2SLGBTQI+ Content That Everyone Should See Before 2025 Awards Season

As we inch closer to Oscar season, some award-worthy films might have gotten lost in the mix, so here are the crucial details on some of the queer content that will surely be part of the awards season conversation…

By Matthew Creith

At this time last year, Hollywood was in a bit of a stalemate. Months of negotiations between writers, actors and major studios forced strikes that reverberated through the festival scene and stopped content from starting production. After they finally reached deals (that pleased almost everyone), awards season quickly kicked into high gear, and we saw films like Oppenheimer, Poor Things and The Holdovers take top honours at the Academy Awards. But because of the strikes, many studios pushed the release dates for their films to 2024, which means they are now part of the awards season conversation this year. 

Chief among those movies that ultimately released this year were conversation starters like Challengers, Dune: Part Two and Netflix’s Hit Man. However, many folks don’t know about some movies that have fallen through the cracks, and some films have yet to be released that will likely still be considered for Oscar glory. 2SLGBTQI+ content might be at an all-time high this year, as there is no shortage of fantastic films to choose from this awards season.

Here’s a quick roundup of the 2SLGBTQI+ films we believe everyone should see before awards season officially kicks off. (We’ve noted their availability as of our print date in December.)

Emilia Perez

One of the most controversial and talked-about movies of the past year is undoubtedly Emilia Perez, starring Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz. Set against a musical backdrop of Mexican cartels and gender-affirming surgery, the film explores trans issues in a very unique manner. Saldana’s character, Rita, is a lawyer who assists Gascon’s murderous drug lord character in transitioning in order to evade police and affirm her true identity. Told through a telenovela narrative that sees Saldana give one of the year’s best performances, Emilia Perezmight also give Gascon some much-deserved praise as the actor vies to become the first openly trans person nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards.

Emilia Perez is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Conclave

One might not have predicted that a film about the political intrigue of selecting a new pope in the pristine corridors of the Vatican would be top of the list for 2SLGBTQI+ content this year. But Edward Berger’s thriller Conclave defies expectations in its ability to showcase some of the best acting performances of the year from stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow. Though political infighting from the left, right and centre fall into place during this harrowing tale, it’s Carlos Diehz’s mysterious Archbishop Benitez that gives the film a much-needed controversial ending that absolutely no one sees coming. This is a spoiler-free zone, but trust us when we say that Conclave is a master class in discovering the truth about those who peel away parts of their identity one layer at a time.

Conclave is currently in theatres.

Sing Sing

Actor Colman Domingo is no stranger to awards-season buzz for playing queer characters after his monumental performance in last year’s Rustin, which gave the performer his first Oscar nomination. He returns this year with another rousing performance in the film Sing Sing, playing an incarcerated man who helps lead a rehabilitation program at the infamous Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison to encourage prisoners to participate in the arts. As one of the only professional actors in the film, Domingo leads the cast that includes many real-life former prisoners who once participated in the true-to-life program. Sing Sing originally premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and will absolutely see Domingo receive another Oscar nomination for a tour-de-force performance.

Sing Sing is not currently streaming, but we expect it to soon.

Wicked

By now, most of the world has seen the movie adaptation of the popular Broadway musical Wicked. Holding firm at the box office, the film is a marvelous addition to The Wizard of Oz storyline that has entertained audiences for almost 100 years. Wicked is an inherently 2SLGBTQI+ spectacle, with power anthems like “Defying Gravity” that shake the core for personal freedom and identity through queer singer Cynthia Erivo’s powerful vocal cords. Erivo and Ariana Grande play the magical duo Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, leading a cast that includes out actors Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang and Marissa Bode.

Wicked is currently in theatres.

Queer

The film’s title says it all, but director Luca Guadagnino’s version of William S. Burroughs’ novel of the same name is the gayest cinematic event of 2024. Queer stars Daniel Craig as William Lee, an American expat living in Mexico in the 1950s, enjoying days and nights picking up strangers and filling his time with sexual encounters. He becomes obsessed with the younger Eugene (Drew Starkey), and the two travel the world together, engaging in unhealthy sexual exploits and drug use. The film steers into Guadagnino’s surrealist directorial efforts similar to his previous work, Suspiria, though the sex scenes between Craig and Starkey are not to be missed.

Queer had a limited theatrical release on November 27 and expanded to more theatres throughout December.

Challengers

If one Luca Guadagnino film this year wasn’t enough, we have great news! As a direct result of the strikes from last year, Guadagnino’s Challengers was pushed from its original 2023 release date to 2024, where the film has received acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a tennis phenom whose relationships with best friends Patrick (Josh O’Connor) and Art (Mike Faist) become utterly complicated, to say the least. The story, written by Queer screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, spans over a decade in these three people’s lives, and the tennis and sex have never been hotter. The trio engages in sexual dynamics that are difficult to define, capped off with a sweaty sports-induced ending set to a marvelous score from Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross that must be seen to be believed.

Challengers is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Will & Harper

Queer documentaries are often a staple of awards season, though some go unnoticed. This year, Will & Harper sheds light on the heart of the trans journey, seen through the eyes of best friends and frequent collaborators actor Will Ferrell and writer Harper Steele. Steele is a long-time contributor to Saturday Night Live, and the two have worked together for decades. But Steele’s coming out as a trans woman threw many of her friends and family for a loop, confused by Steele’s insistence to continue living the same life she always has, but in the body she’s always identified with. 

Will & Harper sees the pair driving across the United States on an epic road trip, similar to many of Steele’s trips before her transition. Along the way, the two friends reconnect on fundamental and emotional levels, stopping in dive bars and staying in cheap motels to see if the heartland of America will embrace Steele for who she is. 

Will & Harper screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and is currently streaming on Netflix.

MATTHEW CREITH is a freelance journalist based in Austin, Texas. He is a member of GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, and participates in the association’s Dorian Awards. You may also know him for his work on Matinee With Matt, Screen Rant and Giant Freakin Robot. You can find him on X: @matthew_creith, or Instagram: matineewithmatt.