Top 10 Gay Love Movies on Netflix That Are Better Than Typical Love Tales

Gay love romance fiction is focused on same-gender characters who fall in love and have a homoromantic relationship.

Love knows no boundary, and gay love movies explore identity and resilience across different cultures and eras.

From the 1980s onward, this genre has seen increased sales and recognition, and several publishing houses focused on LGBT romance novels.

Some are Bold Strokes Books, Spinsters Ink, Bella Books, and Regal Crest Enterprises.

Here is a list of the top 10 gay love movies you should not miss on Netflix.

Movies	Release Date
Rustin	November 3, 2023
The Boys in the Band	September 30, 2020
Marry My Dead Body	February 10, 2023
Nuovo Olimpo	November 1, 2023
Rocketman	May 31, 2019
Tales of the City	June 7, 2019
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin	September 29, 2017
Call Me by Your Name	November 24, 2017
Bohemian Rhapsody	November 2, 2018
Queer Eye	February 7, 2018

Note that there may be differences in available movies depending on where you live.

10. Rustin

George C. Wolfe directed a biographical drama film, Rustin, based on the true story of Bayard Rustin, who helped Martin Luther King Jr. and others organize the 1963 March on Washington.

It tells the story of the gay civil rights activist Bayard, who encourages Martin to lead a protest in Los Angeles ahead of the 1960 Democratic National Convention.

Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and NAACP leader Roy Wilkins criticized Bayard for his romantic orientation and refers him as a “queen.”

His love partner, Tom Kahn, also works with him on expanding civil rights. Bayard persuades Asa Philip Randolph to organize the 1963 March in Washington, DC.

Philip is respected at the NACCP for convincing Roosevelt to sign Executive Order 8802 in 1941 and Truman to sign Executive Order 9981.

In 1963, he served as the director of the March on Washington and announced that Bayard would be its deputy director. However, Strom Thurmond accuses Bayard of being a communist.

The March on Washington was intended to increase Congressional support, and over 200,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial, calling for an end to legalized racial discrimination in the US.

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the event.

Rustin received generally positive reviews, and Colman Domingo, who portrayed Bayard Rustin, was nominated for the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, SAG Award, and Academy Award for Best Actor.

9. The Boys in the Band

Joe Mantello directed The Boys in the Band, a drama film based on Mart Crowley‘s 1968 play. Nine gay men gather for the celebration.

Michael hosts a birthday party for his friend Harold at his apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 1968.

He reflects on his own aging and debt-riddled lifestyle to Donald, who arrives early due to a canceled psychiatrist appointment.

Michael‘s old roommate from Georgetown, Alan, calls him in tears, and he invites him to the party. He warns other friends that Alan is heterosexual and unaware of Michael‘s homosexuality.

Emory arrives with lovers Hank and Larry. Similarly, Bernard arrives with a stack of books for Donald.

Later, Alan calls Michael from a phone booth and says he won’t attend the party but will meet him the next day for lunch. However, he unexpectedly shows up at the party and bonds with Hank.

Harold arrives high on marijuana and shares a passionate kiss with a hustler named “Cowboy.” Michael starts drinking and smoking despite quitting five weeks prior. He and Harold trade vicious insults.

The Boys in the Band explores friendship, self-discovery, and hidden emotions among this group of friends. It is a powerful portrayal of the complexities of relationships and identity.

8. Marry My Dead Body

Cheng Wei-hao directed Marry My Dead Body, a Taiwanese supernatural comedy mystery film adapted from the Lai Zhi-liang original story outline. 

It revolves around a police officer, Wu Ming-han, who is both homophobic and ghost-phobic. He mistakenly picks up a red envelope, a traditional method of entrapping someone into a ghost marriage.

His action summons the ghost of Mao Pang-yu, a young man who lost his life in an accident while discussing marriage with his boyfriend.

Mao‘s grandmother is saddened by her grandson’s unmarried demise and suggests a ghost marriage. She convinces Ming-han to marry her unseen grandson.

