A forbidden love story between a teen spy and an evil but hot international diamond thief, the movie features early performances by Jimmi Simpson (“Westworld”) and Jordana Brewster (“The Fast and the Furious”). “D.E.B.S.” (Angela Robinson, 2004)Ī clever action parody that was much smarter than its mainstream marketing campaign understood, “D.E.B.S.” is like a queer “Charlie’s Angels” set at the school from “But I’m a Cheerleader,” with broader commercial appeal. The movie pulses with the rhythm of first love and the cost of self-discovery.
Cinematographer Bradford Young (“Arrival”) films Alike’s first nights out at the club in rich, saturated colors. We melt alongside Alike as she lights up with the first tingles of love, seeing herself for the first time through the desiring eyes of Bina (Aasha Davis). The camera practically aches as Alike changes out of her baseball hat and t-shirt on the train home to Brooklyn, donning a girly sweater in order to calm her parents’ suspicions (Kim Wayans and Charles Parnell). Humming with the electricity of repressed sexuality finally breaking free, “Pariah” follows teenage Alike (Adepero Oduye) as she embraces her queerness and masculine gender expression. “Pariah” (Dee Rees, 2011)Įvery filmmaker gets her crack at a coming-of-age story that mirrors their own, and those stories take on increasing significance when coming from rarely seen perspectives. Without further ado, here are the 15 best lesbian films ever made: 15.
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It’s a list as colorful and varied as the queer community itself. Some won awards others reached cult status long after their releases. These movies reclaim all of that they’re the movies you will see played on a loop in the club, or at an underground rooftop movie night. Too often, lesbian characters are either unattractive man-haters or used for titillation. Ultimately, the best lesbian films honor the traditions of queer cinema in all of its glory: Strong women, high entertainment value, and bold visuals reign supreme. Must the film focus primarily on a gay storyline, or can it feature strong lesbian characters doing something entirely different than just being lesbians? Is subtext enough? How much cinephile wrath will rain down on us for the absence of a certain recent Oscar nominee? Narrowing down the 15 best movies in any genre is tough, but for lesbian films you have to begin with a reductive question: What is a lesbian film? What, in fact, is a lesbian? (But that’s a different piece).