Ranking

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019): A manifesto of the queer gaze, "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," directed by Céline Sciamma, is one of the most important milestones in contemporary LGBTQ cinema. Set in 18th-century Brittany, this melodrama forgoes the male perspective in favor of a radically tender female gaze. Tracing the relationship between the painter Marianne and her rebellious muse Héloïse, the film celebrates partnership, intellectual understanding, and desire that transcends the frame of the image. This is a work in which queer love is defined not by tragedy but by the freedom of shared moments and the power of memory. Winner of the Queer Palme d'Or at Cannes, it proved that lesbian cinema can be both an intimate manifesto and a world-class visual masterpiece.

Why these films matter

Adela's Life (2013)
Holding the man (2015)
Tár (2022)
Rocketman (2019)
Dream Loves (2010)

Ranking Overview

The ranking

#1

🎬 Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu)

2019 Film

Set in the late 18th century on an isolated island in Brittany, France, the story follows Marianne (Noémie Merlant), a professional painter commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of a young aristocrat, Héloïse (Adèle Haenel). Héloïse has recently left a convent and is fiercely resisting an arran…

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#2

A Perfect Ending

2013 Film

Rebecca is a wealthy, repressed West Coast housewife trapped in a loveless and sexually unfulfilling marriage to her emotionally distant husband. Confiding her deepest insecurities to close friends, she is encouraged to step outside her comfort zone and hire a high-end female escort named Paris. Wha…

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#3

Am I OK?

2024 Film

Am I OK? (2022) occupies a highly comforted, vital niche within the contemporary index of QueerFilmHub.com. Directed by real-life married couple Stephanie Allynne and legendary comedian Tig Notaro, the film beautifully deconstructs the traditional timeline of queer cinema. Instead of focusing on tee…

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#4

🎬 Vic + Flo Saw a Bear

2013 Film

Victoria, a woman in her sixties, is released on parole and retreats to a secluded cottage in rural Quebec to live with her paralyzed uncle. Soon, her younger lover and fellow ex-con, Florence, joins her. Together, they attempt to build a quiet domestic life, dealing with the scrutiny of a sympathet…

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#5

About Them

2015 Film

Set in the city of Lille, the film revolves around Micha (Félix Moati) and Charlotte (Sophie Verbeeck), a young couple who have recently purchased a house together but find their relationship slipping into a quiet, emotionally distant routine. The dynamic shifts dramatically with the presence of the…

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Editorial notes

Dream Loves (2010)