If your holiday traditions include cuddling up and watching movies, chances are they are staples in most American homes. A Christmas Story, Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Grinch. All of them classics, all of them great, all of them straight. As a queer person, it can be discouraging to not see yourself reflected on screen. Fear not, there are many queer-centric holiday films that may not be as ubiquitous (yet!) as the perennial classics, but should be added to queer folks’ yearly viewing. Here are just a few options to tide you over this holiday season, all available to stream for FREE.
Anna and the Apocalypse (2017) – watch on Tubi
A British musical/comedy romp set in a small town amidst a zombie apocalypse during the holidays, Anna and the Apocalypse revolves around teenaged Anna (Ella Hunt) and her group of friends fighting zombies through song. American Steph (Sarah Swire), a lesbian coming to terms with her identity, is an integral part of the group working to save the town from the zombie-induced virus spreading. With themes that are not unfamiliar to the queer experience, such as found family, audiences who want to experience a massive detour from the typical nuclear-family holiday fare should find something to enjoy in this John McPhail-directed movie.
Holiday Heart (2000) – watch on Pluto
Starring Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames as the title character of Holiday Heart, the film also plays with the found family trope. After recently losing their lover, Christian drag queen Holiday meets an addict mother (Alfre Woodard) and her young daughter (Jessika Reynolds), taking them in and forming a makeshift family. For religious queer individuals who might be navigating the holidays without family support, or those who up the wholesome vibes during this time of year, this Robert Townsend-directed movie could prove to be a healing escape.
Scrooge & Marley (2012) – watch on Tubi
A queer retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Scrooge & Marley follows gay Ebenezer Scrooge (David Pevsner) as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future. Without spoiling important plot details, Christmas Past transports Scrooge to his unhappy childhood and his subsequent finding of queer community as a young man. Meanwhile, Christmases Present and Future reveal the circumstances and consequences of his current life as a hateful piano bar owner. Typical of the tale, Scrooge learns valuable lessons about life, and most specifically in this adaptation, about the joys and tribulations of life as a gay man.
A New York Christmas Wedding (2020) – watch on Tubi
Jennifer (Nia Fairweather) is about to get married on Christmas to her handsome fiancé and live happily ever after, or is she? As her wedding approaches, and as Jennifer starts to feel uncomfortable in her relationship, she is visited by a “guardian gayngel” (Cooper Koch) to show her what life could have been like if she had pursued her feelings for Gabrielle (Adriana DeMeo), her childhood best friend. Featuring much-needed Afro-Latino queer representation, the movie takes its place amongst the countless classic holiday films set in New York.
Tokyo Godfathers (2003) – watch on Tubi
From master anime filmmaker Satoshi Kon, Tokyo Godfathers is an important movie to note in the queer holiday movie canon. The film follows a trio of homeless individuals in Tokyo who have formed a chosen family; while looking for food on Christmas Eve, they find a baby who has been left behind in the trash, and thus ‘the Godfathers’ begin a search for the baby’s parents. One of the titular Godfathers is a former drag queen named Hana; it is important to mention that in the original Japanese version, a cisgender man actor voices Hana. More recently, in the 2020 English dub, trans actress Shakina Nayfack plays the role, bringing, at last, authenticity to the character.
If you have recommendations for free LGBTQ holiday movies to stream, leave a comment!
