This year has been full of incredible queer films, each offering something unique — whether it’s humor, heartbreak, or bold storytelling. There's been a mix of familiar faces and fresh voices; some films made me laugh out loud and others left me deep in thought.
When putting this list together, I considered how these movies spoke to me on a personal level — how they explored queer identities, relationships, and experiences with honesty and creativity. Some are wild and messy, others are quiet and reflective, but all of them felt like they had something important to say.
Here are the top 10 queer films of the year — the ones I can't stop thinking about.
10. Drive-Away Dolls
Drive-Away Dolls is a quirky road trip comedy that, while packed with charm and eccentricity, didn't entirely work for me. The film opens with a murder, a mistaken car swap, and mismatched travelers Jamie and Marian on a chaotic journey from Philadelphia to Tallahassee. It promises a wild ride, complete with mobsters, mistaken identities, and dildo-related shenanigans. While undeniably fun and full of offbeat moments, it often felt uneven, like it was never fully put into gear.
Likely not by choice of writer Tricia Cooke and writer/director Ethan Cooke, the film was originally titled Drive-Away Dykes. The sanitizing of the name feels in line with the end product. The story struggles to balance zany misadventures with darker, crime-centered subplots in ways the Coen Brothers have showcased numerous times. There's plenty of potential, but the film never fully delivers on the absurd brilliance its premise promises. I wanted it to be better, but it's still an enjoyable, if imperfect, romp.
9. Emilia Pérez
I hesitated to include Emilia Pérez on this list because, to be honest, I don't like it very much. That said, for its bold concept and ambition, it still deserves a spot among the year's top queer films. My main issue lies in its outdated narrative approach to trans stories. Sofia Karla Gascon gives a wonderful performance, but the material often feels reductive — one musical number focuses on trans surgeries, and her opening line includes the phrase "half man, half woman." It's hard to ignore the cis perspectives shaping this film. While some trans women may be more forgiving, I find its approach off-putting.
Still, I admire Emilia Pérez for taking big creative swings — a musical about a trans woman cartel leader is wildly imaginative. My disappointment with the execution doesn't mean we need fewer films like this; it means we should keep experimenting and telling bold stories. For its ambition alone, it earns its place at No. 9 on my list.
8. Queer
Though I liked this one more than others, I'd still say it's Luca Guadagnino's least successful feature length movie. Queer is undeniably beautiful, with Guadagnino's trademark lush visuals set across the backdrop of Mexico City. The film, adapted from William S. Burroughs' novel, follows Lee, a tormented expat in Mexico grappling with unrequited love. Daniel Craig perhaps doesn't hold my attention in comparison to other performances by Drew Starkey (for obvious reasons), Jason Schwartzman, and Lesley Manville (for less obvious reasons).
For a depiction of a queer relationship with a large age gap, focusing on Craig's journey feels less tragic a love story than the one we saw in Call Me By Your Name. And if you're not fully invested in the romance by the time they go on an ayahuasca journey together, the emotional payoff feels muted. The sequence, while visually striking, highlights one of the film's key flaws: It leans heavily on Guadagnino's aesthetic sensibilities without fully grounding the characters' emotional arcs.
Craig's Lee, though compelling at times, struggles to evoke the same depth of vulnerability that made Elio and Oliver's dynamic in Call Me By Your Name so resonant. Starkey's younger character feels more like a symbol of Lee's obsession than a fully fleshed-out individual, which leaves the relationship feeling one-sided.
Still, Queer has its moments of brilliance — Manville's brief but impactful scenes inject a layer of complexity that hints at the world beyond Lee's internal turmoil. Queer is a fascinating, if uneven, exploration of longing, loneliness, and the elusive nature of connection.
7. Problemista
Julio Torres might be the brightest and funniest queer comedian working today, and Problemista is a testament to his unique voice. This surreal, darkly comedic film follows Alejandro (played by Torres), a Salvadoran immigrant aspiring to become a toy designer in New York City. Struggling to stay in the U.S. after his work visa expires, Alejandro takes a job assisting an eccentric art-world figure, Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), who brings a delightfully chaotic energy to the film.
Torres brings his trademark wit and weirdness to the film. This is a story about cryogenics, making toys, the immigrant experience, and a mysterious monster in a cave. What more could you ask for? The script is sharp and the movie is visually interesting. Problemista, seamlessly merging absurdist comedy with heartfelt social commentary, establishes Julio Torres as a powerhouse talent.
