The 15 Best LGBTQ+ TV Shows and Movies on Amazon Prime and Freevee

“Transparent”

While “Girls” and “Looking” are having their Gen-Z revival, it’s only a matter of time before younger audiences rediscover the muddled genius of “Transparent.” Certainly, the show needs to be re-evaluated in the context of Jeffrey Tambor’s casting and sexual assault allegations. But Joey Soloway’s arresting Jewish family comedy was hugely influential in its popularity at the time (it first premiered in 2014 and was Prime TV’s first hit), and it told entertaining trans stories in a nuanced and wide-ranging way that hasn’t been replicated since. Soloway employed trans people above and below the line, giving big breaks to Trace Lysette and Alexandra Billings, and directors Rhys Ernst and Zackary Drucker. Let the re-watching begin. —JD

“Bros”

You’ve got to hand it to Billy Eichner for getting a rom-com made by a major studio, and with the help of straight-dude comedy legend Judd Apatow, no less. Though Eichner and the film’s PR campaign ended up upstaging the actual movie (this may have been a rare case of too much press), “Bros” was a breakthrough moment for mainstream gay storytelling, and a pretty entertaining one, at that. Eichner stars as neurotic podcaster Bobby, who is content to spend his life cycling through the entirety of Grindr. That is, until he meets all American hunk Aaron (Luke MacFarlane), an equally detached lawyer who challenges his notions about love, and the “right” way to be gay. Packed with jokes and cast entirely with LGBTQ actors, “Bros” may not have been the groundbreaking force Eichner thought it was, but it is an entertaining and cute rom-com. —JD

“A Very English Scandal”

Written by Russell T. Davies and directed Stephen Frears, this three-part historical drama turns one of England’s lesser-known political scandals into a juicy and poignant high stakes comedic drama. Based on the book by John Preston and set throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, the serial stars Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe, a Liberal MP who will stop at nothing to hide his relationship with a young man named Norman Josiffe, played by the always-excellent Ben Whishaw. Crucially, the show doesn’t solely focus on the scandal bit, spending most of the first episode establishing their love affair with tenderness and joy. It’s necessary to set up the ugliness that follows, but more importantly, to show that even in the shadows of the past, people were living full queer lives as best as they could. —JD

“A League of Their Own”

Co-created by Will Graham and star Abbi Jacobson, Prime’s “A League of Their Own” serialization is a bit of curve ball: the sort of offbeat IP recycling you don’t see making it over home plate until you’re on your feet and screaming in the stands. When the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League allows women to hit the dirt for the first time in the 1940s, a talented catcher (Jacobson) puts down the burdens of being a housewife to become a Rockford Peach and explore her identity. The series famously inspired the real Maybelle Blair, one of the ball players to inspire the original 1992 film who consulted on the TV show, to come out publicly at age 95. —AF 

“Dead Ringers”

Rachel Weisz has established herself as a lesbian (or at least lesbian adjacent) icon already, via her performances in movies like “Disobedience” and “The Favourite.” But in Alice Birch’s daring reimagining of David Croenenberg’s “Dead Ringers,” the great actor plays not just one sapphic part, but two. As both Beverly and Elliot, the twin sister gynecologists with a deeply unhealthy bond, she’s terrific, imbuing the complex women with layers that make them fascinating and empathetic, even as both spiral out of control. Many remakes try to gender swap and queer their original texts, but few do it with as much nuance as “Dead Ringers,” which lets these lesbian versions of the Mantle twins be just as gloriously messy and complicated as their original male counterparts. —WC

“The Wilds”

If your dream show is a “Lord of the Flies” riff where teenage girls get stranded in the wilderness and struggle to survive and there’s also lesbians in it, you’re almost certainly watching “Yellowjackets” right now. But you should also give “The Wilds,” a show that premiered on Prime Video almost a year before its Showtime counterpart, its flowers. 

Created by Sarah Streicher, the two season drama focuses on a group of teenagers attending a women’s empowerment retreat, only to crash on a deserted island and form their own mini-society. What they don’t know is that being watched by a deranged social scientist using their trauma as data for an experiment about whether men or women are the superior gender (yeah, it doesn’t make a ton of sense in the show, either).

“The Wilds” isn’t as flashy or filled with big names like “Yellowjackets,” and it ends in an exasperating cliffhanger before it was canceled. But it’s still an enjoyable mix of gritty suvival drama with soap opera melodrama, held together by a strong cast of actors. Particularly good are Mia Healey and Erana James as Shelby and Toni, two polar-opposites who form a tempermental and very sweet romance. —WC  

“The Handmaiden” (2016)

When South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook chose as source material the lesbian historical fiction novel “Fingersmith,” by Welsh author Sarah Waters, it seemed a little out of left field. But changing the setting from Victorian England to Japanese-occupied Korea was a brilliant move and one that infused this cold mystery about a con man and the two women he seduces into his plot with untold beauty. Chan-wook elevates the book’s tawdry elements to fetishistic extremes, churning out an erotic thriller every bit as gorgeous as it is sinister. Min-hee Kim is prim and alluring as Lady Hideko, never fully dropping the facade even as she falls for her spirited handmaiden, Sook-Hee (Tae-ri Kim), who is tasked with conning her out of her inheritance. As both women make do with the hand life has dealt them, they discover passion in the shared struggle. —JD

“But I’m a Cheerleader”

