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Welcome to the stage, LGBTQ+ content on Max (née HBO Max)!
Max; Off-White Productions; HBO
HBO Max rebranded to just Max in 2023 following the Warner Bros Discovery merger that brought Discovery+ content to the streaming service. With all of those powers combined, Max became the newest girly to enter the streaming wars.
Even though several LGBTQ-inclusive movies and TV shows were canceled or deleted by the streaming service in the past year, there’s still plenty of queer content to watch on the newly-established Max. This includes critically-acclaimed movies, HBO originals, and even classic films.
Scroll through to check out some of the best LGBTQ+ movies now streaming on Max!
Moonlight
Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight won the 89th Academy Award for Best Picture and became an instant classic for LGBTQ+ cinema. With actors Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, and Alex Hibbert each playing the three life stages of the protagonist Chiron, Moonlight is a stunning portrayal of Black queerness in the US.
Where to watch: Max.
The Fallout
Written and directed by Megan Park, The Fallout is a movie about bisexual high school student Vada (Jenna Ortega) and her relationships with schoolmates Quinton (Niles Fitch) and Mia (Maddie Ziegler). In 2021, The Fallout won multiple awards at the SXSW Festival and was nominated at the GLAAD Media Awards.
Where to watch: Max.
Milk
Starring Sean Penn in the titular role, Milk was an incredibly important movie about the life and work of gay rights activist Harvey Milk. The film also featured Emile Hirsh, James Franco, Josh Brolin, and Diego Luna in the cast. At the Oscars, Milk won awards for Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Best Original Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black).
Where to watch: Max.
Paris Is Burning
The Paris Is Burning documentary is a must-watch queer film about the ballroom scene, drag culture, and homophobia/transphobia in 1980s New York City. This movie was able to document a very important time in history when LGBTQ+ people started to get together to create spaces, languages, and cultures of our own.
Where to watch: Max.
Boy Erased
Written and directed by Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased centered around a boy named Jared (Lucas Hedges) who is sent to a conversion therapy camp by his mother Nancy (Nicole Kidman). At the camp, he is led by chief therapist Victor Sykes (played by Edgerton). This film was based on the 2016 memoir of the same name by Garrard Conley.
Where to watch: Max.
The Color Purple (1985)
Even though the 1985 version of The Color Purple played down the romance between Shug (Margaret Avery) and Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), this is still very much considered a queer movie based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Where to watch: Max.
The Normal Heart
The Normal Heart was an HBO original movie directed by Ryan Murphy. The film told the story of the rise of the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s. The cast of The Normal Heart featured heavy-hitters such as Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, and Julia Roberts, to name a few.
Where to watch: Max.
Victor/Victoria
Written and directed by Blake Edwards, 1982’s Victor/Victoria features LGBTQ+ characters and themes such as gender fluidity. Starring Julie Andrews (Victoria Grant / Count Victor Grazinski) and Robert Preston (Carroll “Toddy” Todd), it’s safe to say that Victor/Victoria has aged like a queer classic.
Where to watch: Max.
Looking: The Movie
Looking: The Movie served as the cinematic conclusion to the HBO series Looking, which unfortunately only ran for two seasons. Given that the show didn’t get a conclusion prior to its official cancelation, HBO greenlit a movie that would wrap the storylines of the characters. In many ways, this great film served as further evidence as to why Looking should’ve gone on for many more seasons.
Where to watch: Max.
Wig
In 2019, HBO released an original documentary titled Wig about the history and importance of the New York City festival Wigstock. This film not only revisited the long history of Wigstock, but also documented how the festival was brought back for a new edition in 2018.
Where to watch: Max.
