6 Queer Movies That Will Instantly Transport You To Europe
If you've needed anything else to convince you to travel to Europe, these queer movies might finish the job.
Did you know that it’s possible to be a queer activist or LGBTQ ally simply by watching a movie? Yes, it’s true.
If you’ve participated in enough protests this year and you’re tired of arguing with your political rivals all the time, you can simply watch a queer foreign movie to log in your activist hours without all the added stress. Watching a queer foreign movie will not only support foreign cinema but deepen your understanding of the queer experience. As a bonus, with these six queer movies set in Europe, you’ll also feel like you’re on a European vacation. Read on to learn how to vicariously experience infatuation, longing, and undying love in Europe while simultaneously solving homophobia.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Country: France
Why it feels like vacation: Portrait is set among the untamed cliffs of Brittany, which lies along France’s northwestern coast, and thus features multiple stunning shots of windswept beaches and craggy outcroppings. It’s the perfect seaside setting for this film’s smoldering romance.
Why it’s a great queer film: The growing romance between Marianne, a painter, and Héloïse, a reluctant bride-to-be, is a slow burn that’s well worth the wait. You’ll savor every lingering touch and meaningful glance of these 18th-century women as they learn to loosen their bodices.
Call Me By Your Name
Country: Italy
Why it feels like vacation: Set in northern Italy and as sun-drenched as can be, Call Me By Your Name revels in classic vacation moments: reading by the pool, cycling down disorienting cobblestone streets, flirting in unfamiliar languages.
Why it’s a great queer film: Sure, it stars suspected cannibal Armie Hammer, but it also feels like an extended dream, steeped in visual poetry. Elio and Oliver’s romance is quite possibly doomed, but it basks in dappled sunlight and feels like a Vespa ride into the horizon at golden hour. Also, you get to watch Timothee Chalamet f**k a peach.
God’s Own Country
Country: England
Why it feels like vacation: Yorkshire may not be everyone’s first choice of vacation destination, but if you’re the type of traveler who seeks out beauty in unlikely places, then this movie’s for you. The Yorkshire of God’s Own Country is all heather patches and sheep-covered hills — Brokeback Mountain with lower elevation. (Also, heather is not native to Wyoming.)
Why it’s a great queer film: Did we mention it’s like Brokeback with lower elevation? In this movie, a hardened, handsome young farmer falls for a Romanian migrant worker with soulful eyes and empathy to spare. It will make you cry, but in a good way.
Free Fall
Country: Germany
Why it feels like vacation: Even though it’s set in suburban Germany and not, say, anywhere you’ve ever heard of, Free Fall makes full use of its setting and will instantly immerse you in its cultural environment. You will crave a nice, big Wiener Schnitzel immediately after. You might even be hungry, too.
Why it’s a great queer film: The central romance plays out amid police training drills and family-friendly barbecues, but it often simmers over into passionate fights and equally passionate make-out seshes. Tortured toxic masculinity has never been so sexy.
Tom of Finland
Country: Guess
Why it feels like vacation: If you instantly skip to the “nightlife” sections of travel guides, then this one’s for you! Tom of Finland zigzags from shady Finnish cruising parks to seedy dive bars with glee, whipping you into a sexy frenzy.
Why it’s a great queer film: This movie is practically a queer history lesson! It follows Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen, creator of the iconic Tom of Finland illustrations that have become a symbol of queer liberation.
Love & Revolution (Te Estoy Amando Locamente)
Country: Spain
Why it feels like vacation: Everyone loves Andalusia, and this film serves up all of that southern Spanish region’s splendor, plus sequins and extra eyeliner.
Why it’s a great queer film: This movie has everything! A Catholic mother coming to terms with her son’s queerness; a revolutionary spirit; bold declarations. As a bonus, it’s all set in the 1970s, so you get a dose of period piece along with your queer deliciousness. Savor the vintage outfits and soak in the revolutionary spirit.
