The mainstream is malleable, neither a monolith nor a mere majority. The mainstream adapts to constant contingencies and the ever-changing zeitgeist, something seen most explicitly in popular culture at every level. There’s a reciprocal relationship between art and the societal mainstream, each influencing the other; while art reflects the society which produces it, it affects that same society in turn. Cinema, the dominant art form of the 20th-century, is particularly representative of this in the way a film’s success (critically and financially) is both determined by and determines what is considered mainstream.Queer cinemahas been slowly chipping awayat this slippery idea of “mainstream” sincethe beginning of last centurywith films likeMaking a Man of HerandI Don’t Want to Be a Man.The LGBTQ+films of pre-Code Hollywoodcontinued this gradual influence, and inclusive representation throughout the ensuing years has created many masterpieces. Thanks to this legendary lineage, one could argue that the mainstream was ultimately redefined (and even queered) in the 2010’s, not justpoliticallybut cinematically, too.The 2010s saw LGBTQ+ representation increase throughout the movie mainstream in a series of landmarks:Moonlightwon the firstBest Picture Oscarfor an LGBTQ+ film; theStar Warsfranchiseincluded its first LGBTQ+ character; the cover of TIME magazine featured itsfirst transgender actor; a transgender actor wasnominated for a major film awardfor the first time, followed by many more; Disney featuredits first gay characters; and on and on, the mainstream beeing molded into something different and diverse all the while. Finally, the mainstream had begun to catch up to the variety of reality, and films were released year after year which truthfully represented the lives of so many wonderful lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer and questioning people. If one of the best aspects of film is the ability to connect with experiences and lives other than one’s own, then all this is truly a cinematic advancement. These are the best LGBTQ+ films of the 2010’s.
12The Kids Are All Right
The Kids Are All Rightkicked off the decade with Lisa Cholodenko’s humorous, quiet study of human nature during cultural shifts. The ensemble is brilliantly acted, but Julianne Moore and Annette Bening are particularly fabulous as a married lesbian couple whose children seek out their birth father. The film’s depiction of their marriage is radical not in how it accentuates their sexuality but rather in how it accepts it; the film has no bias in its exploration of marriage and, by normalizing the couple’s lives, it subtly fights back against the stereotyping Hollywood often commits.
Related:The MCU’s First Gay Kiss Brought a Lot of Emotions to Marvel’s Eternals Set
11Love, Simon
Greg Berlanti has been quietly reshaping the mainstream from his own LGBTQ+ experiences, fromDawson’s CreektoRiverdale, but his movieLove, Simonbroke the most mold. Thefirst film of its kindto ‘come out’ of a major Hollywood studio, this sweet and brisk story follows a gay teenager through his process of coming out. What’s most subversive about the movie is just how family-friendly and PG-13 it is, giving it a good shot at changing the hearts and minds of moviegoers who may have been hesitant to approach an LGBTQ+ film. Warm and light, the phenomenal supporting cast (especially Jennifer Garner and Natasha Rothwell) seals the deal.
10The Handmaiden
Park Chan-wook erotically navigates a budding relationship between a young con artist and the woman she has been paid to dupe. Exquisitely constructed with jaw-dropping twists and turns,The Handmaidenis extremely graphic, both in its sex scenes between the two women and its occasional bursts of violence—and yet utterly tender as it explores the lust and love of two women as they fight back against the men who’ve wronged them.
9The Normal Heart
HBO’s moving dramaThe Normal Heartcombines LGBTQ+ activist Larry Kramer’s emotionally devastating play with director Ryan Murphy’s penchant for thoughtful character development to great effect. The performances in the film are routinely excellent, especially Jim Parsons, introducing a beautiful group of people the audience simply wants to spend time with, and the story benefits greatly from the authentic live experiences of Kramer throughout his time in the 1980’s as an AIDS activist.
Todd Haynes' first feature,Poison, was a subversive and seminal work in theNew Queer Cinemamovement, and 15 years later the great American director proved that he’s still cinematically invested in the LGBTQ+ experience withCarol. Meticulously crafted in the vein of 1950’s Technicolor melodramas likeAll That Heaven Allows(which Haynes once remade),Carolutilizes the female gaze like almost no other modern film, with sensual help from Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett. Their relationship is explored amidst the repressive Norman Rockwell-style backdrop, and the development from fascination to lust and later love is both poetic and erotic.
This extremely low-budget romantic drama (costing roughly $120,000) from British director Andrew Haigh chronicles one whirlwind weekend between two initial strangers, like a queerBefore Sunrise, capturing the fleeting ephemera of desire and love-at-first-sight. With its frank observations of modern sexuality and intimate, naturalistic direction,Weekend’sdepiction of 21st century romance transcends its minimalist trappings to become something heartfelt and true.
A black teenager, played by the wonderful Adepero Oduye in her first leading role in a feature, discovers her sexuality and identity in Dee Rees' debut,Pariah. The director and actor worked together on a short version of the film years prior, and their experience together creates something tenderly authentic about the specificity of the black LGBTQ+ experience; the two obviously know each other and the world they’re trying to create really well. With amazing cinematography, the movie expertly emulates the joy and curiosity in Oduye’s journey of self-discovery, and isconsidered to beone of the best “coming out” stories cpatured on film.
Related:The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Introduces Adepero Oduye as Falcon’s Sister
5Call Me By Your Name
Luca Guadagnino’s sumptiously directedCall Me By Your Namewas a surprisingly popular film, thanks in no small part to the breakthrough performance of Timothee Chalamet, who subsequently became a hearthrob sensation. Armie Hammer is also excellent, rescued from the damageThe Lone Rangercould have done to his career with his sexy portrayal of a 24-year old’s flirtatious advancement on the younger Chalamet. Lighthearted and gorgeous, the film manifests what the director calls “the beauty of the newborn idea of desire, unbiased and uncynical.”
Related:Armie Hammer Thinks It’s Too Soon For Call Me By Your Name 2
4Tangerine
Tangerineis a groundbreaking film for several reasons– it was shot with an iPhone 5S and still looks fantastic, inspiring amateur directors everywhere; it starts two transgender actors and launched the firstAcademy Award campaignfor transgender individuals; it features BIPOC LGBTQ+ sex-workers without denigrating them or reducing them to stereotypes. Sean Baker’s film, and Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, makeTangerineone of the warmest, funniest, and raw depictions of any marginalized group.
3Blue is the Warmest Color
This incredibly erotic French film introduced the LGBTQ+ experience to many people for the first time; some viewers went in to see graphic lesbian sex scenes but came out with a deeper appreciation and understanding of aspects of human experience which were unfamiliar to them. Led by committed, generous performances from Lea Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos, who literally give their all in the film,Blue is the Warmest Coloris a three-hour epic of character development detailing the confusion and excitement of coming-of-age and exploring one’s ownidentity and desires.
