Gay Films Set in the Summer - Gay Films Matter

Moonlight

2016 Drama

Chiron, a black American boy, navigates a tough Miami neighborhood with his neglectful, drug addict mother.

Call Me by Your Name

2017 Drama, Romance

17-year-old Elio Perlman spends his days at his family's Italian villa. When Oliver, a 24-year-old American scholar, arrives for a summer internship, their shared days unfold into a transformative journey of awakening desire.

Shelter

2007 Drama, Romance

Amidst family obligations sidelining his college dreams, a young man finds solace in surfing with his best friend's brother.

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.

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.

Sebastiane

1976 Drama, Romance

A Roman guard's Christian beliefs clash with his gay commander's desire for intimacy, leading to unexpected revelations.

Beach Rats

2017 Drama

A teenager from Brooklyn spends his days experimenting with drugs and seeking out older men to meet online.

The Birdcage

1996 Comedy

A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen partner conceal their identities to meet their son's conservative future in-laws.

The Normal Heart

2014 Drama

In the early 1980s, the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York led to an emergence of homosexual activists. With support from the medical community, they try to raise awareness about the disease.

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.

The Way He Looks

2014 Drama, Romance

Leonardo, a blind teenager, experiences a transformative journey towards independence when Gabriel enters his life, altering his relationships and perspective on the world.

Fire Island

2022 Comedy, Romance

A group of queer best friends reunite in Fire Island Pines for their annual week of celebration and camaraderie, facing unexpected events that could alter their cherished tradition forever.

Stranger by the Lake

2013 Drama, Thriller

At a gay beach, Franck seeks love and forms an uneasy bond with Henri. When Franck encounters Michel, a potential love interest who harbors a dark secret, he faces a moral dilemma about pursuing a relationship despite Michel's troubling past.

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.

Bros

2022 Comedy, Romance

Bobby thrives on no-strings dates and embraces his non-committal lifestyle, until he meets Aaron who turns his world upside down.

Your Name Engraved Herein

2020 Drama, Romance

Amid Taiwan's 1987 transition from martial law, Jia-han and Birdy navigate love amid family pressures and social stigma.

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Free at Heart

2025 Drama, Romance

Sebastian’s life is turned upside down when his family takes in Kolja, the son of his father’s late girlfriend. The two discover they are brothers, and what begins as a strong bond soon grows into forbidden love. Their secret is eventually exposed, forcing the family to confront the judgment of their small-town community.

Parting Glances

1986 Drama, Musical, Romance

As Michael and Robert, a gay couple in New York, prepare for Robert's two-year work assignment in Africa, Michael confronts Robert's true motives and their circle of eccentric friends, including Nick, who is living with AIDS.

Boys

2014 Drama, Romance

Sieger, a 15-year-old athlete, is training for the national relay championships. His friendship with Marc evolves into something deeper, leading him on a personal journey.

Spoiler Alert

2022 Comedy, Drama, Romance

Michael and Kit's love story takes a heartbreaking twist with Kit's devastating terminal cancer diagnosis.

Lonesome

2022 Drama

Casey, fleeing a small-town scandal, finds unexpected connection with Tib in Sydney, as both men navigate their newfound relationship.

Summer of 85

2020 Drama, Romance

After a dramatic rescue off Normandy's coast, 16-year-old Alexis forms a profound bond with his savior, 18-year-old David. Their friendship blossoms amid art, newfound horizons, and awakening desires.

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Heartstopper Forever

2026 Drama, Romance

Nick and Charlie are in love, but new challenges lay ahead with Nick getting ready to leave for university and Charlie taking on new responsibilities at school.

End of the Century

2019 Drama

Two men cross paths in Barcelona, and after a day together, they discover they had met twenty years earlier.

Come Undone

2000 Drama, Romance

Mathieu's summer in Brittany takes a romantic turn when he meets Cédric on the beach.

Summer Storm

2004 Comedy, Drama, Romance

A close friendship between crew teammates is challenged when one discovers he's gay and attracted to the other.