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Queer Quarantine Films and Shows

Queer Quarantine Films and Shows

Queer Quarantine Films and Shows

During this time of social distancing, we’re all going to set aside productive tasks and resort to streaming movies and shows. Here are a few queer films worth your time. Some will cheer you up, and some will help you appreciate what you have. 

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Now streaming exclusively on Hulu, Portrait of a Lady on Fire depicts the story of Marianne and Héloïse. In 1970’s France, Marianne is commissioned to paint a portrait of Héloïse, who is soon to be a bride after leaving a convent. Marianne serves as a friend during Héloïse’s reluctance towards her marriage. Marianne becomes infatuated by her and paints Héloïse frequently. With this, the women find their ways back to one another as their admiration and love for one another blooms greater. 

Portrait of a Lady on Fire has been nominated for an abundance of awards and already claimed a few. Premiering at Cannes, the Céline Sciamma-directed film won Best Screenplay and Queer Palm. Portrait of a Lady on Fire has been nominated for a Golden Globe for the Best Foreign Language Film. It has also made the list of possible winners for GLAAD’s Outstanding Film. Critics are also fond of the movie, as it scored a 98 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Moonlight

The 2016 film follows the protagonist through three different stages in his life: Little, Chiron, and Black. Set in Miami, the movie opens with Little running from his bullies and eventually entering a deserted house serving as a dope hole. Juan, a drug dealer, finds Little and eventually becomes a father figure to the boy.

Chiron is the name of the protagonist. This chapter of his life follows him through his teenage years. Kevin and Chiron share a blunt on the beach, and the pair discuss their lives and eventually also share a kiss. Terrel, Chiron’s bully, then pushes Kevin to fight Chiron. The next day, Chiron hits Terrel with a chair and is arrested. 

Black shows the protagonist’s life after prison as a drug pusher living in Atlanta. Getting a call from Kevin, the pair then meet up at the restaurant he works at.

Moonlight follows a boy as he weaves through his struggles with identity on top of living a difficult life. Tugging at heartstrings and winning three Academy Awards, Moonlight is definitely a film worth watching. It is available on Netflix, as well as for purchase on other platforms. 

Elisa and Marcela

Elisa and Marcela depict the true story of the couple. Elisa adopts a male identity in order to marry Marcela. Based in early 1900s Spain, the black-and-white film released in 2019 shows the growing friendship between the two women. Accused of being gay, Elisa takes on the identity of Mario amongst rumors about the two. The pair then move and start their life, but they are later followed by rumors that seem to reach wherever they settle. Eventually, the two are arrested. Elisa and Marcela have a child in prison but have to leave the baby.

The film, directed by Isabel Coixet, shows the love story between the two women. Though critiques state the movie lacks passion, the beauty of its cinematography cannot be argued. Available on Netflix, Elisa and Marcela shows the sacrifice people make for love. 

Viva

Debuting in 2015, Viva follows a hairdresser in Cuba, Jesus. Jesus wants to be a drag performer and is taken in by Mama, the mother of a club. Jesus’ absent father, Angel, emerges from the crowd and punches his son in the face. Angel was a boxer before being jailed, leaving Jesus on his own. Shaken by this disapproval, Jesus turns to sex work as a means to make money.

Viva shows the struggles of life living in Cuba as a gay and aspiring drag performer. Having to fend for himself at a young age, Jesus’ dream to become a performer leads him to take on the stage name Viva.

Scoring 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the film can be viewed through purchases on platforms such as YouTube and Amazon.

Rafiki

Coming out in 2018, Rafiki tells the tale of Kena and Ziki, who both live in Nairobi. The pair’s lives cross with one another after both of their fathers are running against each other for a seat in the County Assembly. Kena works with her father and plans to go into nursing school. Ziki enjoys being with her friends and dancing. Meeting and becoming infatuated with one another, their friendship then turns into a romantic relationship despite the glaring eyes of the neighborhood.

Kenya had a ban lifted temporarily in order for the movie to be submitted to the Oscars. The movie has since been banned in Kenya. With a score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie can be streamed on YouTube and Amazon.

Vida

Streaming on Hulu, the series is about Mexican American sisters living in East Los Angeles and the Bay Area. A death in their family brings them together, and they uncover their mother’s secrets. Representative of life in the Latinx community, the series will air its third and final season this coming April. Vida has a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

A Very English Scandal

In 1979, Jermey Thrope was tried for conspiring to murder his ex, Norman Scott. Based on a true story, the member of Parliament, Thrope held that title and was the youngest to ever do so in over a century. Scott threatens to reveal their relationship at a time with homosexuality is illegal. With this, Thrope takes action. The scandal then releases British political establishment cover-ups. 

The comedy-drama first appeared in 2018. Starring Huge Grant and Ben Whishaw, the series is available on Amazon. 

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