New films showcase diverse voices
Gay cinema has come a long way since its early days of being hidden and stigmatised. In the past, films with LGBTQ+ themes were often relegated to underground theatres or only shown at film festivals.
Now, gay cinema has well and truly come out of the closet and into the mainstream. In recent years, we have seen a rise in the number of films with LGBTQ+ themes, many of which have received critical acclaim and widespread recognition.
Filmmakers are tackling subjects and stories that were once taboo or considered too controversial. An increasing number of openly LGBTQ+ filmmakers and actors are also now bringing their own experiences and perspectives to their work. These individuals are helping to shift the cultural narrative and to provide a more nuanced and diverse representation of the LGBTQ+ community in film. This has led to the creation of movies that are not only entertaining but also meaningful and impactful, resonating with audiences worldwide.
Let’s have a look at some of the latest LGBTQ+ releases!
Of an Age
In the summer of 1999, an 18-year-old Serbian-born Australian amateur ballroom dancer experiences an unexpected and intense 24-hour romance with a friend’s older brother.
A 2022 Australian romantic drama film directed and written by Goran Stolevski. The film stars Elias Anton as Kol, a Serbian immigrant in Australia who enters a brief but intense romance with Adam (Thom Green), the brother of his ballroom dance partner Ebony (Hattie Hook).
The film premiered on 4 August 2022 at the Melbourne International Film Festival. It was subsequently screened at CinefestOZ, where it won the Best Film Award. Roadshow Films will release Of An Age in Australia on 23 March 2023.
Bros
Bros is a 2022 American romantic comedy film starring Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane as two gay men in Manhattan who avoid commitment but are drawn to each other. Directed by Nicholas Stoller, and based on a screenplay he co-wrote with Eichner, the film is produced by Stoller, Judd Apatow, and Josh Church.
Bros is a light romantic comedy produced for mainstream cinema, so some of the more subtle LGBTQ+ humour and story-telling seen in non-mainstream releases is somewhat lost. Now showing in cinemas and available through YouTube or Apple+.
Spoiler Alert
Love the cinema classic ‘Beaches’? Then this is the gay tearjerker for you. Starring Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge as two lovers, one who watches the other’s final months before his death from terminal cancer. The film, based on the 2017 memoir Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies by Michael Ausiello, is directed by Michael Showalter and written by David Marshall Grant and Dan Savage.
Overall, the film has generally received favourable reviews and is now showing in select Australian cinemas
Knock at the Cabin
Knock at the Cabin is a 2023 American apocalyptic, psychological horror film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who wrote the screenplay from an initial draft by Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman.
Based on the 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay, this film is the first adaptation of one of his works. The film stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn and Rupert Grint. In the movie, a family of three are vacationing at a remote cabin, but they are suddenly held hostage by four strangers who demand they sacrifice one of their own to avert the apocalypse.
The film has received favourable reviews and is now showing in select Australian cinemas.
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