Best On Netflix

The 17 LGBTQ Movies On Netflix With The Highest Rotten Tomatoes Scores

By Jade Budowski @jadebudowski

Published April 10, 2018, 8:30 a.m. ET

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These are the most critically-acclaimed titles on the platform, ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores.Photos: Everett Collection ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

Two women lay side by side. — **AWOL**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 100%
*AWOL* follows Joey, an aimless young woman who visits an army recruiting office and seems to finally find a path for herself there. Just when she thinks she has it all figured out, however, she meets a woman named Rayna, and the two fall in love in a way that neither could have predicted. Authentically emotional, *AWOL* is a breathtaking, poignant portrait of first love.
[Stream AWOL on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

**Esteros**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 100%
This Spanish-language romantic drama follows two childhood best friends as they reconnect during their adult years and finally explore the long-repressed feelings that have existed between the two of them. The sensitive, honest film offers a unique glimpse into the complicated nature of sexual identity and is a stunning showcase for all the performers involved.
[Stream Esteros on Netflix]

**Paris is Burning**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 100%
This wildly influential documentary chronicles New York City's drag scene in the 1980s and focuses on the tight knit communities of their "house" culture, and the balls attended by the groups from each house that feature dazzling cues from the world of fashion. A stunning, intimate portrait of the time, the controversial flick continues to spark conversation years later.
[Stream Paris is Burning on Netflix]

**Who's Gonna Love Me Now?**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 100%
This moving British-Israeli documentary follows Saar, a gay Israeli man who found a home with the London Gay Men's CHorus after fleeing his religious kibbutz. After learning he is HIV positive, he must face the difficult decision of whether to stay in his comfortable London life or reconcile with his estranged family in Israel.
[Stream Who's Gonna Love Me Now? on Netflix]

**Tangerine**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 97%
Directed by *The Florida Project*'s Sean Baker, this iPhone-shot dramedy follows Sin-Dee, a transgender sex worker recently out after a 28-day prison sentence hellbent on finding the pimp who cheated on her and broke her heart. Smart, funny, and groundbreaking, *Tangerine* will surprise you in more ways than one.
[Stream Tangerine on Netflix]

Marsha P. Johnson. — **The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 96%
This riveting Netflix documentary tells the story of Marsha P. Johnson, the legendary transgender icon who fought at Stonewall and was found dead in the Hudson River in 1992. While her death was initially determined a suicide, the film investigates her death as a potentially unsolved murder with the use of new footage and interviews from the people that knew her best.
[Stream The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson]Netflix

Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett in CAROL. — **Carol**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 95%
Set in 1950s New York, Carol sees a young photographer fall for an older woman stuck in a loveless marriage and chronicles their relationship as their connection deepens and they face the reality of the society they live in. Directed by Todd Haynes, this gorgeous film boasts unforgettable performances from Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara and an atmospheric tone that sucks you in right away.
[Stream Carol on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

**Spa Night**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 95%
This unique coming-of-age drama follows David Cho, a timid, closeted 18-year-old living with his immigrant parents. In hopes of finding out where he really belongs, David finds a sort of sexual awakening in the spas and karaoke bars of Koreatown, Los Angeles.
[Stream Spa Night on Netflix]

**Milk**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 94%
Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk in this award-winning drama that documents Milk's role as a gay activist and as the first openly gay man to be elected to a notable public office. The film examines his romantic and political relationships and tragic assassination with a grace and patience that few biopics rarely achieve.
[Stream *Milk* on Netflix]

Two women sit side by side and laugh. — **Pariah**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 94%
This beautiful, raw drama depicts a lesbian teen from Brooklyn who must hide her sexuality from her religious parents while beginning to share it with her friends. Full of stunning performances and a universal message of the longing we all feel to be accepted, appreciated, and loved, this moving film is truly unforgettable.
[Stream *Pariah* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

**Strike a Pose**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 94%
This surprisingly moving documentary tells the story of Madonna's infamous troupe of dancers who joined her on her controversial 1990 tour. These seven male dancers - 1 straight, 6 gay - reveal the truth about life during the tour and explore how they found the courage to leave shame behind and fully embrace themselves.
[Stream Strike a Pose on Netflix]

**The Freedom To Marry**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 94%
Directed by Eddie Rosenstein, this intimate documentary offers an insider's look through the eyes of those who led the fight for marriage equality in the United States. Through interviews and archival footage, Rosenstein immerses us and allows us to experience history and the eventual victory after years of hard work.
[Stream The Freedom To Marry on Netflix]

**Dallas Buyers Club**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 93%
This harrowing, necessary film follows electrician Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) as he tries to work around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is diagnosed with AIDS himself. Beautifully acted and strikingly resonant, this is the kind of film that latches onto you and refuses to let go.
[Stream Dallas Buyers Club on Netflix]

**Princess Cyd**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 92%
Looking to get away from her dreary life with her depressed single father, 16-year-old athlete Cyd goes to spend a summer with her novelist aunt in Chicago. It doesn't take long for her to fall for a girl in the neighborhood, and she soon finds there's a lot to learn about life, love, sex, and beyond. Deeply human and inherently joyful, *Princess Cyd* is more than worth your time.
[Stream Princess Cyd on Netflix]

A blind boy walks alongside another boy. — **The Way He Looks**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 92%
This wonderful Brazilian coming-of-age romance follows a blind high school student named Leonardo who fights for his independence with the help of his best friend Giovana. Things soon change, however, when a boy named Gabriel arrives, new feelings develop, and Leonardo begins to question everything.
[Stream The Way He Looks]Photo: Netflix

**Blue is the Warmest Color**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 90%
This award-winning, controversial French romance follows a teenage girl named Adèle whose life is changed when she encounters a blue-haired girl named Emma (Léa Seydoux). The film follows their relationship from their teen years through early adulthood, through love and heartache, and it's stocked with emotionally raw, intense performances.
[Stream Blue is the Warmest Color on Netflix]

**Gayby Baby**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 86%
From Australia comes this insightful documentary that explores the way having gay parents affects children. We follow four children for the film's 90 minute run-time, all of whom's parents are gay or lesbian, and learn about how being a "gayby" has impacted their lives. An authentic, compassionate depiction of the modern family, *Gayby Baby* is necessary viewing.
[Stream Gayby Baby on Netflix]

Where to Stream:

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Netflix is no stranger to consistently ensuring that their catalogue is stocked with the most diverse, entertaining titles out there, and their LGBTQ category is no exception. The platform’s got a wide variety of films varying from little-known indie gems to award-winning documentaries and dramas that are bound to hit home, move and inspire you all at once.

The representation of the LGBTQ community in film has grown steadily over the last few decades and produced some truly incredible works of art across multiple genres. Netflix‘s “LGBTQ” category houses moving, influential titles like Tangerine, Pariah, and Blue is the Warmest Color, and eye-opening documentaries including Paris is Burning, The Freedom to Marry, Gayby Baby, and a plethora of others. From award-winners to obscure titles just waiting to jump into your queue, you’re likely to find just what you’re looking for here.

Lost on how to sort through it all? We sorted through some of the streaming platform’s massive catalogue to find the best of the best for your streaming pleasure. These are the 17 best LGBTQ movies on Netflix, sorted by their Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores.