Eight wlw movies you need to watch

By Ray Kirsch

When I was younger, I loved watching movies. It was the peak of the Harry Potter series (right before everyone realized JKR isn’t great), DVD players were booming, and my sibling and my favorite activity was to sit in front of the television. I adored Emma Watson and Logan Lerman almost immediately, which led me to watch all of their films — I loved The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), forced myself to watch Fury (2014), and rewatched Harry Potter and Percy Jackson repeatedly. But as I grew into my identity and accepted myself as queer, I found myself longing for movies that showed queer characters. Sure, there was Love, Simon (2018) and Call Me By Your Name (2017), but I desired films that showed queer couples as normally as they do for straight couples. As the age of digital streaming entered my life, I learned how to search up ‘gay’ or ‘lgbtq’ in the search bar (clearing it out right after so no one saw), but I noticed that there was a clear ratio of gay/mlm movies compared to lesbian/wlw ones. (mlm = men-loving-men; wlw = women-loving-women) Don’t get me wrong; I adored The Imitation Game (2014), but I wanted to find more films that showcased non-men, queer couples. I downloaded Letterboxd halfway through my sophomore year of college; here are eight of my favorite wlw films that I have watched since then. 

But I’m a Cheerleader (Director’s Cut) (1999) 

Likely one of the most classic lesbian films there is, But I’m a Cheerleader is probably at the top of every single wlw film recommendation list. I was skeptical, at first. Just as it took me a long time to warm up to my own sexuality, it took several rewatches to really watch this film. I watched it for the first time in full in Minnesota with my friends, and it was excitedly the Director’s Cut — which they claimed to be the best version. Now, a quick summary, although it is quite well known. 

Teenager Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is sent to a conversion boot camp after her friends and family suspect she’s a lesbian. Although she is considered a typical teen, as she’s on the cheerleading squad, excels in school, and has a lot of friends, they still are convinced she’s a lesbian. When Megan is sent to the boot camp, she is forced to admit that she is a lesbian and meets a fellow lesbian Graham (Clea DuVall), who is the opposite of her — rebellious, wears black instead of pink, and unabashed. Megan develops a crush on her, but I certainly won’t spoil what happens between the two of them!

The entire point of the film is to make a joke about how conversion therapy doesn’t actually work on queer people. Conversion therapy, of course, has been proven to not work several other times, but why not make a cute lesbian love story out of it, right? Although I was initially hesitant about watching the film because of how cheesy it is, I ended up thoroughly enjoying the Director’s Cut of it. It’s cheesy, it’s funny, and it’s saying a lot about conversion therapy and gender norms without actually saying it. 

Bound (1996)

Imagine a story where a mafia boss falls in love with someone from an opposing mafia, but make it the girlfriend of the boss and a fresh-out-of-jail woman. Violet (Jennifer Tilly) is the girlfriend of a gangster Caesar (Joe Pantoliano), but she develops a crush on Corky (Gina Gershon) while Corky is renovating the next-door apartment. The two have an affair and create an escape plan for Violet to leave Caesar. There’s money involved, high tensions, and an overall want for survival. If you don’t like blood or murder-vibes, you may want to watch this film with caution. 

While I had trouble staying connected to this film as it went along, I appreciated the cinematography and the nice wlw storyline. Some reviewers of the film claim it to be ‘too sexual’, but I strongly disagree with that claim as the couple only ever has sex once. The filmmakers focused on fleshing out Violet and Corky’s emotional connection before they explored their romantic/sexual one, which I think can be appreciated. Although I haven’t watched it in a while, I would definitely rewatch it if given the chance.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

This film has made it into my list of favorite wlw movies, and rightfully so it has. When I first watched this film, I had just had my COVID and flu shot — naturally, I ended up sobbing on my couch in darkness by the end of it. Set in 1770 France, this film follows painter Marianne (Noémie Merlant) as she is commissioned to create a wedding portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel). Because Héloïse is so reluctant to get married, Marianna has to paint her in secret by observing her and then painting her privately. 

As you can imagine, this film gravels with the ideas of secret relationships and pining. Because I truly love this movie, I won’t spoil the plot, but the women do get together and there are some gorgeous scenes. Maybe it’s because it was set in France or because I was sick when I watched it, but I was entranced by every shot because of how beautiful the settings were. The gaze of two queer women who are pining for each other makes an incredible shot.

Some viewers have picked up on similarities between this film and Call Me By Your Name, but director Céline Sciamma hasn’t ever said this. The two films definitely have similarities — as both end with longing but no regret — but I believe the character designs were incredibly different between the two films. I personally can’t wait to watch this film again. 

