The Best LGBTQ Movies on Amazon Prime Video (August 2021)
While Amazon Prime Video boasts a diverse selection of LGBTQ films, it’s not always easy to find these hidden gems. The service has some quality movies to get into, including comedy-dramas about troubled siblings, a road trip film about secrets being unveiled, and one of the most powerful courtroom dramas of all time. We’ve made finding these great films as easy for you as we can with a curated list of the best LGBTQ-themed movies you can find on Prime Video.
When you’re done going through this list, check out the best LGBTQ movies on Netflix as well as the best LGBTQ films to stream right now on multiple services.
Philadelphia (1993)
In the ’80s and ’90s, Tom Hanks was known mostly for comedic roles. But with the powerful 1993 drama Philadelphia, he cemented his reputation as a dramatic actor. Hanks plays Andrew Beckett, a superstar lawyer on the road to the top of his law firm when his colleagues discover Andrew’s secret — he has AIDS. When he tries to take them to court, no one will touch the case except the ambulance chaser Joe Miller (Denzel Washington), and even he takes convincing. During a time when society’s ignorance about AIDS and HIV wasn’t far from its peak, Philadelphia was one of the first major motion pictures to tackle the stigma surrounding the disease, as well as the homophobia Andrew faces in his legal battle.
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Stars: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Antonio Banderas
Director: Jonathan Demme
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 125 minutes
The Skeleton Twins (2014)
You often hear anecdotes about twins feeling the same pain at the same time, even when they’re separated over great distances. But in the 2014 dramedy The Skeleton Twins, a set of fraternal twins share something much more catastrophic. Maggie (Kristen Wiig) is about to end it all with a fistful of pills when she gets a call that her twin brother Milo (Bill Hader) just attempted suicide. In spite of not having seen him in a decade, Maggie brings Milo home to stay with her and her husband Lance (Luke Wilson), who she’s been serially unfaithful to. While Maggie wrestles with the realities of her marriage, Milo reconnects with an old boyfriend who has locked himself firmly in the proverbial closet. At turns heartbreaking and hilarious, The Skeleton Twins is a wonderful indie flick that gives Wiig and Hader a chance to flex their acting muscles beyond comedy.
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Stars: Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Luke Wilson
Director: Craig Johnson
Rating: R
Runtime: 93 minutes
Available on Amazon Prime on Aug. 17
Halston (2019)
Not to be confused with the recent Netflix original miniseries starring Ewan McGregor as the title character, this biographical documentary takes a different approach to re-telling the story of American fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick. Best known for frequenting Studio 54 with his many celebrity friends like Andy Warhol, Halston’s meteoric rise to fame was fueled after he designed the now-iconic pillbox hat Jacqueline Kennedy wore to her husband President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. The film mixes archival footage with commentary from those who knew him, such as Liza Minelli. If you’re into fashion and its storied history, this documentary makes for an entertaining watch.
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Stars: Liza Minennli, Marisa Berenson, Joel Schumacher, Naeem Khan, Pat Cleveland, Karen Bjornson
Director: Frederic Tcheng
Rating: PG
Runtime: 119 minutes
Just Friends (2018)
Joris’ father died almost a decade ago, and while continuing to try and come to terms with the loss, a young Syrian refugee named Yad arrives in his life, working for his grandmother. Despite Joris’ conservative upbringing, he can’t deny the spark that exists between him and Yad, who quickly realizes that they aren’t “just friends” but share a much deeper — and romantic — bond. The hidden gem Dutch romantic comedy is part coming-of-age and part story of love that must defy the odds, familial pressures, and coming to terms with one’s true self.
Rotten Tomatoes: No Score
Stars: Majd Mardo, Josha Stradowski, Jenny Arean, Tanja Jess
Director: Ellen Smit
Rating: R
Runtime: 80 minutes
Uncle Frank (2020)
In Amazon Prime’s original film Uncle Frank, Paul Bettany plays Frank Bledsoe — a man about to learn that the secrets we keep from our families can be both more and less important than we ever imagined. Set in the early ’70s, Uncle Frank finds its titular lead living with his lover, Walid (Peter Macdissi). Frank’s pretty sure no one in his South Carolinian family knows he’s gay, but that changes when his young niece, Beth (Sophia Lillis), pays him a surprise visit in New York and discovers her uncle’s true life. Matters are further complicated when news of the death of the family patriarch arrives. Frank and Beth set out on their own to South Carolina for the services, leaving Walid behind because Frank doesn’t want the rest of his family to discover his secret. Walid follows anyway, and the trio has a touching, funny journey to the funeral, where some shocking surprises await them.
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Stars: Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillis, Peter Macdissi
Director: Alan Ball
Rating: R
Runtime: 95 minutes
Pride (2014)
This historical comedy-drama is based on the true story of a group of lesbian and gay activists who banded together to raise money for families impacted by the British miners strike of 1984. The event eventually became known as the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners campaign. While the help was initially unwelcome, the group addressed the homophobia head on to dispel myths and preconceived notions, finding unlikely allies in the small-town miners and their families. Nominated for a Golden Globe, the film has been universally praised and referred to as a “joyous crowd-pleaser.”
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Stars: Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott, George MacKay, Joseph Gilgun, Ben Schnetzer
Director: Matthew Warchus
Rating: R
Runtime: 120 minutes
My Best Friend (2018)
Also known as Mi mejor amigo, this Spanish-language Argentinian film is a coming-of-age movie about Lorenzo, a 16-year-old boy in Patagonia discovering his sexuality, with the help and friendship of Caito, a 17-year-old who has been taken in by Lorenzo’s parents. The film beautifully presents the idea of a young man struggling to understand his feelings and attractions as well as his emotional connections with others. It has been praised for its subtleties and believable performances about two young men simply trying to find themselves.
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Stars: Angelo Mutti Spinetta, Lautaro Rodriguez
Director: Martin Deus
Rating: 16+
Runtime: 91 minutes
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