The 22 Best Movies With Lesbian Characters Streaming on Netflix

Until recently, movies with great LGBTQ+ representation were hard to find.

cate blanchett as carol and rooney mara as therese standing outside of their car broken down in a still from carol
(Image credit: Maximum Film / Alamy Stock Photo)

In years past, a good lesbian movie was hard to find. But thanks to streaming services like Netflix, we’re seeing more films that feature lesbian, queer, and bisexual protagonists falling in love in adorable rom-coms, breaking up in a tearjerker, or just dancing and singing their way through a Midwestern high school prom. These films offer audiences a chance to see characters, who have often been left off-screen, just living their lives; they offer representation to a large slice of the population frequently ignored by Hollywood.

The good news? The tide is slowly turning. According to GLAAD’s 2023 Studio Responsibility Index, more LGBTQ+ characters were prominently included in studio-backed feature films in 2022 than in the previous 11 years of the study's existence. The numbers dipped slightly in the 2024 Studio Responsibility Index, but there continues to be an increase in LGBTQ+ characters having over 10 minutes of screentime. However, the data also makes clear that the film industry still has a way to go, as a whopping 72.7 percent of major studio- and streamer-backed films did not include any LGBTQ+ representation. So it’s more important than ever to stream lesbian-centric TV shows and films, promote their numbers, and open up dialogues on the future of lesbian filmmaking—how it can be even better, more inclusive, and more thought-provoking.

To start, check out these lesbian movies on Netflix. You'll find super steamy films like Duck Butter, easy-to-watch teen flicks like The Prom, and heartfelt documentaries like Tig (and just about every genre in between).

Drama

'Anne+: The Film' (2021)

Hanna van Vliet leaning in to kiss another woman in a still from Anne+ The film

(Image credit: Netflix)

Based on the Dutch web series ANNE+, this feature film follows Anne, a 20-something lesbian (Hanna van Vliet) in Amsterdam, as she deals with writer’s block, an impending move to Montreal, and a tricky relationship with her ex, which could change her whole life. You can skip the web series and jump into this flick, but we recommend watching Anne’s entire trajectory.

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'Beauty' (2022)

Gracie Marie Bradley as Beauty singing in the recording studio in the movie beauty

(Image credit: Stephanie Meiling/Netflix)

On the cusp of fame in the late 1970s, the titular Beauty (Gracie Marie Bradley) must decide if she wants to choose her public life and family or her girlfriend. Screenwriter Lena Waithe loosely based the plot on Whitney Houston’s dilemma and rise, and portrays the stakes of staying in the closet versus following a dream. Niecy Nash plays Beauty’s mom.

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'Bruised' (2021)

Halle Berry as a boxer fighting in the ring in the movie bruised

(Image credit: Netflix)

Directed by and starring Halle Berry, this 2020 sports epic follows the rise (and fall) of fictional MMA fighter Jackie Justice, a mom struggling in inner-city Newark. It’s a heavy film, and far from a romance, but there’s some juicy, complicated queer storytelling in Jackie’s romance with her lesbian trainer (Sheila Atim).

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'It's Only Life After All' (2023)

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers in an image from the indigo girls doumentary it's only life after all with bright colors treated over the image

(Image credit: Oscilloscope)

This highly anticipated two-hour doc on legendary American folk duo Indigo Girls debuted in 2023 and is such a comfort watch. The movie melds archival rehearsal, tour, and media footage with commentary on the impact the openly lesbian musicians had on the greater culture during their rise in the 1990s.

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'NYAD' (2023)

annette benning as nyad and jodie foster as her friend hugging her in a still from the movie nyad

(Image credit: Kimberley French/Netflix)

Based on the true story of distance swimmer Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) training to complete a record-breaking swim from Cuba to Florida, this high-stakes drama is a well-paced sports biopic with a memorable lesbian friendship. Nyad’s coach, Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster), plays a pivotal role in her personal and professional life, and the scenes between the two powerhouse actors are fantastic.

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'The Persian Version' (2023)

a handful of men and women on the dance floor at a wedding in 'the persian version'

(Image credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute)

This Sundance favorite, directed by Maryam Keshavaraz, subverts expectations at every turn. When Leila's (Layla Mohammadi) huge Iranian-American family reunites in New York City ahead of her father's heart transplant, the reveal of a huge secret uncovers the parallels between Leila's unconventional life and her immigrant mother Shireen's (Niousha Noor) past.

