10 films to watch during Pride Month, from 'Moonlight' to 'Blue Is the Warmest Color'

Any time is a good time to watch a good movie.

But Pride Month is a particularly good time to watch films with LGBTQ+ themes — and there are a lot of really good ones to choose from. These 10 are among the best.

They run the gamut from small indie films with tiny budgets — one was shot entirely on an iPhone — to larger productions. There's even an Oscar winner among the bunch.

Pride themes, such as inclusion, discovery and acceptance, run through some of the films more strongly than others. But they are there in all of them. Each one celebrates at least some of those themes in some way.

And yes, “celebrates” is the operative word. Each of these films, while not ignoring struggle, is ultimately empowering, whether that is explicit or implied.

'Moonlight' (2016)

Barry Jenkins’ brilliant film tells the story of Chiron (played by three different actors throughout the course of the film) as he comes of age in Miami. Chiron works to find acceptance as a gay Black man in circumstances that are both difficult and dangerous. By the end of the film he is still working on his own acceptance. Mahershala Ali won an Oscar for playing a drug dealer who takes Chiron in and the film won best picture, famously after “La La Land” was declared the winner.

How to watch: Streaming on Showtime.

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'Fire Island' (2022)

The work of Jane Austen, endlessly adaptable, provides the story — “Pride and Prejudice” — here for a group of gay men who make their annual jaunt to Fire Island. Noah (Joel Kim Booster, who wrote the film) wants to get his best friend Howie (Bowen Yang) hooked up with someone, anyone. Howie has other ideas. It’s a lot of fun, and the unapologetic out-and-proud joyousness — still not exactly common in films — is a thrill to behold. Well worth watching.

How to watch: Streaming on Hulu.

'Tangerine' (2015)

Director Sean Baker shot his film, about two transgender sex workers looking for a cheating pimp on Christmas Eve, on an iPhone. He hired two first-time actors, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, as the leads. Baker’s film takes inclusion for granted, while never ignoring the struggles the characters must endure, and work to overcome.

How to watch: Streaming on Netflix and Prime Video.

'The Handmaiden' (2016)

Park Chan-wook’s film is a mystery, a graphically erotic romance, a black comedy and a little bit of a horror story. It’s sensual but also violent. There’s a lot going on here. Sookee (Kim Tae-ri) goes to work for Hideko (Kim Min-hee) as a handmaiden in 1930s Korea. Maybe. There are lots of twists — of course there are in a Chan-wook film — including Sookee falling for Hideko. Nothing is as it seems.

How to watch: Available to rent on Google Play and Vudu.

'Everything Everywhere All at Once' (2022)

Trying to describe Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s film is difficult, though it’s sort of about what the title promises — the multiverse, in other words. Michelle Yeoh is great, as she always is, as a woman under extreme familial and financial pressure. But part of what drives the story, or stories, is the relationship between Joy (Stephanie Hsu, outstanding) and her girlfriend (Tallie Medel). The rest of the family wants to hide it from the grandfather (James Hong, a treasure). That struggle for acceptance is just one of many threads, but it’s an important one.

How to watch: In theaters. Available to rent or own on iTunes and Prime Video.

'Carol' (2015)

Todd Haynes’ great film, set in 1950s New York, tells the story of a married woman (Cate Blanchett) who falls for a younger woman (Rooney Mara). Haynes chronicles their affair and the social hurdles they must not so much overcome as hide from — as well as the absurd lengths society will go to prevent such a relationship. It’s a gorgeous film and the performances are flawless, with beauty and cruelty never far apart.

How to watch: Available to rent on iTunes and Prime Video.

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'Beginners' (2010)

Writer and director Mike Mills’ semi-autobiographical film is told in flashbacks, as a man (Ewan McGregor) recalls that after the death of his mother, his father came out and lived life as an openly gay man. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, he lives fully, inspiring his son. Plummer won a best supporting actor Oscar for his performance.

How to watch: Available to rent on iTunes and Prime Video

'Blue Is the Warmest Color' (2013)

Abdel Kechiche’s film got a lot of notice for its NC-17 rating and an explicit seven-minute sex scene. But the performances by Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux, the rise and fall of whose relationship the film charts, are outstanding. The honesty of the acting is amazing. Too long at nearly three hours and too stuffed with a little bit of everything, the performances are so grounded in honesty that it all works.

How to watch: Available to rent on iTunes and Prime Video.

'A Single Man' (2009)

Tom Ford’s film — yes, that Tom Ford, the fashion designer — is a brilliant exploration of grief. Colin Firth plays a college professor whose lover (Matthew Goode) has died; now he has to decide if life is still worth living. Meticulous and thoughtful, he approaches the decision with great care. Set in the early 1960s, Firth offers a heartbreaking portrayal of someone who learns the limits of what society will accept. Julianne Moore is great as his friend and the film is as moving as it is beautifully shot.

How to watch: Available to rent on iTunes and Prime Video.

'Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood' (2017)

As the title suggests, there is a lot of gossip in Matt Tyrnauer's documentary about Scotty Bowers, based on his book "Full Service: My Adventures and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars." A lot of gossip. But the film is also a story of closeted Hollywood, when even the rumor of being gay could sink a career. Bowers gleefully spills details, and there is something liberating in his openness, alongside the reminder of the price some people had to pay — and sometimes still have to pay — simply for loving who they love.

How to watch: Stream on Hulu.

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Reach Bill Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com and facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Follow on Twitter @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Check out these 10 movies with LGBTQ+ protagonists during Pride Month