Before It Was Legal: Gay Movies Set Before Decriminalisation

Brokeback Mountain

2005 Drama, Romance

In 1963 Wyoming, cowboys Ennis and Jack forge a secret and profound bond while working on a sheep farm. Their forbidden love defies societal expectations, unfolding amidst the breathtaking backdrop of Brokeback Mountain.

Mysterious Skin

2004 Drama

Neil and Brian are two youths from Kansas. Neil embraces a daring, thrill-seeking lifestyle, while Brian becomes obsessed with an alien encounter.

Milk

2008 Drama

The life and activism of Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay elected official.

Holding the Man

2015 Drama, Romance

A poignant and humorous tale of a 15-year love affair between Timothy and John, starting from their high school days.

A Single Man

2009 Drama, Romance

A 1960s Los Angeles literature professor struggles to navigate daily life following the sudden death of his partner, grappling with grief and memories that refuse to fade.

Cruising

1980 Drama, Mystery, Thriller

A police officer delves into New York City's underground gay subculture to capture a serial killer preying on gay men, risking everything to bring justice to his community.

Maurice

1987 Drama, Romance

Two English school friends fall in love at Cambridge. To regain his social standing, Clive abandons Maurice and marries. Maurice finds new love with the gamekeeper Alec while staying with Clive and his wife.

Another Country

1984 Drama, Romance

The early life of Guy Burgess, later a notorious spy, is explored.

The Boys in the Band

1970 Drama

Tensions rise and true selves are revealed when a straight man accidentally crashes a gay party.

Bent

1997 Drama, Romance

In 1930s Berlin, a gay Jew faces persecution under the Nazi regime, revealing resilience and survival amidst adversity.

The Boys in the Band

2020 Drama

A drunken game at a 1968 party in New York leads to reckoning among seven gay friends.

Firebird

2021 Drama, Romance

A handsome, introspective young soldier embarks on a clandestine affair with a charismatic fighter pilot on a Soviet Air Force Base during the height of 1970's Communist rule.

My Policeman

2022 Drama, Romance

Tom, a policeman, finds himself torn between two worlds of forbidden love. Initially drawn to a schoolteacher, his life takes an unexpected turn when he embarks on a clandestine affair with a charismatic museum curator.

Bad Education

2004 Drama

An examination of the lifelong impact of Franco-era religious schooling and abuse on two close friends.

The History of Sound

2025 Drama, Musical, Romance

In 1917, two young music students attending the Boston Conservatory bond over their mutual love of folk music. They reconnect a few years later, embarking on a song collecting trip in the backwaters of Maine.

Lilies Not for Me

2024 Drama, Romance

A gay novelist and his psychiatric nurse connect through a series of doctor-prescribed "dates", during which he recounts a friendship that unraveled when they resorted to a risky procedure to rid themselves of their mutual feelings.

Prick Up Your Ears

1987 Drama

Biographer John Lahr writes about playwright Joe Orton, chronicling Joe's ten-year relationship with Kenneth. Both aspiring writers, only Joe finds success, straining their bond.

C.R.A.Z.Y.

2005 Comedy, Drama

Growing up in 1960s-70s Quebec, a French Canadian struggles to reconcile his emerging identity with his conservative family's values.

Uncle Frank

2020 Comedy, Drama

Frank and his niece Beth embark on a road trip to a family funeral, joined unexpectedly by Frank's lover, Walid, in a journey of familial bonds and personal revelations.

Proteus

2003 Drama, Romance

Set in early 18th century South Africa, a black prisoner and a Dutch sailor defy societal norms and endure hardships to maintain their love.

Stonewall

1995 Comedy, Drama, Romance

A group of LGBTQ+ individuals strive for dignity and respect as they navigate the early battles of the gay rights movement.

Stonewall

2015 Drama

A young man's political awakening and coming of age in the tumultuous days leading up to the Stonewall Riots.

A Very Natural Thing

1974 Drama, Romance

A 26-year-old gay ex-monk and a school teacher are living in Manhattan. When he meets a man at a gay bar, they quickly move in together, but their differing views on monogamy create tension.