Happy pride month! Whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or simply an ally, there’s no better time than right now to watch some classic films about sapphic, gay, and queer experiences.
As a proud gay woman, I wanted to create a list of iconic sapphic movies for Trill Mag’s readers to check out this June. However, when researching for this article, I noticed that many similar lists choose to omit lesbian movies or include ones that are largely problematic or tragic.
Therefore, my list aims to include sapphic films that are uplifting and actually have happy endings. I wanted to avoid movies that perpetuate harmful portrayals of the lesbian experience. It is important, particularly for young queer women, to be represented in a positive light in media, and I believe these following movies offer this.
Bottoms (2023)
Bottoms is an amazing satirical film, starring Gen-Z’s comedic sweethearts Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott. They play Josie and PJ, two unpopular lesbians who are desperate to lose their virginities. They concoct a plan to do so, establishing a fight club in the hopes their cheerleader crushes will join and fall in love with them.
After rumours spread that Josie and PJ were in juvy, the duo attract a false reputation as mysterious delinquents. This attracts their crushes — Brittany (Kaia Gerber) and Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) — to join the club. However, this web of lies begins to unravel, with chaos and hilarity ensuing.
“I really value when people use violence for me, it’s actually one of my love languages.”- Isabel (Havana Rose Liu)
The film’s talented cast and witty, acerbic dialogue are what elevates its comedic concept. Bottoms adopts a consciously over-the-top, ridiculous and satirical tone, creating a refreshing redirection in the way queer comedy films are written and directed.
Many fans and critics have already claimed Bottoms as a modern rom-com classic. The stakes are low, there is no doom and gloom, and the ending satisfyingly wraps up the protagonists’ romantic arcs. On top of that, the film doesn’t focus on Josie and PJ’s lesbian identities as its central theme. Bottoms marks a positive change in the way lesbians and their romantic relationships are portrayed on screen. I hope directors and screenwriters take note for future projects!
IMDb rating: 6.7/10
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon Prime
The Watermelon Woman (1996)
Cheryl Dunye’s The Watermelon Woman broke barriers upon its release in 1996. It was the first film to be written and directed by a Black lesbian. It stars Dunye herself as Cheryl, a sapphic filmmaker who works in a video store.
Cheryl, eager to make her mark in the filmmaking industry, attempts to create a movie about a Black actress from the 1930s, Fae Richards. She notices that Richards goes uncredited in many of her films. This prompts Cheryl to embark on an intense research journey about this actress, raising questions about Fae’s sexuality and the representation of Black women in Hollywood.
“I’m gonna be the one who says: I am a black lesbian filmmaker, who’s just beginning; but, I’m going to say a lot more and have a lot more work to do.”- Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye)
She eventually learns of Fae’s potential romantic relationship with a female director. Parallel to this, Cheryl strikes up a relationship with a customer from the video store, Diana. Dunye proudly represents lesbian love and identities on screen, and critics have quoted Diana and Cheryl’s sex scene as one of the best in sapphic cinematic history.
However, romance is not the core of this film. It is a fascinating work on intersectional lesbianism, Black cultural history, and the exclusion of people of colour in Hollywood. Dunye aimed to make the history of Black lesbians heard and seen, and The Watermelon Woman clearly fulfills her vision.
IMDb rating: 7.1/10
Where to watch: Apple TV
The Handmaiden (2016)
The Handmaiden is a South Korean erotic-thriller directed by filmmaker Park Chan-Wook. It follows a Korean girl — Sook-Hee — hired to be the handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Lady Hideko. The film is mysterious, often violent, and a little confusing, yet makes for great sapphic representation.
It is split into three, non-chronological parts, utilising flashbacks to help the audience piece together what is happening. The relationship between Lady Hideko and Sook-Hee is developed by each part. They form a touching bond, uniting to betray and punish the men who have exploited them.
“The daughter of a legendary thief, who sewed winter coats out of stolen purses. Herself a thief, pickpocket, swindler. The saviour who came to tear my life apart. My Tamako. My Sookee.”- Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee)
The film is based on the novel Fingersmith by British lesbian author Sarah Waters. Many fans of Waters were apprehensive about it being adapted by a male director, but Park Chan-Wook’s version of the story is tasteful and respectful. The sapphic relationship between the two women is not overly sexualised or fetishized. He also refuses to fall victim to the “bury your gays” trope.