6. Love Lies Bleeding
Who do we need to talk to about making sure we make more erotic lesbian thrillers? Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian are pretty remarkable in this film about obsession, ambition, and the sacrifices made for love and glory — sometimes at the cost of humanity itself. Is their relationship toxic? Sure. Was I weirdly rooting for Jackie to get more jacked even if it meant she was taking steroids? Yeah. Was I delighted to watch Dave Franco and Ed Harris get destroyed, squashed, and beat up by Stewart and O'Brian? Obviously.
Love Lies Bleeding is bold in its exploration of toxic relationships and gender dynamics. While the ending didn't work for me on my first watch, its surreal, ambiguous conclusion lingers in the mind — better to be polarizing than predictable. This is bold, unapologetic, and utterly entertaining queer cinema.
5. Will & Harper
I don't typically cry during movies, but this trans road trip comedy with Will Ferrell made me bawl. Will & Harper is a rare film that blends humor and heart in the messiness of life — and for me, it was deeply relatable. While I initially struggled with the movie's framing — using the shock value of "THIS MAN IS NOW A WOMAN" feels outdated — it evolves into a profoundly moving story about friendship and allyship.
Harper Steele, who initially hesitated to make the film, brings raw, unfiltered authenticity. As a trans woman, her vulnerability sidesteps clichéd narratives, exploring identity with nuance and connection. Will Ferrell also shines, lending his star power and genuine allyship to elevate the story. With laughter and heartfelt moments, Will & Harper is a beautifully authentic tale worth celebrating.
4. My Old Ass
My Old Ass holds a special place in my heart as a coming-of-age story set in northern Ontario, where I spent many summers as a teenager. Directed by Megan Park and starring Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza as two versions of the same character, the film uses time travel to explore identity, grief, and love in an inventive way.
What stands out is its effortless handling of queerness. Elliott (Park and Plaza) begins identifying as a lesbian, but her connection with Chad leads her to embrace the fluidity of her identity. This reversal of traditional queer narratives — from certainty to exploration — feels fresh and authentic, treating her journey as an organic part of the story rather than a central conflict.
Blending humor and emotion, the film's whimsical tone enhances its emotional weight. From Elliott's playful, awkward interactions with Older Elliott to the poignant final scene, My Old Ass strikes a beautiful balance, making it a standout in this year's slate of queer films.
3. I Saw the TV Glow
I Saw the TV Glow is a haunting and surreal exploration of queer identity, friendship, and the blurred lines between reality and media. Directed by Jane Schoenbrun (We're All Going to the World's Fair), the film follows two teenage outcasts, played brilliantly by Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine, as their obsession with a bizarre TV show mirrors the isolation and alienation they feel in their own lives.
The more the ending of this film stuck with me, the more I found it worked for a horror film. This is the way some queer stories end — in repression, sadness, and despair. The film's use of horror elements captures the anxiety and vulnerability of coming of age as a queer person, but it never loses sight of the tenderness at its core. It's a bold, visually striking piece that feels deeply personal yet universally resonant, making it one of the most unique queer films of the year.
2. Good One
No movie has stuck with me more than India Donaldson's first feature-length film, Good One. The movie is a quiet, intimate story about a queer teenager who goes on a camping trip with her dad and her dad's best friend. What starts as an ordinary outing shifts dramatically with one drunken, inappropriate comment, unraveling the subtle power dynamics and emotional labor Sam (Lily Collias) must navigate as a young woman in a space dominated by men. The film excels in its ability to capture the discomfort of silence, where every pause and hesitation carries an unspoken weight. Sam's small acts of rebellion, like leaving her father and his friend behind or planting rocks in their bags, feel monumental in a world where women are often expected to endure quietly. Donaldson crafts a deeply resonant exploration of trust, betrayal, and defiance, making Good One both haunting and heartbreakingly familiar as it reflects the everyday ways women navigate unsafe spaces, even among those meant to protect them. It's a film that lingers, refusing to offer easy answers but leaving an undeniable emotional impact.
1. Challengers
Challengers likely feels more gay than it actually is — but I'm counting it because Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O'Connor) do kiss and seem to be pretty into it. All the same: For me, it's the best queer film of the year.
Zendaya serves a star performance as Tashi Donaldson, the ambitious and calculating engine who drives much of the film's tension. The film's recurring motif of tennis as a metaphor for sex is executed far more effectively than I anticipated. Zendaya, Faist, and O'Connor have remarkable chemistry with one another, and the scenes between them make the movie churn — the sauna scene with Art and Patrick, the alley argument between Patrick and Tashi, and Tashi consoling Art. But it's the final scene, with all three of them, that truly establishes the film's brilliance: All three characters are brought together in a moment that perfectly encapsulates their tangled dynamics, delivering an emotional and narrative payoff that provides an unforgettable climax.
