This pride month, cinema is serving up its most exciting, diverse, and thought-provoking queer stories yet. From heart-stopping historical romances to urgent civil rights documentaries, 2025’s LGBTQ+ films are breaking boundaries and demanding to be seen.
This year proves queer cinema isn’t just thriving, it’s leading the cultural conversation. Binge watch this line-up this pride as these are the films that will define 2025’s queer canon:
Jimpa
Olivia Colman mothers in the Australian drama Jimpa. Previously played a mom in Heartstopper, Colman is the mother of a trans nonbinary teenager, Hannah (Aud Mason-Hyde). During a trip to Amsterdam to stay with Hannah’s estranged gay father, “Jimpa” (played by John Lithgow from Conclave), the pair hope to spend a year abroad. However, the visit forces Hannah to rethink everything she thought she knew about her past and what it means to be a parent.
Featuring powerhouse performances from Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, alongside a breakout turn by newcomer Mason-Hyde, Jimpa is poised to be one of 2025’s most talked-about films. Directed by Sophie Hyde (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), the movie made its debut at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
History of Sound
This historical romance pairs internet ‘babygirls’ Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor in an emotionally moving World War I love story. Directed by Oliver Hermanus (Mary & George) and inspired by Ben Shattuck’s short story, the film delivers both emotional depth and visual glory.
The History of Sound captures the evolving relationship between soldiers Lionel (Mescal, All of Us Strangers) and David (O’Connor, Challengers), who first meet in 1916 before traveling together through 1919 New England to document disappearing folk music. Having premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the film has already earned praise for its tender portrayal of queer love against a backdrop of war and cultural preservation.
Heightened Scrutiny
This urgent documentary chronicles ACLU attorney Chase Strangio – the first openly trans person to argue before the US Supreme Court – as he leads the landmark legal challenge against Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors (United States v. Skrmetti). The film exposes how mainstream media’s biased coverage has weaponized anti-trans rhetoric, fueling discriminatory laws that endanger lives and undermine democratic values.
Featuring critical perspectives from journalists (Jelani Cobb, Lydia Polgreen, Gina Chua) and advocates like Laverne Cox, the documentary dismantles harmful misinformation while capturing this pivotal civil rights battle.
Plainclothes
Set in 1990s New York and inspired by true events, Plainclothes follows a working-class undercover officer (Russell Tovey) assigned to entrap gay men—until he develops a dangerous attraction to one of his targets (Tom Blyth). This romantic thriller, directed by Carmen Emmi, explores desire, deception, and identity amid the era’s tense LGBTQ+ climate, featuring a supporting cast that includes Amy Forsyth and Christian Cooke.
Premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Blending simmering romance with moral tension, the film offers a provocative exploration of power and forbidden love.
Sally
This intimate documentary, directed by Cristina Costantini, illuminates the extraordinary life of Sally Ride – America’s first woman in space and a trailblazing physicist whose private life remained largely hidden from public view. With unprecedented access to personal archives, the film reveals Ride’s groundbreaking NASA career alongside her decades-long relationship with partner Tam O’Shaughnessy, offering a moving portrait of love, science, and quiet activism.
Sally prepares to inspire audiences nationwide with her June 16, 2025, broadcast on National Geographic. The documentary not only celebrates Ride’s scientific legacy but also gives recognition to the loving partnership that sustained her historic journey.
On Swift Horses
Married couple Lee (played by Will Poulter of The Bear) and Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones from Normal People) are eager to begin a fresh chapter in their lives. But when Lee’s younger brother Julius (Jacob Elordi of Saltburn) arrives, he disrupts both their plans and their relationship. With Lee away at work, Julius and Muriel find themselves drawn to exploring their hidden desires. Julius begins a clandestine romance with his co-worker Henry (Diego Calva from Babylon), while Muriel engages in a secret affair with their neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle of The Flash).
On Swift Horses is a spicy screen adaptation of Shannon Pufahl’s novel of the same name. It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.
The Wedding Banquet
Andrew Ahn (Fire Island) brings a fresh perspective to Ang Lee’s 1993 queer classic with this heartfelt remake, co-written by the original screenwriter, James Schamus. The romantic comedy follows Min (Han Gi-chan), whose life takes an unexpected turn when his marriage proposal gets rejected. In a bid to secure a green card, he enters a sham marriage with his best friend Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) – offering to fund her partner’s IVF treatments in exchange. But their carefully constructed plan faces comedic complications when Min’s grandmother arrives from Seoul, determined to throw them an extravagant traditional Korean wedding celebration.
This contemporary reimagining preserves the original’s sharp cultural observations and comedic charm while updating its exploration of love, identity, and family expectations for Gen Z and above audiences.