This film is wildly different from the more ‘rom-commy’ recommendations in this listicle. However, I would argue it offers a unique, and mostly positive, representation of lesbianism. It also holds some insightful historical merit, exploring Japan’s occupation of Korea in the early 1900s and how this affected women.
IMDb rating: 8.1/10
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, Apple TV
But I’m A Cheerleader (1999)
Hilarious and heartwarming, But I’m A Cheerleader is one of the most celebrated lesbian films in the LGBTQ+ community. It stars Natasha Lyonne as Megan, a Christian cheerleader. Megan is sent to conversion therapy after her parents and boyfriend begin to suspect she is a lesbian.
At first, Megan denies her sexuality and tries desperately to ‘become straight.’ However, when she meets Graham during the conversion programme, she begins to accept herself as a lesbian. The film offers diverse representation of the LGBTQ+ community, with bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender characters all being portrayed.
“- Megan: I’m not supposed to like you.
– Graham: But?
– Megan: I wanna do that again.”- Natasha Lyonne (Meg) & Clea DuVall (Graham)
In many ways, the film strongly satirises and ridicules conversion therapy. One example of this is the casting of drag superstar and gay icon RuPaul as an alleged ‘ex gay’. Issues of social conformity, the restrictive nature of gender roles, and the horrors of homophobia are all brought to light in this film, but they are effectively presented under the mask of satire and a bright colour scheme.
Though the film divided critics upon release, it has since become a cult classic. It was recently adapted into a stage musical and MUNA was inspired by its aesthetics for their ‘Silk Chiffon’ music video.
IMDb rating: 6.8/10
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, Apple TV
Imagine Me and You (2005)
Do you believe in love at first sight? If not, I’m sure Imagine Me and You will change your mind. On her wedding day to Hector (Matthew Goode), bride-to-be Rachel (Piper Perabo) catches sight of Luce (Lena Headey), a local florist. From then on, her world is turned upside down.
Struggling to grapple with her new marriage and her feelings for a woman, Rachel attempts friendship with Luce. Inevitably, however, Rachel fails to suppress her love. The thing I enjoy most about this movie is how predictable it is. Every time I watch, it feels safe, comforting and heartwarming as ever.
“Rachel: What does the lily mean?
Luce: The lily means… the lily means “I dare you to love me.”- Piper Perabo (Rachel) and Lena Headey (Luce)
In typical rom-com fashion, the two find themselves in several awkward, yet sweet, situations. It is cliché in the best way and, as with the other movies in this list, offers highly positive lesbian representation.
Beyond its rom-com style, the film explores the complexities of sexuality and ‘coming out’ in a sensitive, respectful way. The chemistry between Headey and Perabo is also electric; you can’t help but root for them the whole way!
IMDb rating: 6.8/10
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
Love Lies Bleeding, similarly to The Handmaiden, combines violence, crime and betrayal with an epic sapphic love story. Set to the backdrop of the late 1980s, it follows the relationship between Lou, a reclusive gym owner, and Jackie, an aspiring bodybuilder.
The two fall in love as Jackie begins to train for a bodybuilding competition and becomes increasingly reliant on steroids. For much of the film, it becomes apparent that these two women emotionally depend on one another. At times, their relationship admittedly verges on toxic.
“Jackie: I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
Lou: Hey… There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are the most amazing, most incredible, beautiful person I’ve ever met in my whole life.”– Katy O’Brian (Jackie) and Kristen Stewart (Lou)
However, without giving away too many spoilers, I can assure you that these two women happily end up together. For all the gory and brutal scenes this film offers, Lou and Jackie escape unscathed.
The film explores obsession, violence, and addiction in a Tarantino-esque thriller style. Blending a typically male-centred genre with a lesbian love story is almost unheard of in Hollywood, and so Love Lies Bleeding was for sure one of the most exciting and distinctive films I watched in 2024!