Ming-han finds that Mao’s ghost is real and tries to escape the marriage, but his attempts are in vain.

He works alongside his fellow policewoman, Lin Tzu-ching, and his ghostly partner to investigate a significant case in their department.

Ming-han‘s ability to know things only Mao would be able to see through his ghostly ability raises questions. They come to peace after a confrontation with Mao’s ex-partner.

Later, they gather near the river, and Mao reincarnates. However, Mao returns to warn Ming-han that his boss is the informant for the local crime gang and plans to flee to Macau.

They catch the gang with the help of police and engage in a shootout. Later, Ming-han realizes Tzu-ching is the real informant and plans to frame them.

Marry My Dead Body humorously combines a police detective story, a ghostly romance, and the ancient Chinese ritual of ghost marriage.

7. Nuovo Olimpo

Ferzan Ozpetek directed an Italian romantic drama film, Nuovo Olimpo. It tells the story of two men who meet and fall in love in late 1970s Rome.

Pietro Gherardi, a shy medical student, saw a film at the Nuovo Olimpo theater during the Years of Lead in Italy in 1978.

He meets a film student, Enea Monte, and develops an immediate attraction. The next day, they meet at the theater and spend a night together at Enea’s lover Alice’s grandmother’s unoccupied apartment.

Afterward, they decided to meet at the Nuovo Olimpo the next day, but they were separated due to an anti-fascist protest.

Enea directs a fictional depiction of his brief romance with Pietro ten years later, in 1988. Pietro and his wife, Giulia, see the film and find similarities between it and his life.

Later, Pietro visits the Nuovo Olimpo in search of Enea but finds Ernesto, who tells him he is now a famous director. 

Pietro and Enea watch the same movie they saw at the Nuovo Olimpo with their partners on television. Pietro goes to Rome to find Enea but is disappointed after hearing Antonio is the love of Enea’s life.

Moreover, an ophthalmologist, Pietro, is shocked to see Enea in person after almost 40 years in a hospital for surgery.

Giulia is a fan of Enea and invites him to dinner at Pietro’s house, where Enea discovers that his doctor is indeed Pietro.

Later, they meet again in the streets and promise not to forget each other, recognizing that their lives are too different.

Nuovo Olimpo received a nomination for Outstanding Film – Streaming or TV at the 35th GLAAD Media Awards.

6. Rocketman

Dexter Fletcher directed the biographical jukebox musical drama Rocketman, based on Elton John‘s life and musical career. It follows the transformation journey from Reginald Dwight into international superstar Elton John.

Elton decides to go to a rehabilitation center after getting tired of his constant abuse of alcohol and substances and begins to talk to the group through flashbacks of his life.

His childhood is disturbed seeing his mother cheating on his British army officer father, leading the family to fall apart entirely.

He studied at the Royal Academy of Music and became passionate about rock, joining a band, Bluesology.

He met a young lyricist, Bernie Taupin, and began collaborating, leading them to become two of the most influential composers.

Meanwhile, his homosexuality is increasingly evident, and he slept together with music manager John Reid. Later, John becomes his manager and insists he tell his parents he is gay.

Elton tells his mother that he is gay, but she already knows and says he will be forever unloved. He becomes addicted to substance abuse, devastated by his parent’s rejection and John’s physical and emotional abuse.

Afterward, he catches John cheating on him and ends their relationship.

Nonetheless, he has been sober for over 28 years and married David Furnish, with whom he shares two children.

Rocketman was the first major studio film to include a gay male copulation scene.

5. Tales of the City

Lauren Morelli created a miniseries, Tales of the City, based on Armistead Maupin’s novel.

Mary Ann Singleton returns to San Francisco for the 90th birthday of her former landlady, Anna Madrigal.

She reunited with her ex-husband Brian Hawkins, daughter Shawna Hawkins, and best friend Michael Tolliver.

Twenty years after she left them to pursue her television career, things get more complicated with her ex-husband and daughter.

Later, she is attracted to a new girl in town who is making a documentary about 28 Barbary Lane.

