Pass the popcorn!
Love, Simon, is the first teen movie with a gay protagonist to be released wide by a major studio, but it is not the first film about gay teenagers.
If you loved Love, Simon, and are searching for more movies about gay teens discovering their sexuality and falling love, grab the popcorn and check out the list below.
Beautiful Thing (1996)
The classic movie, based on the play by Jonathan Harvey’s of the same name, about a love affair between two working-class, young British men captured the attention and hearts of American audiences, gay and straight alike.
Edge of Seventeen (1998)
Eric (Chris Stafford) is a high school outcast in Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1984. He dreams of heading to NYU, but lands a summer job at an amusement park where he falls for hunky older co-worker, Rod (Andersen Gabrych).
Get Real (1998)
A British film about a closeted high schooler who starts a secret romance with his all-star athlete classmate.
But I’m A Cheerleader (1999)
The ultra-camp classic where Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is sent to a gay conversion boot camp, only to fall in love with Graham (Clea DuVall). Bonus points for RuPaul!
Mysterious Skin (2004)
Based on Scott Helm’s 1996 book, Mysterious Skin tracks the separate, but parallel lives of two teenage boys who are coping with the same unthinkable event from their childhoods.
Another Gay Movie (2006)
The NSFW American Pie spoof is for adults, but tells the story of four gay high schoolers (one played by a young Michael Carbanaro) trying to lose their virginity over summer break.
Dream Boy (2008)
In the 1970s, two boys in the rural south meet and fall in love: a shy, bookish type and his more outgoing “farmboy” neighbor.
Were the World Mine (2008)
An independent film by director Tom Gustafson that embraces musical and fantasy elements as it tells the story of Timothy, a gay teenage student who frequently daydreams to escape life at his less than tolerant all boy’s school.
North Sea Texas (2011)
Teenage romance about self-discovery, growing up and falling for the boy next door.
Pariah (2011)
Teenager Alike (Adepero Oduye) is a lesbian who embraces her sexuality, but struggles to come out to her family she lives with in Brooklyn.
G.B.F. (2013)
Tanner (Michael J. Willett) and Brent (Paul Iacono) are two gay best friends living comfortably under the RADAR at a high school we’re familiar seeing in everything from Heathers to Jawbreaker. The guys toy with the idea of coming out, but after a fashion magazine names the “Gay Best Friend” the must-have accessory of the season, a gay witch hunt kicks into gear and soon neither of them stands a chance of staying closeted.
Geography Club (2013)
Based on Brent Hartinger’s best-selling critically acclaimed novel, Geography Club is a smart, fast, and funny account of contemporary teenagers as they discover their own sexual identities, dreams, and values.
The Way He Looks (2014)
A blind teenager in Brazil faces unfamiliar feelings when a new student arrives in town. The film also recieved the Teddy Award for best LGBT-themed feature at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (2015)
Henry Gamble is a pastor’s teenage son coming to terms with his sexuality. When a birthday pool party is thrown for Henry, he must keep his sexuality a secret from his family, and the other attendees, including another partygoer, Logan, who has a crush on Henry.
Closet Monster (2016)
From gay director Stephen Dunn, it’s a coming-of-age tale about a high school student struggling with his sexuality and fear of his father, mixing drama and “elements of Cronenbergian body horror.”
