEL BY ALICE OSEMAN, IS RELENTLSLY SWEET. CHARLIE (JOE LOCKE), A GAY, MIC-LOVG YEAR 10 STUNT AT THAM GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR BOYS, N’T HELP BUT FALL FOR HIS MATHS PARTNER, NICK (K CONNOR), A POPULAR YEAR 11 ON THE GBY TEAM WHO TAK AN STANT LIKG TO CHARLIE. WHILE THE SHOW’S FERVENT FANDOM MAY HAVE TAKEN THEIR OBSSN WH CHARLIE AND NICK’S LOVE STORY TOO FAR, HEARTSTOPPER IS STILL A LIGHT, PTURG NICK AND CHARLIE’S BUDDG ROMANCE—AND ALL THE TEENAGE ANGST THAT WH —WHOUT EVER GETTG MDL. PL, CHARLIE AND NICK AREN’T THE ONLY QUEER ROMANCE TO FOLLOW HEARTSTOPPER; THE SERI ALSO MAK SPACE FOR LOVE STORI ACROSS THE LGBTQ+ SPECTM. IF YOU START STREAMG RIGHT THIS SEND, YOU’LL BE ALL UGHT UP BEFORE SEASON TWO OF HEARTSTOPPER, WHICH HS NETFLIX AUGT 3.POWERED BYJTWATCHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE (2023)RED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE© AMAZON/EVERETT COLLECTN.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHROYAL ROMANC ARE THE BT KD. DIRECTED AND WRTEN BY TONY-WNG SCRIBE MATTHEW LóPEZ, RED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE ADAPTS CASEY MCQUISTON’S IMMENSELY POPULAR NEW YORK TIM BT-SELLG NOVEL FABULO FASHN. RED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE FOLLOWS TWO MEN WH CREDIBLE FAY PEDIGRE—BRISH PRCE HENRY (CRELLA’S NICHOLAS GALZE) AND AMERIN FIRST SON ALEX CLAREMONT-DIAZ (THE KISSG BOOTH’S TAYLOR ZAKHAR PEREZ)—WHO MT ENGAGE A CRISIS-PR TCE EVEN THOUGH THEY GET ON EACH OTHER’S NERV. BUT THE MORE THEY TALK, THE MORE HENRY AND ALEX DISVER THAT THE LE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE IS QUE TH. “THERE ARE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE E AND GONE MY REER THAT I HAVE HAD THE ABILY TO LET GO OF,” LóPEZ TOLD VF, “BUT IF I WASN’T ABLE TO MAKE THIS MOVIE, WOULD’VE ST ME SOMETHG.” HE GOT HIS WISH AS THE HELMER OF THIS FEEL-GOOD, FIZZY ROMANCE, WHICH ALSO FEATUR NONE OTHER THAN UMA THURMAN AS THE PRINT OF THE UNED STAT. YOU N PAT YOURSELF RED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE WHEN THE FILM HS AMAZON PRIME AUGT 11.POWERED BYJTWATCHBUT I’M A CHEERLEAR (1999)BUT I’M A CHEERLEAR© LNS GATE/EVERETT COLLECTN.SOME FEEL-GOOD QUEER ROMANC ALSO DOUBLE AS MP CLASSICS. LOOK NO FURTHER THAN BUT I’M A CHEERLEAR, THE ’90S SATIRIL ROM- WHICH STARS A YOUNG NATASHA LYONNE AS MEGAN BLOOMFIELD, A LBIAN CHEERLEAR WHO GETS SENT TO NVERSN THERAPY MP. Y, THAT MAY NOT SOUND LIKE THE GROUNDS FOR A FEEL-GOOD QUEER LOVE STORY—BUT THE HANDS OF LYONNE, DIRECTOR JAMIE BABB, AND SCREENWRER BRIAN WAYNE PETERSON, BUT I’M A CHEERLEAR BE A ROMP ABOUT THE QUEER EXPERIENCE, WH LYONNE’S SEXUALLY NFED CHEERLEAR FALLG POM-POMS-OVER-HEELS FOR CLEA DUVALL’S GRAHAM, A OL, NFINT LLEGE STUNT ALSO AT THE MP. ALONG WH DUVALL AND LYONNE, THE ST CLUS ONCE AND FUTURE STARS LIKE MELANIE LYNSKEY, MICHELLE WILLIAMS, AND RUPL, WHO DO HIS DARNST TO BUTCH UP AS UNSELOR MIKE. RUPL AS AN EX-GAY? THAT’S EVEN FUNNIER THAN THE HILAR ROSS MATHEWS.POWERED BYJTWATCHTHE BIRDGE (1996)THE BIRDGE© UNED ARTISTS/EVERETT COLLECTN.