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'A Secret Love' (2020)

still from the netflix documentary a secret love featuring two elderly hands holding old photographs of two women

(Image credit: Netflix)

Produced by Ryan Murphy, this documentary is about a former All-American Girls League baseball player named Terry Donahue and her partner, interior designer Pat Henschel, who had a seven-decade relationship that they kept a secret from their families the entire time. It’s a beautiful love story celebrating the couple while reminding us how far things have come for LGBTQIA+ people in America.

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'Tig' (2015)

Tig Notaro in Tig Netflix documentary taking a photo on a beach and standing with another woman smiling

(Image credit: Netflix)

Part documentary, part stand-up comedy special, this unique film follows comedian Tig Notaro as she heals from sickness, loses her mother, and falls in love with her partner. It’s emotional, funny, and highly entertaining; you won’t just watch it once. Want more Tig jokes? Her 2018 comedy special Happy to Be Here is also streaming on Netflix.

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'The Valley of a Thousand Hills' (2022)

still from 'valley of a thousand hills' of two women in red tshirts and printed skirts sitting on the top of a mountain

(Image credit: Mubi)

This Zulu language film is a lesbian love story set in the highly patriarchal, rural South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. Nosipho (Mandisa Vilakazi) is a role model for her conservative community as the chief's daughter, so she and Thenjiwe (Sibongokuhle Nkosi) keep their relationship a secret. When Nosipho's father declares that she must marry, she has to decide whether to fulfill her duty or risk her life to follow her heart.

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Comedy

'Do Revenge' (2022)

Talia Ryder as Gabbi and Maya Hawke as Eleanor wearing purple sweater vest school uniforms on campus in 'Do Revenge'

(Image credit: Kim Simms/Netflix)

This dark-comedy thriller about two high-school girls (Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke) who unite for a truly twisted revenge saga is an updated take on the beloved teen flicks of the '90s and 2000s. If that doesn't sound fun enough, the revamp also includes centering Eleanor (Hawke) as an out-and-proud, morally dubious lesbian who gets her own love story amid all the scheming.

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'Duck Butter' (2018)

alia shawkat and another woman hold hands under twinkling lights in duck butter

(Image credit: Netflix)

This indie film from 2018 was written by and stars Alia Shawkat and Laia Costa as two women who meet at a bar and decide to go through all the stages of an intense romance within just 24 hours. No U-Haul required.

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'The Half of It' (2020)

two teenage girls float in a lake with their faces above the water in the half of it

(Image credit: KC Bailey)

Filmmaker Alice Wu’s outstanding follow-up to her early aughts rom-com, Saving Face, received high acclaim when it debuted on Netflix in spring 2020. Set in a small town, this movie follows social loner Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) who agrees to ghostwrite a jock’s (Daniel Diemer) love letter to a girl (Alexxis Lemire) who Ellie also has a crush on. It’s heartwarming chaos from there on out.

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'I'm Not Okay With This' (2020)

sophia lillis and another teenage girl laying in bed in I'm Not Okay With This

(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

Technically, this is a one-season Netflix original series, but the seven episodes watch like a movie and can easily be binged in a three-hour sitting. Adapted from a graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman, this show follows 17-year-old Syd (Sophia Lillis) as she grapples with a crush, questions about her sexuality, and, naturally, some scarily destructive superpowers.

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'The Prom' (2020)

jo ellen pellman as emma and ariana debose as alyssa greene hugging each other in the prom

(Image credit: MELINDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIX)

Ryan Murphy’s big movie musical, adapted from the Broadway show of the same name, premiered in December 2020 and has left many singing the bubbly soundtrack since. The star-studded cast includes Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep as Broadway stars who travel to Indiana to advocate for a student when she's told she's not allowed to bring her girlfriend to the senior prom. The dance numbers are glitzy, the songs are catchy, and the straight-from-the-headlines plot will be relatable for LBGTQ+ and allied viewers alike.

