Blink and you missed some great LGBTQ+ films this year. Some of these films played for only a week in Philadelphia theatres, while several never made it to screens here at all. Thankfully, streaming services including Netflix, Hulu and Max, as well as platforms such as Kanopy and MUBI released some notable queer films released this year available for home viewing. Here is a rundown of a half-dozen great LGBTQ+ films to catch up on this year.
“Am I OK?” (Max) is a charming comedy co-directed by the married couple Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne about Lucy (Dakota Johnson) and Jane (Sonoya Mizuno), two besties who know everything about each other. However, their close dynamic changes when Jane accepts a job in London. That same night, Lucy confesses that she thinks she is a lesbian. While they each respect — and are even happy for — the other, tensions creep into their relationship. Jane hopes Lucy will start dating before she leaves, and Lucy is trying to read the signals her flirty coworker Brittany (Kiersey Clemons) is sending. Meanwhile, Lucy is trying to get Jane to be less controlling. “Am I OK?” is amusing with the characters’ quick banter, and poignant when it comes to Lucy’s struggle for self-acceptance. Both Johnson and Mizuno have a winning rapport in this feel-good film.
“Close to You” (Netflix) is an intimate, improvised drama about Sam (Elliot Page) returning home for the first time after transitioning. He is anxious about the trip, and he becomes more emotional en route after an unexpected reunion with Katherine (Hillary Baack), whom he knew and loved years ago. As Sam processes those feelings, he must also contend with a mother (Wendy Crewson) who loves but misgenders him, his father (Peter Outerbridge), who is proud of him, and a brother-in-law, Paul (David Reale), who disrespects him. “Close to You” gives Page a terrific showcase for his acting talents as well as a platform to address trans issues, but director/co-writer Dominic Savage employs dark lighting and handheld camerawork that can often be distracting.
“Crossing” (MUBI) by out gay writer/director Levan Akin (“And Then We Danced”) is a compelling drama that follows a retired Georgian teacher, Lia (Mzia Arabuli), who is looking for her trans niece, Tekla, in Istanbul. She is accompanied by Achi (Lucas Kankava), a young man who claims Tekla gave him her address before leaving. As they travel to Turkey, the film also introduces Evrim (Deniz Dumanli) a trans lawyer who works for Pink Life, an NGO. (Evrim is so ingratiating, one wishes for a whole film about her.) “Crossing” immerses viewers in these characters’ lives as they all roam the streets of multicultural Istanbul and establish — or miss — connections. The trans/queer community is presented as a close-knit network, and Akin emphasizes the idea of found family as supporting characters such as Izzet (Bünyamin Değer), a street urchin, intersects with Lia, Achi and Evrim. Akin captures the emotional journeys of these three interesting protagonists as they each search for something that may be out of reach. The actors are fantastic, and the film delivers a strong sense of time and place.
Cynthia Erivo may be triumphing in “Wicked” right now, but earlier this year, she gave a riveting performance in the little-seen character study, “Drift” (Kanopy). Broke, hungry, and homeless, Jacqueline (Cynthia Erivo) wanders the streets of a picturesque Greek island, stealing food and trying to earn money. She is a long way from Liberia, where her family lived, or London, where she was romantically involved with Helen (Honor Byrne Swinton). When she meets Callie (Alia Shawkat), an American who works on the island as a tour guide, the two develop an easygoing friendship. But there is an unspoken tension, possibly sexual, amid the comfort and connection as both women seek healing. “Drift” is an intimate, affecting drama.
“The Missing,” (Netflix) is a powerful animated drama from the Philippines, written and directed by Carl Joseph Papa. Eric (voiced by Calo Aquino) is missing his mouth. It is both a physical and symbolic absence; he cannot speak because of a trauma he suffered in his past. His mother, Rosalinda (Dolly De Leon), is unaware of the source of Eric’s pain, but he is treated with patience and care by his coworker, Carlo (Gio Gahol). The two young men share a mutual attraction, but Eric can’t act on it because he is re-traumatized after finding his uncle Rogerio (Joshua Cabiladas) dead. Eric starts seeing “aliens” who want to take his body. The rotoscope animation works very well to convey the physical and emotional states of the characters —especially as Eric experiences bouts of mental illness. Moreover, flashbacks to Eric as a 9-year-old boy — which are cleverly depicted in a different, rougher style of animation — reveal what trigger Eric. Papa has crafted a moving and potent story, and he tells it with sensitivity and compassion.
“Stress Positions” (Hulu) is trans writer/director Theda Hammel’s clever and very funny comedy about Terry (John Early), who is first seen rolling a giant disco ball — like a gay Sisyphus — out of his soon-to-be-ex-husband’s Leo’s (John Roberts) Brooklyn house. Terry is homebound because he is isolating during the pandemic (it is summer 2020), and because he is currently caring for his nephew, Bahlul (Qaher Harhash), a straight teenage model from Morocco who has a broken leg. Terry’s best friend Karla (Hammel), however, creates some chaos when she tells Leo about Bahlul and cheats on her girlfriend Vanessa (Amy Zimmer) with Ronald (Faheem Ali). The laughs are generated from slapstick moments involving Terry throwing his back out (repeatedly), some dexterous wordplay, and a running gag about countries in the Middle East. There is also a narrative about Bahlul’s memories of his mother that add a wistfulness that balances out some of the cringe-inducing humor. Early’s expressions and physicality are perfectly pitched, and Hammel shrewdly plants gags that have a nice payoff later. For viewers who appreciate frustration comedy, this is a gem.
