Pop-Culturalist.com

Every June, the LGBTQ+ community and their allies come together to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots that launched the gay rights movement. It’s a month-long celebration of love, diversity, and acceptance—better known as Pride Month. And we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than with these six films centered around LGBTQ+ themes.

Closet Monster

Starring: Connor Jessup, Aaron Abrams, Isabella Rossellini, Joanne Kelly, and Sofia Banzhaf.
Where to Watch It: Netflix

Closet Monster follows a queer youth struggling with his sexuality after being traumatized by a hate crime he witnessed as a young child. Daring, evocative, and thought-provoking—a must-see.

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Love, Simon

Starring: Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Logan Miller, and Keiynan Lonsdale.
Where to Watch It: Amazon or iTunes

Like most book-to-movie adaptations, there are some changes to the story that make reading the book (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda) a must. But, unlike most adaptions, Love, Simon is just as good as the book. It’s a beautiful story of a boy coming out to his family and friends, acceptance, and discovering his first love. And it delivers all the warm fuzzies you’d expect.

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Handsome Devil

Starring: Fionn O’Shea, Nicholas Galitzine, Mark Doherty, and Andrew Scott.
Where to Watch It: Netflix

Set at an Irish boarding school where rugby is treated like a religion, Handsome Devil tells the feel-good story of an unlikely friendship that forms between two outsiders that find solace in one another. This coming-of-age tale is a meaningful lesson about living an authentic life and finding your voice.


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4th Man Out

Starring: Evan Todd, Parker Young, Chord Overstreet, and Jon Gabrus.
Where to Watch It: Netflix

4th Man Out is a heartwarming comedy about acceptance, identity, and friendship. It follows a young man as he comes to terms with his sexuality and the uncertainty that follows when telling his closest friends and family. How will they react? Will their relationships change? This coming out story will bring the laughs and undoubtedly touch your heart.

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Hooked

Starring: Conor Donnally, Sean Ormond, Terrance Murphy, and Jared Sandler.
Where to Watch It: In select theaters

Jack is a homeless teen working the streets of New York City in order to provide a better life for him and his boyfriend, Tom. A moving film focused on building awareness to an often ignored issue within the LGBTQ+ community.

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Discreet

Starring: Jonny Mars, Atsuko Okatsuka, Joy Cunningham, João Federici, and Jordan Elsass.
Where to Watch It: iTunes

After years in hiding and struggling to control his demons, an eccentric drifter returns home and discovers that his childhood abuser, the center of his pain, is still alive. Armed with this knowledge, the drifter plots his revenge, all the while navigating the perilous land of masculine fragility in modern-day America.

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