Underrated LGBTQIA+ centric films you'd love to watch on MUBI

From the classic Wong Kar Wai's Happy Together to the comedy absurd Shiva Baby, here's a list of must-watch underrated LGBTQ+ films on MUBI.

June is celebrated as the month of PRIDE, officially dating back to the 1970s when the first march took place in the USA. What started as a protest against harassment of the queer community slowly on every last Sunday of June, it then converted into a whole month. Pride month ever since has all been utilized to celebrate the community, spread awareness, and show our support for those, who in the past, had to hide who they were. In the same manner, films and TV series with time have become a part of the normalizing the conversation around the queer community and giving them space for representation. And while there are many that are widely known in pop culture, there are a few underrated LGBTQIA+ centric films that aren't watched!

MUBI is a platform that's not just for critics and cinema enthusiasts but also offers these underrated films a chance to reach a wider audience. From the cinema classic Happy Together by Wong Kar Wai, the recent comedy absurd Shiva Baby by Emma Seligman to the exceptionally picturesque Portrait of a Lady on Fire by Celine Sciamma and exploring the struggles of the Trans community in Tangerine by Sean Baker, all of these and much more are there for you to watch in the '45 films under the category of Pride Unprejudiced' on MUBI.

Check out our suggestions!

Fiction Featured

Shiva Baby by Emma Seligman

Danielle, a college student is faced with a series of awkward encounters at a day-long shiva which is a Jewish gathering during a time of mourning. Cramped amongst overbearing relatives, she is rattled by the appearance of an ex-girlfriend, her secret sugar daddy who unexpectedly arrives with his wife and baby.

Happy Together by Wong Kar Wai

Lai and his lover Ho go on a trip to Buenos Aires from Hong Kong while their torrid relationship lives out among lusty tango bars and the salsa music of La Boca sidewalks. But tensions seem to grow between the two lovers, as they find themselves far from home with their lives drifting in opposite directions.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire by Celine Sciamma

In late 18th century France, Marianne, a painter is commissioned by a countess to paint the wedding portrait of her daughter, Héloïse. While posing as her hired companion, Marianne is instructed to complete the portrait in secret. However, intimacy and attraction begin to blossom between both women.

Tangerine by Sean Baker

On Christmas Eve, a transgender sex worker, Sin-Dee Rella meets her friend and fellow transgender sex worker, Alexandra at Donut Time. On being informed that her boyfriend and pimp, Chester, has been cheating on her with a white cisgender woman, Sin-Dee storms out to search the neighborhood.

A Fantastic Woman by Sebastian Lelio

Marina, a transgender nightclub singer, comes under suspicion when her much older lover Orlando suddenly dies. After being harassed and threatened by her late boyfriend’s vengeful relatives and the police, she must defend her rights as both Orlando’s partner and as a human being.

Matthias and Maxime by Xavier Dolan

Two childhood best friends are asked to share a kiss for the purpose of a student short film. And after that, a lingering doubt sets in, confronting both of them with their preferences, threatening the brotherhood of their social circle, and, eventually, changing their lives.

Great Freedom by Sebastian Meise

In post-war Germany, liberation by the Allies does not mean freedom for everyone. Hans is imprisoned again and again under Paragraph 175, a law criminalizing homosexuality. Over the course of decades, he develops an unlikely yet tender bond with his cellmate, Viktor, a convicted murderer.

Shorts

Pashi by Siddharth Chauhan

A tender coming-of-age tale that follows a young boy from a Himalayan village who learns the old technique of trapping birds from his old grandmother and begins to practice it as he fumbles through the maze of adolescence, infatuation, and queer identity.  

The Booth by Rohin Raveendran

A tender, clandestine encounter offers acute insight into the world of societal taboos and repressed desires in this pertinent short film where a female frisking booth inside a crowded shopping mall stands as a silent ally to a forbidden romance.

Keep Punching by Kirnay Bhatt

Two queer lovers tackle the patriarchy, one punch at a time in this film which follows a young boxer from Manali who aspires to qualify for the national team. But before realizing her lifelong dream of representing the country, Kirnay, a boxer from a small mountain community must first fight the battle for her freedom.

Documentary

Is It Too Much To Ask? by Leena Manimekalai

The journey of two friends, Smile and Glady, who are looking for a rental apartment in Chennai, and the obstacles and social stigma they encounter is not just looking for a home, but being single transgender women. This documentary spotlights the deep-seated misogyny of Indian society.

Hide and Seek by Saadat Munir, Saad Khan

An honest and emotional portrayal of complex gender struggles in contemporary Pakistan, the film follows the lives of Jenny, a transgender college student; Kami, a cross-dressing dancer living openly with his boyfriend; dancing boy Waseem, and Neeli, who played a huge part when the supreme court in Pakistan changed the constitution in favor of the third gender.

Besides this list, do check out the list of 45 films under this category!

Also Read: 20 LGBTQIA+ friendly books you can read RN

For more entertainment content follow us @socialketchupbinge