SEXY AND PROVOCATIVE
5 LGBTQ Films of 2021 That Turned Us On
Sure, Pride month may be in June, but why shouldn’t every month be Pride? Cinema has come a long way in depicting LGBTQ+ characters on screen. We are finally living in an age where we can see queer characters as central characters in films and television and are not vilified for their sexualities. Yes, there is still a long way to go, but now let’s take a look at five of the sexiest LGBTQ+ films released this year.
BENEDETTA
Benedetta Carlini was a mystic and nun in counter-reformation Italy who had a sexual relationship with a fellow nun, Sister Bartolomea. When this relationship came to the attention of the Vatican, it subsequently stripped Benedetta of her rank and imprisoned her. This true story was adapted by famed director Paul Verhoeven. The film, Benedetta, follows the trials and tribulations of the titular nun, played by Virginie Efira. It had its world premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for, but lost, the Palme d’Or. As you can imagine, the movie is full of raunchy sex scenes.
TITANE
Julia Ducournau, whose debut was in the terrifying horror film Raw, has returned with a sophomore feature almost, if not equally, as provocative as her debut. Titane is an erotic, body-horror film not easily summed up in just a few sentences. Seriously, the simple logline for this movie doesn’t give you a good sense of what it’s about. So let’s sum it up with two words: car sex, and no, we do not mean having sex in a car. Nevertheless, the film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, making Ducournau the second woman to win the festival’s top prize.
FIREBIRD
This dramatic romance from first-time feature director Peeter Rebane is set against the backdrop of the Cold War. It follows the love triangle between Soviet private Sergey (Tom Prior), fighter pilot Roman (Oleg Zagorodnii), and secretary Luisa (Diana Pozharskaya). Unlike many other love triangle films that focus on two men loving the same woman, this focuses on the love story between the two men and their relationships with Luisa. Firebird premiered at the 35th BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival.
I CARRY YOU WITH ME
Heidi Ewing made her name as a documentary filmmaker with Jesus Camp and One of Us projects. However, she has ventured into narrative features with I Carry You With Me. The movie follows the love story between two Mexican men, Iván (Armando Espitia), a closeted, aspiring chef with a young son, and Gerardo (Christian Vázquez), a gay teacher. While the movie marks Ewing’s first foray into narrative cinema, the story is not entirely fictitious. It is based on the real-life romance of her friends Iván Garcia and Gerardo Zabaleta. It premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was released this year.
RIDE OR DIE
This Japanese romantic drama, from Netflix, follows Rei (Kiko Mizuhara), a woman in her late 20s who conspires to murder her abusive husband, Nanae (Honami Sato), with whom she is in love. However, while Rei’s plan repulses Nanae, she also falls for Rei. As a result, the two women are on an emotional rollercoaster full of passion and murder. The movie, written by Nami Sakkawa and directed by Ryuichi Hiroki, is based on the Japanese Manga series Gunjō by Ching Nakamura.
