Image Credits: ‘Rustin,’ Netflix (left) | ‘Nuovo Olimpo,’ Netflix (center) | ‘God’s Own Country,’ Samuel Goldwyn Films (right)
This weekend—at 2 am on Sunday, November 5—we’ll all set our clocks back when Daylight Savings Time ends, which means one extra hour of sleep/partying that night (yay!), but also: It’s about to start getting dark out very, very early (boo!).
In other words, we’re going to be spending a lot more of our time indoors—wouldn’t it be great to have some great, gay movies and television series to snuggle up with?
Thankfully, the major streamers have got you covered, with plenty of queer and queer-adjacent favorites to keep you company in November. This month will see the streaming premieres of two major LGBTQ+ biopics sure to make an impact this awards season, a chilly new whodunnit with a real cult appeal, an intriguing spin on a notorious box office bomb from down under, and the arrival of some timeless gay romances, new and old.
Whether you use Netflix, Prime Video, Max (formerly HBO Max), Hulu, Paramount+, Tubi—or some combo of the those—Queerty has your can’t-miss recommendations for each.
So, get those watch lists ready; it’s going to be a very gay November.
In 1970s Italy, two young men (Andrea Di Luigi, Damiano Gavino) meet at a movie theater and begin a passionate, secret affair. But when a series of events—tied to the social and political protests sweeping the country—pull them apart, they spend the next 30 years looking for each other. Only now, as grown men who have built lives of their own, do they have a chance to reconnect and explore if what they had was really meant to last. The latest from celebrated filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek is a story of love found, lost, then found again.
Also Don’t Miss:
Six Feet Under, Season 1 -5 (Nov. 1): Gay filmmaker Alan Ball’s death-filled dramedy about a family-run funeral home is one of the most devastating watches ever. We can’t recommend it enough.
Nyad, 2023 (Nov. 3): Annette Bening is going for (Oscar) gold as real-life athlete Dianna Nyad who swam from Havana to Key West at 64. Jodie Foster co-stars are her best friend.
The Dads, 2023 (Nov. 17): Dwayne Wade executive produces this doc about six fathers of queer and trans children who bond and share stories over a fishing trip together.
Rustin, 2023 (Nov. 17): Colman Domingo stars in this biopic of gay activist Bayard Rustin, one of the organizers of the history-making March On Washington in 1963.
If Colman Domingo isn’t already considered a household name, he’s about to be.
Amazon Prime Video’s LGBTQ+ offerings in November 2023
Spotlight: Evil Dead Rise, 2023 (November 1)
Halloween may have just ended, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy one of the best horror films of the year. Well… unless you’re really squeamish because this one is GORY! A standalone sequel set in the same world as Sam Raimi’s 1981 cult fright fest The Evil Dead, it follows two sisters as they try to save their young family from ghoulish “deadites” who have found their way into a Los Angeles apartment complex. Among its stars is breakout trans-masc actor Morgan Davies, also seen in this year’s Netflix anime adaptation, One Piece.
Also Don’t Miss:
Booksmart, 2019 (Nov. 1): High-achieving high school seniors and BFFs Amy and Molly (Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein) decide to cut loose and party it up in the last days before graduation.
Thunderbolt & Lightfoot, 1974 (Nov. 1): A heist comedy starring Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges may not sound gay, but this movie’s titular bromance is downright homoerotic.
American Horror Story, Season 11 (Nov. 16): The gayest American Horror Story ever (and that’s saying something!) follows a group of queer characters trying to survive the ’80s in NYC.
Cinematic atrocity or accidental masterpiece? Can it be both?
What’s gay on the way to Max in November 2023
Spotlight: Little Richard: I Am Everything, 2023 (November 23)
The origins of rock ‘n’ roll are Black and queer, and this buzzy doc re-examines those roots with Richard Wayne Penniman, a.k.a Little Richard, at the epicenter as the music genre went mainstream. A no doubt complicated figure who, later in his life, publicly denounced homosexuality, Little Richard was nevertheless a trailblazer at a time when it was a radical act just to be publicly Black and queer. Through rare archival footage and interviews with loved ones and colleagues, Lisa Cortés’ film sets out to provide deeper context for the icon.
Also Don’t Miss:
The Devil Wears Prada, 2006 (Nov. 1): An Anne Hathaway-Meryl Streep-starring comedy set at a fashion magazine’s high pressure offices? On a queer streaming guide? Groundbreaking
Legally Blonde, 2003 (Nov. 1): Another mid-2000s “chick flick” beloved by the gays, some would say Legally Blonde is “Too Nancy. Too Hillary. Too Monica. Too perfect for words!”
