The colorful festivities of Pride Month have come to a vibrant end, as folks from all over the world participated in promoting inclusivity, LGBTQ+ representation, and queer relationships throughout June. But this doesn’t necessarily mean an end to basking in positive vibes and continued celebration of love and acceptance. The spirit of Pride can live on all year round by indulging in the most hearty and soulful rom-coms that explore the nuances of same-sex relationships. These adorable and tear-jerking masterpieces entertain and spread much-needed awareness about acceptance and representation.
We bring you a handpicked list of LGBTQ+ rom-coms that marvelously capture the essence of queer love and will leave a lingering warmth in your heart. These movies present sincere storylines that resonate with the romantic endeavors and challenges experienced by queer folks, with a comedic touch here and there to keep things light. Without further dilly-dallying, grab some Doritos and Diet Coke as we jump right into it!
1. Love, Simon (2018)
First, we have the most adorable and beloved teen rom-com Love, Simon. Based on Becky Albertalli’s novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the movie follows closeted gay teenager Simon Spier (Nick Robinson). The story centers on Simon’s struggle to come out to his family and friends with the added pressure of a blackmailer, who continually threatens to leak his emails with an anonymous classmate he met online and fell in love with. The movie is heart-touching, funny, and eye-opening, and it highlights how coming out can be challenging despite having a solid support system. Love, Simon was a raging success that led to the release of a sequel television series, Love, Victor.
2. Red, White, & Royal Blue (2023)
A film that comprises almost two whole hours of watching an unbelievably hot prince and a politician’s ripped son engaging in the thirstiest snog fest? Sign us up! Red, White & Royal Blue is a romantic comedy based on Casey McQuiston’s novel of the same name. The movie’s plot revolves around the love story between Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of the President of the United States, and British prince, Henry (Nicholas Galitzine). It also showcases the political uproar when news of their relationship becomes public. The film includes an animalistic cake fight, cheeky innuendos, and the sexiest way of saying “Baby” to have ever existed! It soared in popularity (obviously), and a sequel is currently in the works.
Watch Red, White, & Royal Blue on Prime Video
3. The Half of It (2020)
The Half of It is an endearing coming-of-age tale about friendship, identity, and self-love that’s guaranteed to tug on your heartstrings. The movie revolves around shy, straight-A, Chinese-American student Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) and how she helps her inarticulate next-door neighbor, Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer), grab the attention of a popular girl, Aster (Alexxis Lemire), by ghostwriting a love letter to her on his behalf. Things get complicated when Paul discovers that Ellie has feelings for Aster too, as the duo find themselves unexpectedly bonding over the nuances of love and friendship. Although The Half of It is a rom-com, Ellie and Paul’s friendship is the one that leaves viewers with much food for thought.
Watch The Half of It on Netflix
4. Alex Strangelove (2018)
A heartwarming rom-com about first love, sexual identity, and losing one’s virginity, Alex Strangelove is the perfect pick for a Saturday afternoon lunch watch. The film revolves around high schooler Alex Truelove (Daniel Doheny), whose chance encounter with an openly gay teenager, Elliot (Antonio Marziale), leads him to question his sexuality for the first time in his life. Things get messy as this causes an unexpected hindrance in his plans with his girlfriend Claire (Madeline Weinstein) to lose their virginity to each other. The film does a fantastic job of portraying teenage angst and the subsequent strain that old friendships face due to these newfound discoveries.
Watch Alex Strangelove on Netflix
5. Happiest Season (2020)
Adding some variety, we throw a festive Christmas movie into the mix! Happiest Season is a humorous yet thought-provoking story of loved-up couple Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis), who’ve been dating for over a year. Abby plans to propose to Harper at the latter’s family Christmas dinner but is in for a surprise — her partner’s family is unaware of her sexuality. The film explores familial acceptance and staying true to oneself with the added pressure of not ruining Christmas. Happiest Season also stars Dan Levy, who plays John, Abby’s gay best friend. He adds a charm to the screenplay with his impeccable comedic timing.
6. Good Grief (2023)
Next up, we have Dan Levy starrer Good Grief. It wouldn’t be a reliable list of rom-coms without a good old sad movie. The film’s plot revolves around the grieving journey of recently widowed Mark (Levy), who lost his too-good-to-be-true husband of many years, Oliver (Luke Evans), to a car crash on Christmas Day. To get over his loss, he takes a trip to Paris with his friends, which leads him to uncover messy secrets as he is confronted with hard truths about his deceased husband. Good Grief explores the layers that exist in a same-sex marriage while also touching upon aspects of dealing with the loss of a spouse as one grapples to find their footing again.
7. Single All The Way (2021)
We conclude on a festive note with yet another Christmas movie, Single All The Way. The plot follows the classic rom-com trope of a fake relationship that inevitably leads to romantic feelings. The story centers on Peter (Michael Urie), who persuades his best friend, Nick (Philemon Chambers), to pretend to be his boyfriend on a trip home for the holidays to avoid unsolicited judgment from his family.
Things are fairly platonic between the duo until Peter’s mother sets him up on a blind date with her unrealistically hot spinning instructor, James (Luke Macfarlane). This leads Nick to question his true feelings towards his best friend. A holiday movie filled with love, acceptance, and friendship, Single All The Way is a must-watch! Also, make sure to check out five best queer supporting characters in film!
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