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHA VERY GAY ROM- ABOUT A STRAIGHT ROMANCE, MIKE NICHOLS’S THE BIRDGE IS AN AMERIN REMAKE OF THE 1978 FRAN-ITALIAN FILM LA CAGE X FOLL, LATER ADAPTED TO A BELOVED MIL. THE LATE ROB WILLIAMS AND NATHAN LANE STAR AS ARMAND AND STARA, A SOUTH BEACH–BASED GAY UPLE WHOSE SON, VAL (DAN FUTTERMAN), FALLS LOVE WH BARBARA (CALISTA FLOCKHART), THE DGHTER OF REPUBLIN SENATOR KEV KEELEY, PLAYED BY GENE HACKMAN. WHEN THE SENATOR AND HIS WIFE (DIANNE WIT) PAY ARMAND AND STARA A VIS, HIJKS ENSUE AS BOTH ATTEMPT TO PLAY STRAIGHT FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR SON’S BUDDG RELATNSHIP. WH LIBLE EDIC PERFORMANC OM BOTH LANE AND WILLIAMS PARTICULAR, THE BIRDGE WILL LEAVE YOU GUFFAWG AND KVELLG AT ARMAND AND STARA’S UNNVENTNAL YET EPLY LOVG RELATNSHIP.POWERED BYJTWATCHLOVE, SIMON (2018)LOVE, SIMON© 20TH CENTURY FOX/EVERETT COLLECTN.IT’S EASY TO FET THAT LOVE, SIMON BROKE GROUND FIVE YEARS AGO AS THE FIRST MOVIE OM A MAJOR HOLLYWOOD STUD TO FOLLOW A GAY TEENAGE ROMANCE. DIRECTED BY GREG BERLANTI, LOVE, SIMON TOLD THE TALE OF CLOSETED GAY TEENAGER SIMON (NICK ROBSON) AND HIS JOURNEY TOWARD SELF-ACCEPTANCE, AS WELL AS HIS BURGEONG ONLE RELATNSHIP WH A SECRET SUOR. MIXG A CLASSIC G-OUT NARRATIVE WH A H ONLE-DATG MYSTERY ELEMENT, LOVE, SIMON BEME A H AT THE BOX OFFICE AND HELPED HER A NEW ERA FOR TEEN MOVI. IT ALSO FEATURED ONE OF JENNIFER GARNER’S REER-BT PERFORMANC AS SIMON’S LOVG MOTHER.POWERED BYJTWATCHLOVE, VICTOR (2022)LOVE, VICTORKELSEY MCNEAL/HULU.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHAND WHOUT LOVE, SIMON, WE WOULDN’T HAVE THE HULU SERI LOVE, VICTOR. SET THE SAME CEMATIC UNIVERSE AS S PRECSOR, LOVE, VICTOR FOLLOWS VICTOR SALAZAR (MICHAEL CIMO), A NEW STUNT AT SIMON’S HIGH SCHOOL WHO IS BOTH STGGLG WH HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND ADJTG TO HIS NEW SCHOOL AFTER MOVG OM TEXAS TO ATLANTA. VANY FAIR CRIC RICHARD LAWSON LLED THE SERI “VERY CUTE” AND “VERY SCERE” HIS REVIEW WHEN PREMIERED ON HULU 2020, BUT LAMENTED THE FACT THAT THE SHOW WAS MOVED OM DISNEY+ TO HULU REPORTEDLY BEE OF THEM CLUDG TEEN DRKG, MARAL DISRD, AND THE SEXUAL EXPLORATN OF S LEAD CHARACTER. (IT’S NOW AVAILABLE ON DISNEY+.) WHILE MAY HAVE BEEN ORIGALLY TEND FOR A YOUNGER DIENCE, LOVE, VICTOR STILL FOUND SUCCS AMONG THE ADULTS WATCHG HULU, LASTG THREE SEASONS ON THE STREAMG PLATFORM AND EARNG A 92% ON ROTTEN TOMATO.POWERED BYJTWATCHFIRE ISLAND (2021)FIRE ISLANDJEONG PARK/HULU.JOEL KIM BOOSTER’S EMMY-NOMATED HULU MOVIE FIRE ISLAND HAS AN EQUAL MEASURE OF RNCH AND ROMANCE. BASED ON JANE ATEN’S PRI AND PREJUDICE, FIRE ISLAND TAK THE MANNERS AND CLASSISM OF 18TH-CENTURY ENGLAND AND APPLI THEM TO THE PRENT-DAY QUEER PARADISE. WOULDN’T YOU KNOW THAT THEY MAP ON QUE WELL, AS BOOSTER’S NOAH FALLS FOR RICH AND, AT FIRST, LAWYER WILL (CONRAD RIMORA), A FASHN WONRFULLY ECHOG ATEN’S EILZABETH BEN AND MR. DARCY. THROUGH A SERI OF MISMUNITNS AND SEX MISHAPS, NOAH AND WILL HAVE A WHIRLWD ROMANCE WORTHY OF ATEN AND FIRE ISLAND. SO DO NOAH’S BFF, PLAYED BY BOOSTER’S REAL BFF, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE STAR BOWEN YANG.POWERED BYJTWATCHDICKSON (2019)DICKSONCOURTY OF APPLE.