Rap Sh!t, Season 2 (Nov. 9): Queer performer Aida Osman co-stars in this winning comedy about two friends trying to make it in the Miami rap scene, based on the lives of the City Girls.
Julia, Season 2 (Nov. 16): Quite simply one of the most charming shows on TV, it tells the story of famed cook Julia Child (Sarah Lancashire) as she films her show, The French Chef.
Wright was an openly gay singer who defied the conventions of the 1950s to become an influential figure in the world of R&B.
The best and queerest on Hulu this November 2023
Spotlight: A Murder At The End Of The World, Season 1 (November 14)
Fans of The OA are still furious with Netflix for cancelling the cult sci-fi series, but perhaps they’ll be happy to know that show creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij have teamed up for a new series that looks just as sleek, mysterious, and alluring. A murder mystery at the remote, wintry residence of a billionaire (Clive Owen), it finds young amateur detective Darby (The Crown‘s Emma Corrin) trying to pinpoint the killer before they can strike again. Marling, Harris Dickinson, Alice Braga, and Queerty Pride 50 honoree Ryan J. Haddad also star.
Tigerland, 2000 (Nov. 1): For his first lead role, heartthrob Colin Farrell stars in this Vietnam-era war movie that’s more than a little homoerotic—directed by the late Joel Schumacher.
White Bird In A Blizzard, 2014 (Nov. 15): Still trailblazing queer filmmaker Gregg Araki’s latest film, it follows teenaged Kat (Shailene Woodley) in the wake of her mother’s (Eva Green) disappearance.
Faraway Downs, Season 1 (Nov. 26): Remember Baz Luhrman’s epic flop Australia with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman? Well, now it’s been recut as a miniseries and… we’re not not curious!
The late, gay director behind ‘The Lost Boys’ made a Vietnam War movie that was just as homoerotic.
All the gay streaming on Paramount+ in November 2023
Spotlight: The ABCs Of Book Banning, 2023 (November 21)
This incredibly timely documentary short takes a closer look at the over 2,500 books that have been banned from U.S. schools in recent years, many of which highlight LGBTQ+ themes, the voices of people or color, and other historically disenfranchised communities—which is no accident! The film speaks with authors, school officials, and readers alike, underlining the impact these bans have had on our culture, while offering some much-needed hope for the future with some wise-beyond-their-years insights from bright young minds.
Also Don’t Miss:
The Crying Game, 1992 (Nov. 1): This Irish thriller from Neil Jordan is remembered for its controversial twist—one’s that’s still debated by queer film critics to this day.
Dreamgirls, 2006 (Nov. 1): Bill Condon directs this musical adaptation heavily inspired by the Supremes, featuring (among others) Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, and one hell of a soundtrack.
Kinky Boots, 2005 (Nov. 1): Before it was a Tony-winning musical, it was a movie (based on a true story) about a failing small-town shoe factory and the drag queen who gave it a makeover.
RuPaul’s Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular, 2018 (Nov. 1): Hey Sis, It’s (Almost) Christmas! So why not revisit this strange but amusing one-off special featuring Trixie Mattel, Latrice Royale, and more.
New York Times bestselling author Ryan Douglass shares his list of the ten most crucial banned LGBTQ titles.
Here’s what’s queer coming to Tubi in November 2023
Spotlight: God’s Own Country, 2017 (November 1)
Though jokingly referred to as “British Brokeback Mountain,” this swooning romance stands out all its own. Farmer Johnny Saxby (The Crown‘s Josh O’Conner) fills his dulls days herding livestock with drinking and casual sex. But when a migrant Romanian worker named Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) arrives on the farm to help with “lambing season,” the two begin an intense relationship, which takes them both by surprise, and inspires Johnny, for the first time, to think about his future.
Also Don’t Miss:
Capote, 2005 (Nov. 1): Philip Seymour Hoffman took home the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of openly gay author Truman Capote in this riveting biopic.
Desperately Seeking Susan, 1985 (Nov. 1):Madonna‘s first major screen role, she stars as a bohemian drifter who strikes up an unlikely connection with a bored housewife (Rosanna Arquette).
Saving Face, 2004 (Nov. 1): And early LGBTQ+ rom-com about lesbian surgeon Wil (Michelle Krusiec), her overbearing mom (Joan Chen), and her dancer girlfriend Vivian (Lynn Chen).
Seed Of Chucky, 2004 (Nov. 1): One of the wildest and queerest in the slasher doll franchise, it introduces us to the nonbinary child of Chucky and Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly), Glen/Glenda.
