HEADER BY YOSEF PHELAN

‘Dire’ is how we used to describe on-screen representation for people of the rainbow variety. For a long time (eons, really), stories about queerness often led to death and despair (hence the ‘Bury Your Gays trope) and, if a heterosexual series or movie featured a character of the LGBTQIA+ experience, they’d be the ‘sidekick’ whose sexuality was undefined and sole purpose in the narrative was to bring in the laughs. (We are funnier than cis-het people, but that’s besides the point.)

Representation has dramatically improved in recent years; queers can now identify with a leading character who doesn’t perish in the film’s final moments. (What a concept, huh?) Each year is getting better and better, too, with a plethora of LGBTQIA+ comedies, dramas and horrors set to be released in 2025. But for now, read ahead for 18 must-watch romances for the queer man, from the Oscar-winning stylings of Moonlight to Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez’s star-crossed royal romp in Red, White & Royal Blue. (Visit here for our list for queer women!)

All of Us Strangers (2024)

Cast: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, Claire Foy

All of Us Strangers follows Adam, a screenwriter (Andrew Scott), who returns to his childhood home, where he discovers that his long-dead parents are both alive and appear the same age they were when they died over 30 years ago. At the same time, Adam embarks on a passionate romance with his mysterious neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal). Directed by Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers received universal critical acclaim, becoming one of the most praised LGBTQIA+ films in history. Despite this, it failed to receive a single nomination at the Academy Awards, which many deemed a “snub”.