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHIN THE REAL WORLD, EY DICKSON’S LIFE MAY HAVE BEEN NSIRED TRAGIC DUE TO THE FACT THAT SHE DIDN’T LIVE TO SEE HER WORK BEE WORLD-RENOWNED. BUT ON ALENA SMH’S APPLE TV+ SERI, WHICH FICTNALIZ THE LIFE OF THE POET AS A YOUNG WOMAN, DICKSON IS ANYTHG BUT TRAGIC. THE SPIRED SERI, WHICH LASTED THREE SEASONS, STARRED HAILEE STEFELD AS A BRASH AND SPIRED EY DICKSON. SHE’S FIXATED WH ATH, PLAYED BY WIZ KHALIFA, BUT VIVACLY ALIVE AND LOVE WH HER BT IEND (AND HER BROTHER’S WIFE), SUE (ELLA HUNT). WHILE ’S NOT YOUR CLASSIC QUEER ROMANCE NARRATIVE, EY AND SUE’S EP, UNENDG LOVE IS AT THE HEART OF DICKSON, EVEN IF ’S FORCED TO TAKE NEW SHAPE AS THE SERI GO ON.CSH (2022)CSHBRETT ROEL/HULU.THIS HULU ROM- PROVIS ANOTHER CLASSIC TEEN LOVE STORY WH A QUEER TWIST. CSH STARS ROWAN BLANCHARD AS PAIGE EVANS, AN ART-LOVG STUNT WHO JOS HER HIGH SCHOOL TRACK TEAM ORR TO GET CLOSER TO HER CSH, GABRIELA (ISABELLA FERREIRA). OF URSE, THGS DON’T GO EXACTLY AS PLANNED: PAIGE WDS UP GETTG CLOSER WH GABY’S TW SISTER AND -PTA OF THE TRACK TEAM, AJ, PLAYED BY AULI’I CRAVALHO. CSH, WRTEN BY KIRSTEN KG AND CASEY RACKHAM, GETS RIGHT TO THE LOVE TRIANGL WE FD SO MANY TEEN ROM-S, CHEWG A G-OUT NARRATIVE FOR THE MSY ROMANCE THAT FOLLOWS.POWERED BYJTWATCHALEX STRANGELOVE (2018)ALEX STRANGELOVEWALTER THOMSON/NETFLIX.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHANOTHER ROMANTIC EDY ABOUT FDG YOURSELF, ALEX STRANGELOVE STARS DANIEL DOHENY AS ALEX TELOVE, WHO GETS UGHT BETWEEN HIS GIRLIEND, CLAIRE (MALE WESTE), AND HIS BURGEONG FEELGS FOR ELLT (ANTON MARZIALE), AN OUT LLEGE BOY HE MEETS AT A PARTY. AN DIE FILM, ALEX STRANGELOVE, DIRECTED BY THE SKELETON TWS HELMER CRAIG JOHNSON, TAK A MORE ADULT AND ANK LOOK AT G OUT THAN LOVE, SIMON, PLETE WH AN AWKWARD SEX SCENE AS ALEX TRI TO FIGURE OUT WHO IS HE REALLY LOV. POWERED BYJTWATCHBOTTOMS (2023)BOTTOMS© UNED ARTISTS/EVERETT COLLECTN.SOMETIM YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THE THGS YOU WANT. FROM SHIVA BABY DIRECTOR EMMA SELIGMAN, BOTTOMS STARS AYO EBIRI AND RACHEL SENNOTT AS JOSIE AND PJ, TWO GAY GIRLS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SOCIAL LADR WHO WD UP STARTG AN AFTER-SCHOOL FIGHT CLUB ORR TO IMPRS THEIR POPULAR CHEERLEAR CSH, ISABEL (HAVANA ROSE LIU) AND BRTANY (KAIA GERBER). SELIGMAN HAS SCRIBED THE FILM, WHICH SHE WROTE WH SENNOTT, AS “A MPY QUEER HIGH SCHOOL EDY.” THAT MAY BE TE, BUT BOTTOMS FELY HAS SOME ROMANTIC EDY ELEMENTS AS WELL, AS JOSIE AND PJ GET CLOSER TO THEIR CSH BY WAY OF SCHOOL-SANCTNED PHYSIL VLENCE. BOTTOMS HS THEATERS ON AUGT 25.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORECAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWTHE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERHAS THE HAMPTONS FALLY FOUND ITS GREAT EQUALIZER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)CHRIS MURPHY
And although ’s absolutely lovely to see a film for kids embrace explic gay romance, the queerns of Nick Bno and Troy Quane’s film, adapted om the graphic novel by ND Stevenson, go further and extends to the tle character. But nsir this: let gay art flop. In a sea of gay ntent that aims to be excellent, “First Kill” has the bravery to be pellgly terrible, and for that we mt pay our rpects.
Charmg voice work om a mostly queer st of voice actors — cludg Sean Hay, Matt Rogers, Wanda Syk, and Patti Harrison — boosted the show’s lighthearted tacklg of stutnal homophobia, and ma for a seri that had real potential before got Netflix’s axe.
She-Ra and the “He-Man” anchise have always had a strong mpy appeal that ma at least gay-adjacent, but ND Stevenson’s acclaimed reboot of the anchise for Netflix rehgly dropped the -adjacent part pletely. Soapy teen stori are so much better when they’re gay, and “Young Royals” is one of the gayt and soapit.