Gay asian mainstream movies

The films that most rocked my world as I first stumbled across the vast universe of gay-themed Asian cinema, ranked from greatest to slightly less-great. In the first weeks after my discovery I often watched two or three of these movies per day. Alongside our watchlist (link) spotlighting 10 films and television shows with excellent on-screen representation of LGBTQ+ and/or MVPFAFF+ Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians, we’ve compiled a list of 10 films and television shows committed to centering, including, and featuring representations of LGBTQ+ Asian and Asian American people.

From South Korea’s ‘The Handmaiden’ to Taiwan’s ‘Your Name Engraved Herein’, here are the best Asian LGBTQ+ movies to watch this Pride Month. Capturing themes such as gay marriage, sexual orientation and gender identity, juxtaposed against societal restraints, these LGBTQ+ movies have become a powerful medium to spread awareness and depict the struggles of the community to a larger audience.

From Happy Together and Super Deluxe to Suk Suk, these are some of the best Asian LGBTQ+ movies you should watch this Pride Month. Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities. Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

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Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. Queer movies and TV shows to add to your must-watch list. Been there, done that? Think again, my friend. This brand-new reality dating show has taken queer viewers by storm since launching on Netflix in July The show is thankfully a far cry from the trashiness of Love Island , with the boys cosily learning how to coexist as friends and potential lovers in between writing each other letters and running a coffee truck to make dinner money.

The drama and funny moments are highlighted by reactions from a panel of commentators including celebrities Megumi Yamano, Chiaki Horan, and drag queen Durian Lollobrigida. Based on the popular web novel and webtoon, The New Employee follows fresh grad Seung-hyun as he struggles to please his demanding and strict boss Jong-chan. Touched by his dedication, Jong-chan begins to take on a mentor role to Seung-hyun, but will his workaholic personality make a good boyfriend?

This film also stars Vidur Sethi, the first openly queer actor in a leading role in mainstream Hindi cinema. The plot sees f ilmmaker Sid Mehra spend a passionate night with a fan of his, but abruptly becoming cold and withdrawn the next day. Highschooler Nathan Lee gets diagnosed with terminal brain cancer before he even turns Wanting to experience the remainder of his life to the fullest, he marries his gay best friend Dash and freely experiments with love and sexuality.

This streaming series based on a popular web novel of the same name became a bit of a social phenomenon in Korea when it aired. Choo Sang-woo Park Jae-chan is an uptight computer science major who is forced to work with Jang Jae-young Park Seo-ham , an artist whose personality is the complete polar opposite — and who Chu had previously screwed over in a university project. Winning the Watcha Award at the Busan International Film Festival, Peafowl follows trans woman Myung who tries to raise money for gender-affirming surgery by taking part in a dance competition.

Combining the Waacking style and traditional Korean dance, real-life Waacker Choi Hae-jun turns in a compelling performance as the fiery Myung. At 74 years old, picture book writer Yamazaki struggles with accepting his age and faded looks. Even within queer films, older gay characters are rarely depicted, and Older Narcissus is a great look into the less pretty and flashy side of gay existence.

Policeman Ming-han Greg Hsu accidentally picks up a red envelope and is left with no choice but to marry the recently deceased Mao-mao Austin Lin. The duo sets off a journey to solve a crime together and ends up developing a bond they never expected. Written and directed by C. Yi as his first feature film, Moneyboys follows a group of sex workers in southern China. Taiwanese actor and singer Kai Ko turns in a quietly stunning performance as Fei, a gay hustler who was forced to abandon his lover Xiaolai soon after he starts working in the industry.

Years later, he is successful in his field of work, but still carries the guilt with him and is unable to form meaningful relationships. Moneyboys is a glimpse into the oft hidden struggles of gay people and sex workers within a society that is modernised yet still conservative at heart. While on the run, the two women find themselves crossing the blurred lines between love, obsession, and self-destruction.