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'So My Grandma’s a Lesbian!' (2019)

so my grandma's a lesbian movie still featuring an older woman sitting on a couch with her hands on her chin and holding hands with another woman smiling

(Image credit: Netflix)

In this Spanish film, two women in their 70s come out to their families and reveal their plans to get married. It comes as a bit of a shocker—an entertaining shocker—to say the least.

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Romance

'Carol' (2015)

rooney mara and cate blanchett wearing coats and santa hats talking over a shop counter in carol

(Image credit: The Weinstein Company)

Arguably the best lesbian movie of all time, this 2016 drama based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt stars Rooney Mara (as Therese) and Cate Blanchett (the titular Carol) in a beautifully shot Christmastime age gap romance circa the 1950s. Prepare for plenty of sexual tension, lesbian longing, and a storyline that doesn’t end in despair.

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'Elisa & Marcela' (2019)

natalia de Molina and Greta Fernández walking on a beach in period dressing in elisa and marcela

(Image credit: Netflix)

A gorgeous period film about two women (Natalia de Molina and Greta Fernández) in 1901 Spain who want to get married, so one adopts a male identity so they can pose as a heterosexual couple. Based on a true story about the first recorded same-sex marriage in Spain, it’s a heart-wrenching but ultimately beautiful film about what women had to face to be together not so long ago. It ends with a hopeful postscript about how same-sex marriage was legalized in Spain in 2005.

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'Feel Good' (2021)

Charlotte Richie and Mae Martin laying in bed together in 'Feel Good'

(Image credit: Netflix)

Yes, this is a series, but the two seasons are the same length as a movie duology and more than worth the runtime. This semi-autobiographical comedy stars Mae Martin as a recovering drug addict living in the U.K. and struggling with both sobriety and their relationship with George (Charlotte Ritchie), who previously identified as straight and is hesitant to come out.

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'How I Felt When I Saw That Girl' ('Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga') (2019)

still from ‘How I Felt When I Saw That Girl’ (‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga’) of two women leaning on each other sitting outside of a building

(Image credit: COURTESY OF HKLGFF)

In the first-ever mainstream LGBTQ+ film in India, director Shelly Chopra Dhar unfurls an uproarious, layered rom-com with a lesbian romance at its center. As Sweety Chaudhary (Sonam Kapoor) faces constant demands from her family to get married, she (platonically) bonds with a new suitor, struggling playwright Sahil Mirza (Rajkummar Rao), while keeping a major secret. It may take a while, but once Sweety and her lover Kuhu (Regina Cassandra) take center stage, the result is magic.

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'Loving Annabelle' (2006)

a blonde teacher talks to a student in a polo shirt uniform in a classroom in the movie loving annabelle

(Image credit: Wolfe Releasing)

A classic in the early-aughts indie lesbian canon (millennials get it), Loving Annabelle is a very not HR-endorsed story about the chemistry between a young poetry teacher (Diane Gaidry) and a student (Erin Kelly), at, where else, a Catholic school. It’s lusty, a little cringeworthy, a little cute, and at less than an hour and a half, a break from reality.

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'To Each, Her Own' (2018)

Sarah Stern and Julia Piaton hug each other and smile in to each her own

(Image credit: Thierry Valletoux/Netflix)

A young Jewish woman, Simone (Sarah Stern), finally feels ready to tell her family that her roommate (Julia Piaton) is more than her roommate. But then she finds herself falling for the male chef (Jean-Christophe Folly) at her local lunch spot. It's a French version of the classic bisexual indie film Kissing Jessica Stein but stands on its own as a fun (and controversial) story of a confused queer woman in love.

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Horror

The 'Fear Street' Trilogy (2021)

Olivia Scott Welch as Sam Fraser and Kiana Madeira as Deena Johnson in 'Fear Street: Part 1 - 1994'

(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

Both fans of classic horror movies and sapphic romance lovers can find a lot to love in Netflix's trilogy based on the Fear Street books. In addition to being a centuries-spanning ode to the slasher genre, the three movies all center on a lesbian couple who are not monsters or victims, but the heroes of the whole saga.

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Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn who covers entertainment, lifestyle, and travel. She is especially passionate about LGBTQ+ issues and aims to amplify marginalized voices in her work. She has contributed to outlets such as Cosmopolitan, Glamour, New York Magazine, The New York Times, Travel & Leisure, Vulture, Teen Vogue, and many others.

With contributions from