The 7 Must-See Queer Films of 2024

2024 has been a monumental year for queer filmmaking, with positive representations of LGBTQIA+ lives getting their chance to shine on the big screen in new and exciting ways. As a queer person myself, it’s important to me when I get to see people like me and my loved ones in a form of storytelling that’s so accessible to wide audiences. As the year draws to a close, I thought it would be fun to look back on some of my personal favourite queer films of the year and what they meant to me and so many other people who got the chance to see them.

For the family: Will & Harper

Greenbaum, J. (Director). (2024). Will & harper [Film]. Delirio Films.

Will & Harper is a documentary featuring Will Ferrell as he takes a cross-country road trip with his recently out transgender friend Harper Steele. The two discuss what Harper’s transition means to them and their decades-old friendship. While mostly light in tone, I believe that Will & Harper is essential viewing for cisgender people wanting to learn more about trans experiences. The familiar presence of Will Ferrell and his signature humour makes the film an entertaining entry-point and perhaps more easily digestible for cis people. Although it isn’t a massive step in terms of representation, I think that it’s great that a celebrity like Will Ferrell is putting himself out there and bringing more attention to trans lives. I watched it with my mum, and while I’ve been out to her for several years, it was a nice night in sharing this film with her and helping her understand more on the variety of transgender experience.

Will & Harper is streaming now on Netflix.

For Dads and action-lovers: Monkey Man

Patel, D. (Director, Writer). (2024). Monkey man [Film]. Monkeypaw Productions.

Dev Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man is perhaps the most thrilling action film of the year, with excellent fight choreography and a classic revenge plot to match. Some of the most surprising queer representation of the year came from this film with the inclusion of the hijra community: an Indian group of transgender/intersex individuals. They act as supporting characters to Dev Patel’s character ‘Kid’ and aid him on his quest, teaching him the balance of masculine and feminine energy. The hijra add a lot of heart and soul to a great modern martial arts movie, and seeing a badass army of trans people fighting alongside a big star like Dev Patel was very satisfying to see on the big screen.

Monkey Man is streaming now on Binge.

For erotic thrills: Love Lies Bleeding

Glass, R. (Director, Writer). (2024). Love lies bleeding [Film]. A24.

Back to another film I saw with my mum, this time at the cinema, Love Lies Bleeding was a fantastic movie that you absolutely shouldn’t watch with your mum. Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian star as two lovers in this intense crime thriller. Taking cues from the Wachowski’s queer classic Bound (1996), Rose Glass infuses an arthouse spin on the typical ‘be gay do crime’ narrative that we all know and love. Great performances all around, gorgeous-looking, and unapologetically queer, Love Lies Bleeding is a must see for any thriller fan.

Love Lies Bleeding is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

For horror fans: I Saw the TV Glow

Schoenbrun, J. (Director, Writer). (2024). I saw the tv glow [Film]. A24.

Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow follows Justice Smith as Owen, a teenager in the 1990s obsessed with a sci-fi horror television show The Pink Opaque. We follow Owen from childhood to his adult years as he uncovers a mystery surrounding the television show and its relationship to the disappearance of his friend. It’s difficult to talk about this film’s queer representation without spoiling it, and I think that it is best to go in knowing as little as possible. This film really snuck up on me as it evolved into a powerful allegory for transgender experience and featured one of the most harrowing endings of any movie I’ve seen, leaving me sobbing and overwhelmed with emotion. This is a very important movie for the trans community and has even resulted in a viral trend online where people share their experiences with transitioning. However, I would only recommend this to my fellow trans friends if they’re in a healthy headspace, so be warned for a possibly confrontational experience.

I Saw the TV Glow is expected to release Australia-wide in 2025.

For your next sleepover: Lesbian Space Princess

Varghese, L. & Hobbs, E. H. (Director, Writer). (2024). Lesbian space princess [Film]. WeMAT.

I was thrilled that I was able to see this film, which is so hilariously and proudly queer, on its premiere night at the Adelaide Film Festival. The audience reaction was fantastic, and it was a pleasure seeing directors Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs receive a standing ovation for their work. Lesbian Space Princess perfectly captures the offbeat, fast-paced Gen Z humour that many young people will enjoy – especially those in the LGBTQIA+ community who will pick up on all the puns and in-jokes. This is also a monumental achievement for South Australian filmmaking, as it is the first ever animated feature film produced in the state. Despite its local origins, I have the feeling that Lesbian Space Princess will be a big hit upon its worldwide release.

Lesbian Space Princess is expected to release Australia-wide in 2025.

For your inner jock: Challengers

Guadagnino, L. (Director). (2024). Challengers [Film]. Pascal Pictures.

Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers is perhaps his best film yet. The script is one of my favourites of the year, and the three lead performances in Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor are lightning in a bottle and have undeniable chemistry with each other. Guadagnino is also no stranger to queer stories, evident in his films Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All, and the upcoming aptly-titled Queer. Following a love triangle between three tennis players, the film explores the romance of ‘bromance’ and the intimate relationship between two men, the line blurred between friends and lovers. Challengers is so thrilling, expertly shot and entertaining that it encouraged me to watch Wimbledon this year. If a movie can convince me to watch live sport, it must be something special.

Challengers is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

For you and your bestie: Drive-Away Dolls

Coen, E. (Director, Writer). (2024). Drive-away dolls [Film]. Focus Features

Drive-Away Dolls is my favourite movie of the year. Directed by Ethan Coen of Coen brothers fame, Ethan’s solo directorial debut follows two lesbian best friends on an ordinary road-trip down in the south of the USA, but unbeknownst to them they are transporting something sinister in the boot of their rental car. With a script penned by Ethan Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke, Drive-Away Dolls made me laugh like no other film this year. The film is an ode to lesbians everywhere, and both the friendships and romances that define the community. The humour is so uniquely queer and offbeat that its hardly a surprise it didn’t strike a chord with general audiences. Margaret Qualley and Australia’s own Geraldine Viswanathan are a fantastic pairing, and they bounce off each other really well, with Viswanathan playing the ‘straight man’ (no pun intended) to Qualley’s bubbly all-American girl. Also featuring some fun cameos from Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, and even Miley Cyrus, there is something for every queer filmgoer in this future cult classic.

Drive-Away Dolls is streaming now on Netflix and Binge.