Theromantic comedy genrehas been very popular all throughout the history of cinema. It generally follows the classic formula: the main characters have atender meet-cute moment, they have instant chemistry, they part ways for some reason, and finally they meet again, all set to unleash their love story. One of the reasons why this movie genre hooks audiences is that it portrays romantic relationships as fun, dreamy, and perfect despite their imperfections. Most of the genre’s love stories tend to be idealized, and many of them make the audience wish for something like that to happen to them as well.
In the last few years, perCollider, the rom-com genre made a comeback, with several productions across streaming platforms telling cute, romantic stories. Unfortunately, however, most of the couples starring in these movies and TV series are heterosexual, and the lack of diversity in the stories prevents people from the LGBTQ+ community from feeling represented by these movies. Not to mention the representation of queer people of color, which is even scarcer in all kinds of productions. There have been some more diverse and inclusive films and series popping up lately, such asSex EducationorHeartstopper, Netflix’s latest hit that has already beenrenewed for another two seasons. However, the rom-com genre has yet to continue working in terms of expanding the repertoire of narratives and characters for a broader representation of communities. While waiting for that to happen, here’s a look back at some of the best LGBT+ rom-coms in history, ranked.
8The Watermelon Woman
The Watermelon Womanis a film written, directed by and starring Cheryl Dunye, which is considered a landmark of queer cinema and the first production ever directed by a Black lesbian woman. Because of its cultural and historical significance, this movie was chosen to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2021.
This 1996 production follows the life of Cheryl, a young black lesbian who lives in Philadelphia and works alongside her best friend at a video rental store. Cheryl is determined to produce a documentary about a Black actress popularly known as Watermelon Woman. Yet, as she closes in on the whereabouts of this actress, Cheryl’s life is turned upside down as she discovers her feelings for Diana. This film won a few awards, including the Cinema Eye Honors Legacy Award in 2021, showcasing its relevance and cultural contribution even despite the years that have passed since its release.
Related:Best LGBTQ+ Movies About Women, Ranked
7Love, Simon
Love, Simonis a 2018 film directed by Greg Berlanti and inspired by the novelSimon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agendaby Becky Albertalli. It stars Nick Robinson as Simon, a closeted gay high school student struggling with his hidden sexuality and a sense of being constantly out of place. He eventually initiates (anonymous) email communication with another boy at school who is equally out of place and subsequently falls in love with him. Unfortunately, a fellow student discovers these emails and threatens to tell the entire school about Simon’s secret.
In addition to Robinson, the cast features leading actors such as Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford, and Alexandra Shipp, among others. Upon release, the movie was very well reviewed, garnering 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and even earning some awards, such as an Ally for Equality Award for Nick Robinson, and a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film Wide Release. What’s more, perIndependent,Love, Simonbroke ground as the first gay rom-com to be produced by a major studio.
6But I’m a Cheerleader
In this 1999 romantic comedy, director Jamie Babbit successfully satirized a reality that affected many people in the LGBTQ+ community in the past: conversion therapy camps.But I’m a Cheerleaderis a film that has become a cult classic for many fans, and features a young star-studded cast including Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, Cathy Moriarty, and even RuPaul Charles, a queer culture icon.
This rom-com follows the story of Megan, a young girl who has the life every teenage girl wishes for: she is a popular cheerleader with an attractive and equally popular boyfriend, although she doesn’t really like to get close to him. Yet some of her personal preferences worry her family and friends, who think Megan is a lesbian, and send her to True Directions, a conversion therapy camp whose mission is to convert young people to heterosexuality with a ridiculous five-step plan. Inside this camp, Megan eventually ends up reaffirming her sexual identity, meeting the love of her life and even forming bonds that will last forever. A very interesting thing about this movie is the color palette choices in and out of True Directions, setting the contrast between the naturalness of the characters' lives and the artificial aspect of the camp and conversion therapy.
5Fire Island
This Searchlight Pictures production is the most recent release on this list, and has already earned a spot in the rankings among the best LGBTQ+ rom-coms. Indeed, there are those who say it might be the most significant queer romantic comedy to date. In this film, a group of friends embarks on an exciting week-long vacation to Fire Island, one of the most popular gay destinations within a few hours of New York, in which they will be meeting up with their friend Erin, just like they do every year.Fire Islandis inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novelPride and Prejudiceand features starring performances by Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, and Margaret Cho, among others. Booster additionally wrote the screenplay for the film, which is now available to stream on Hulu.
4The Thing About Harry
The Thing About Harryshows that people can change and that sometimes love is found in the most unexpected places. In this movie by Peter Paige, the audience meets Sam (Jake Borelli), a young gay man who, now as an adult, is reunited with Harry (Niko Terho), the school bully who tormented him for years. Against Sam’s expectations, he discovers that he has many things in common with Harry, especially after he reveals himself as pansexual, so eventually they start a friendly relationship that, in no time and after some unforeseen events, becomes a wonderful love story.
Related:These Are Some of the Most Romantic LGBTQ+ Movies of All Time
3Cloudburst
Something not so common in the romantic comedy genre is to have elderly main characters, which is why this 2011 movie had such a positive repercussion and reviews.Cloudburstis a production directed by Thom Fitzgerald, inspired by his play of the same name, and starring Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker. It tells the story of Dotty and Stella, an elderly couple who must part ways after Dotty’s granddaughter decides to move her into a nursing home. Yet Stella was far from giving up on their love, and after tracking her down at the retirement home, they both embark on a road trip to Nova Scotia, Canada so that they can get legally married. The performance of its two renowned lead actresses made this film a gem of queer rom-coms and eligible for numerous accolades.
2Dating Amber
Dating Amberis a celebration of friendship and self-acceptance, recounting a story that may sound familiar to many teens and adults in the LGBTQ+ community. Eddie (Fionn O’Shea) and Amber (Lola Petticrew) are two teenagers from The Curragh with three things in common: they are both outcasts, they hide their sexuality, and they are being bullied and harassed by some of their schoolmates. In order to end this situation, they form an alliance together to pose as a heterosexual couple. These two eventually become friends, and they start making frequent trips to Dublin to learn and absorb the queer culture. Out of these trips come their first loves, as well as a personal growth that leads them to deal with some new feelings and the people around them.
1The Half Of It
Taking the top spot in the ranking is a charming and memorable movie that stands among the best teen rom-coms of modern years. Boasting an excellent score on Rotten Tomatoes,The Half Of Itfeatures Ellis (Leah Lewis), a teenager who lives with her father and, in order to earn some money for the bills, does some school work for her classmates. But the request that would change her life would be Paul’s (Daniel Diemer), who entrusts her to write an anonymous love letter to Aster (Alexxis Lemire), the girl he was in love with. The unexpected twist in this story is that, throughout the correspondence, Ellis and Aster would discover many things in common, and the main character would end up falling in love, as she follows a path of self-discovery and acceptance.