Imagine Me & You (2005)

One thing you must know about me is that I love a good rom-com. I think that Imagine Me & You perfectly executed a wlw rom-com. This film follows Rachel (Piper Perabo) as she develops feelings for Luce (Lena Headey). The twist? They meet during Rachel’s wedding to Heck (Matthew Goode). They become close friends, with the couple even trying to set up Luce with one of Heck’s friends. When Rachel discovers Luce is a lesbian, she starts to develop feelings. 

One of my favorite tropes of this film is the florist trope; Luce is a florist who was hired to work at Rachel’s wedding. It’s absolutely cheesy, but it shows unabashed queer love between two women that I just can’t get enough of. I loved watching this movie so much that when ‘Happy Together’ by The Turtles started playing at the end, I proceeded to only listen to that song for the next week straight. I think there is something special about having rom-coms that show queer joy. Not all movies about LGBTQ+ characters need to be sad or trauma-filled; they can be happy, too. 

The Fallout (2021)

While I debated on whether or not this film belongs in this list, I ultimately decided to include it because of how relevant it is to my generation (and the one below me). I watched this movie solely because I love the main actors, Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler. However, it’s important to note that the queer relationship between the two characters that develops is not the point of the story; rather, it’s about the aftermath of a school shooting.

The Fallout is centered around Vada (Jenna Ortega) and Mia (Maddie Ziegler) after they are stuck in a bathroom together during a school shooting. While they were not really friends before this, they found solace in each other when processing what happened. I believe that it is important to remind curious viewers that the school shooting is the center of the plot, not Vada and Mia’s romantic relationship as the film cover may imply. I do want to shout out Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler, as they both did a great job portraying these two characters. 

Megan Park, who wrote and directed this film, reportedly created this film due to the continuously-rising amount of school shootings in the United States. I didn’t find this film gory aside from the actual shooting part, but keep in mind, before watching, that it is all about gun violence and the after-effects it can have on teenagers.

Bottoms (2023)

Perhaps one of the most popular lesbian comedies right now, Bottoms is a hilarious film that follows PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) as they start a fight club because they have crushes on two of the popular cheerleaders. As a massive Ruby Cruz and Nicholas Galitzine fan, I absolutely adored the cast of this film and was excited to watch it. 

PJ and Josie are awkward high schoolers who want to meet girls. To do so, they start a fight club that ends up becoming way more important than they originally thought it would be. There’s fun drama, unrealistic comedic effects, and a great soundtrack that creates an entertaining film. My favorite scene was by far Josie sadly walking down the street to ‘Complicated’ by Avril Lavigne. While it is implied and basically centered around PJ and Josie’s attempts at getting together with girls, there actually is a plot that goes along with the story. 

I think my favorite part of this film is how the world building doesn’t seem to be realistic — as there’s no phones, they casually kill people, and it’s stuck in a high school world bubble — while at the same time having characters that are incredibly realistic. PJ and Josie are awkward, cringey, and what I hope my younger queer self didn’t act like (but probably did). But, there’s a sense of relatability about the sheer cringiness of high school, especially for people that don’t necessarily fit into the popular crowd. Best of all, there’s a happy lesbian ending that I won’t spoil. 

Carol (2015) 

My previous Communication Arts TA recommended this to me when I asked him for lesbian film recommendations. Now, I didn’t specify to him that I wanted happy ones, so I couldn’t really complain when I ended the film crying. This film wrenches my heart in a similar manner to Portrait of a Lady on Fire — this is your formal warning.

Carol follows aspiring photographer Therese (Rooney Mara) and Carol (Cate Blanchett) as they become friends through a 1950s New York department store. Carol is a mother trying to divorce her husband, and Therese just wants to pursue photography. The two develop a romantic relationship, which endures a blissful time until there are some sad consequences for Carol. The film ends on a cliffhanger that I won’t spoil, but it leaves the state of the women’s relationship up for interpretation. 

Carol reminds me of both Christmas and the summer. While I think it’s painfully realistic, I have to give it credit for having both Cate Blanchett and Sarah Paulson in the cast. I like to believe that this film ends on a hopeful note. Although it takes me through many stages of sadness throughout it, I think it has an important, meaningful message.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024) 

It is no secret that I actually did not enjoy this film, as I was not prepared for the goriness and guns portion of it. However, I think that Love Lies Bleeding may be Bottoms’ competition for the best lesbian film of recent years. The film follows Lou (Kristen Stewart) as she develops a crush on Jackie (Katy M. O’Brien). Jackie is a body builder who loves the gym, and Lou just so happens to work at the local gym in her town. There is, however, an underlying plot of Lou’s family’s criminal past. I won’t give any spoilers to how that plot develops, but it is quite a prominent addition to Lou and Jackie’s relationship. 

While this film is pretty self-explanatory in its content when you watch the trailer, I would like to add a more detailed content warning for viewers: goriness, guns, needles, and weird veiny-sounds.