Meanwhile, the relationship between transgender man Jake Rodriguez and his lesbian girlfriend, Margot Park, faces challenges as Jake explores his newfound attraction to men.

Tales of the City explores the lives, relationships, and secrets of the residents of an apartment complex owned by Anna Madrigal at 28 Barbary Lane.

4. The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin

Jennifer M. Kroot directed an American documentary about the world’s most beloved storyteller, Armistead Maupin‘s life, The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin.

Armistead was born into a traditionalist family in North Carolina shortly after the Second World War but discovered he was gay.

He couldn’t come out without suffering severe consequences. Thus, he joined the Navy and became assistant to a segregationist and intensely homophobic Senator Jesse Helms.

He did everything he could to cancel his sexuality and virgin at the age of 26. However, he managed to get rid of his cultural heritage and lost his virginity to another man in 1969.

Armistead met the American actor Rock Hudson and came out as an AIDS victim. Later, he began a love story with an HIV-positive man 30 years younger than him.

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin portrays Maupin’s journey through interviews with friends from the jungles of Vietnam to the bathhouses of 1970s San Francisco to the front lines of the American culture war.

3. Call Me by Your Name

Luca Guadagnino directed a romantic film, Call Me by Your Name, based on Andre Aciman‘s 2007 novel.

It follows the romantic relationship between 17-year-old Jewish French-Italian Elio Perlman and 24-year-old Jewish-American Oliver, set in northern Italy in 1983.

Elio, an introspective bookworm and a musician, lives with his parents in rural Northern Italy. His archaeology professor’s father invites Oliver to stay with them and assist with academic work.

Oliver’s arrival sparks a deep connection with Elio, and they eventually share a passionate romance, but they face heartbreak as Oliver’s departure approaches.

Later, he calls Elio during Hanukkah and reveals that he is engaged, which leaves Elio tearfully reflecting near the fireplace.

Call Me by Your Name received widespread critical acclaim for its screenplay, direction, cinematography, and performances.

2. Bohemian Rhapsody

Bryan Singer directed Bohemian Rhapsody, a 2018 biographical musical drama film about Freddie Mercury’s life.

Freddie Mercury was the lead singer of the British rock band Queen from its formation in 1970 to its 1985 Live Aid performance at the original Wembley Stadium.

The film begins by tracing the band’s meteoric rise, highlighting its iconic songs and revolutionary sound.

It pictures the personal life of a lead singer as Queen achieves success in the musical world. His lifestyle spirals out of control, nearly leading to collapse within the band.

Freddie, portrayed by Rami Malek, begins an affair with Paul during a world tour and comes out as bisexual to his girlfriend, Mary. However, she counters that he is gay and calls off the engagement.

Later, he keeps his distance from Queen in pursuit of his solo career, and the film explores the darker influences surrounding him during this period.

Despite facing a life-threatening illness, he led the band in one of the most outstanding performances in rock music history. The film’s climax centers around the eve of the historic Live Aid concert in 1985.

Bohemian Rhapsody became a box office success, grossing over $910.8 million worldwide, and holds the all-time box office records for a biographical film.

1. Queer Eye

David Collins created an American reality television series, Queer Eye, a reboot of Bravo’s original 2003 series.

In each episode, five talented and charismatic advisors travel to different cities to help some residents improve their situation.

The five advisors are Antoni Porowski: a food and wine expert, Bobby Berk: an interior design and home organization expert, Jonathan Van Ness: a grooming expert, Karamo Brown: a culture and lifestyle expert; and Tan France: a fashion expert.

Moreover, Jeremiah Brent can be seen as an interior design and home organization expert replacing Bobby Berk from season 9.

Queer Eye has touched the hearts of viewers worldwide, with a total of 65 episodes released across seven seasons.

It is praised for having a significant presence in the LGBT and communities of color groups.

Conclusion

There are many more incredible LGBTQ+ films on the streaming platform, and you can choose the movie genre that fits your mood.

The above lists are some of the top 10 gay love movies on Netflix that are better than typical love tales.

Feel free to explore more. Love has no bounds.