Set in the present day with a bold retro aesthetic, Jamie Babbit’s cult comedy stars a young Natasha Lyonne as Megan, an innocent cheerleader sent to a rehab for gay and lesbian teens where patients wear pink and blue uniforms to learn about gender roles and perform straight-sex simulations. Of course, putting a bunch of gay kids in a house together is bound to create some sexual tension, and Megan‘s gay little heart stands no chance against the dark and brooding Graham (Clea Duvall). Babbit delivers the best of both worlds with a genuine and touching romance that blossoms amidst the wildly entertaining satire. Featuring an all-star cast that includes RuPaul, Melanie Lynskey, Michelle Williams, Cathy Moriarty, Eddie Cibrian, and brief appearances by Julie Delpy and Ione Skye, “But I’m a Cheerleader” has it all. —JD

“Bend It Like Beckham”

Gurinder Chadha’s charming sports comedy is more than just a queer romance, it’s a beautifully lighthearted coming of age story that also addresses the plight of Punjabi Sikhs in England and other issues du jour. Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley are wonderfully cast as football teammates with chemistry, keeping us guessing as to their endgame while having a grand time. Chadha, who grew up in London as part of the Indian diaspora, finds both pain and beauty in her heroine’s attempt to please her traditional parents while forging her own dual identity. The boisterous ensemble family comedy, so popular in the early aughts, is itching for a comeback. —JD

“The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (1994)

The Australian indie that gave us Guy Pearce, grossed almost 20 million, and spawned a jukebox musical — they just don’t make ‘em like “Priscilla” anymore. Written and directed by Stephan Elliott, this boisterous road movie starred Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, and Pearce as three friends — two drag queens and one trans woman — who go on tour across the Australian outback in their beloved bus, Priscilla. While the comedy certainly plays up their flamboyance and eccentricity to delightful ends, it also takes a poignant look at rural gay life, friendship, and aging as a queer artist. It’s a classic for a reason. —JD

“The Gospel According to Andre”

André Leon Talley’s contributions to fashion are well known inside the hallowed halls of Vogue, but his exuberant personality and colorful style have made him a cultural figure in his own right. Cinephiles first became aware of the former Vogue editor-at-large when he stole scenes in 2009’s “The September Issue.” An omnipresent figure at Anna Wintour’s side, Talley’s tossed off witticisms and lightened the mood as he lamented a “famine of beauty.” How lucky we are that before he died in 2022, Talley got his own dedicated silver-screen treatment in Kate Novack’s excellent documentary, “The Gospel According to André.” 

The documentary fills in the gaps of how this fashion icon came to be; from his humble beginnings in the Jim Crow era South, to his Brown undergraduate thesis on Charles Baudelaire, to his early runway reporting in 1970s Paris and his tenure at Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine. Talley is open throughout, and the result is an engaging portrait of a fascinating figure and gay icon. —JD

“Tampa Baes”

Highbrow, it is not. But every now and then we all need something to half-watch while folding laundry, though “Tampa Baes” may have you dropping your socks to gape aghast at the messiness of these Florida lesbians. Outside of the big hits like “Drag Race” and “Queer Eye,” there are surprisingly few LGBTQ reality shows, and far fewer about lesbians. So when one comes along, we watch, however painful. Set — where else? — in Tampa, this docuseries follows a group of “friends,” many of them travel nurses, who think they run the Tampa lesbian scene. With two dueling power couples vying for top slot, and its very own Florida-style Snookie, it’s long on clique drama and light on hook ups. But good luck looking away from the train wreck. —JD

“Everything is Free”

Directed by “M3gan” star and openly gay comedian Brian Jordan Alvarez, “Everything is Free” stars its director as Ivan, a U.S. expat working as a painter in Colombia. This indie gay rom-com follows its lead as he navigates a visit from his best friend, and the complications that ensue when he develops a connection with said friend’s younger brother. —WC 

“Harlem”

There are a ton of shows about women (often in a group of four) navigating careers, romance, and friendships: “Girlfriends,” “Sex and the City,” “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” “Run the World,” and so on.  Refreshingly, modern iterations on that classic formula have made room for queer women in the foursome, and Amazon’s “Harlem” goes as far as to make half of its ensemble gay. Tracy Oliver’s two-season dramedy about four friends living in the titular neighborhood features out-and-proud tech exec Tye (Jerrie Johnson), while fashion designer Quinn (Grace Byers) begins exploring her own queer identity as the show progresses. —WC

“High School”

You don’t get much gayer than a show based on a memoir from gay indie pop icons Tegan and Sara, adapted for the screen by “But I’m a Cheerleader” star Clea DuVall. And the lovely, earnest “High School” delivers all of the wistful gay longing anyone can possibly want, following twins Tegan and Sara (played by TikTok stars and acting newcomers Railey and Seazynn Gilliland) as they come into their sexualities while growing up in late ’90s Alberta. 

The show takes an uncommonly patient approach to its leads’ journeys with their queerness; Sara is a bit more comfortable and has a girlfriend, while Tegan is still confused about her feelings for her best friend. By the end of the first season, neither of them are out to anyone, much less each other, and their struggles to understand their sibling even as they go through many of the same problems makes for one of TV’s most brutually realistic portrayals of queer adolescence. But the show’s not all doom and gloom; even as Tegan and Sara push and pull each other away, they find connection through their mutal love for music, and the joy that radiates from their clumsy first steps to start a band lets you know that these kids are gonna be okay. —WC