From Let It Snow to Happiest Season, there’s no shortage of LGBTQ goodness for the festive season.
Christmas is upon us! As the nights draw in, the temperature continues to drop and Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ is on repeat, now is the perfect time to indulge in some wintery watches. With the essence of Hallmark movies wafting into LGBTQ filmmaking like the scent of freshly baked cookies, there’s a growing canon of queer Christmas-themed movies to enjoy during the festive season.
From history-making holiday films to classic picks, Single All The Way to Carol, we’ve gathered some of the best LGBTQ movies to put on over the holiday season.
Returning home for the holidays isn’t a breeze for everyone. In this sweet-natured, fluffy rom-com out-and-proud gay college student Olaf ‘Gunn’ Gunnunderson (Keith Jordan) returns to his childhood closet for the holidays. He’s ready to spend the festive season tiptoeing around how to come out to his parents (Derek Long and Kelly Keaton).
However, plans change when Gunn’s boyfriend, Nathan (Adamo Ruggiero), arrives unannounced. Saccharine but enjoyable, Make the Yuletide Gay has all the familiar rom-com tropes with an added sprinkle of snow dusted on the top.
Looking For Her (2022)
The call for a lesbian Hallmark Christmas movie is answered with Looking For Her. Writer-director Alexandra Swarens plays Olive, an actor who is hired for the role of Taylor’s (Olivia Buckle) girlfriend. The latter is scrambling to prepare to head home for the holidays but has just broken up with her girlfriend.
Not wanting her parents to know, Taylor recruits Olive to be her plus one for Christmas. As the snow settles and they toast marshmallows on the fire, sparks fly between the pair. An adorable rom-com, Looking For Her makes for an inviting festive watch.
Single All The Way (2021)
Netflix’s first queer holiday rom-com, Single All The Way offers something a little different from the streamer’s abundance of heterosexual Christmas content. The film follows Peter (Michael Urie) persuading his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to pose as his boyfriend for the holidays.
Peter’s plan, however, goes awry when his mother (Kathy Najimy) sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer, James (Luke Macfarlane). Though there are some cookie-cutter elements to the film, Single All The Way results in a warming wintery movie. Come for the queer goodness, stay for the iconic Jennifer Coolidge as the hilarious, incomparable Aunt Sandy.
The Holiday Sitter (2022)
The first gay-led Christmas film on The Hallmark Channel, The Holiday Sitter is a holiday flick making history. Bachelor Sam (Mean Girls’ alum Jonathan Bennett) is left responsible for his nephew and niece while his sister and brother-in-law are whisked away. Though he’s missed out on his Hawaii holiday, Sam’s festive plans begin to glow when he meets Jason (George Krissa), the handsome neighbour who is great with kids and has a twinkle in his eye.
This isn’t the first time gay characters have been visible in Hallmark movies – Bennett played an openly gay man in The Christmas House and The Christmas House 2 – however, The Holiday Sitter is undeniably a grand step in holiday-themed LGBTQ representation.
The B*tch Who Stole Christmas (2021)
RuPaul stars in the first-ever feature-length drag queen holiday movie, The B*tch Who Stole Christmas. Don Scardino’s festive extravaganza, produced by Drag Race minds Barbato and Fenton Bailey, is the self-professed “draggiest Christmas movie ever made.” Starring Peppermint, Jan, Ginger, Brooke Lynn, and Jaymes, the film is a whistle-stop tour of Drag Race alumni.
Blending entertaining musical numbers with outlandish drama, the jubilant film sees Olivia (Krysta Rodriguez) sent to the Christmas town of Tuckahoe to dig up dirt, smear the town’s merry reputation, and get her hands on the crown jewels.
Let It Snow (2019)
A group of small-town high schoolers is forced to band together on Christmas Eve as a blizzard approaches. Left to fend for themselves, their friendships and love lives are exposed to the elements. In this ensemble tale, based on John Green’s novel, a romantic queer storyline is introduced with little fuss.
Dorrie (Liv Hewson) has a massive crush on cheerleader Kerry (Anna Akana) but the latter seems totally uninterested. That is until she pulls Dorrie into the bathroom to make out. Though Let It Snow’s lesbian romance is a subplot, the confrontation of rejection and young queer romance is attentively handled.
Happiest Season (2020)
It’s not hard to fall for Happiest Season under the mistletoe, the seasonal rom-com is abound with loveable cliché. The film follows Kristen Stewart as Abby who is planning to propose to her girlfriend, Harper (Mackenzie Davis), while they’re at the latter’s family home for the Christmas holidays. However, her plans are scuppered when she discovers Harper is not out to her family.
Relegated to a “close friend” and stuck with the conservative family’s traditions, Abby’s Christmas quickly becomes a nightmare. Playing Abby’s gay best friend, Dan Levy is close by to prevent Happiest Season fromventuring too dark. Also, Aubrey Plaza is a real highlight as Riley, Harper’s ex-girlfriend, who is deserving of a sequel of her own.
Tangerine (2015)
It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor) are strutting through LA to find the former’s boyfriend (James Ransone). Rumour has it, the man in question cheated on Sin-Dee during her 28-day prison sentence. The two transgender sex workers are the heart of Sean Baker’s vivid debut feature.
The uproarious comedy makes for brilliant viewing, spotlighting LA subcultures with an observant lens. The sun-soaked, Christmas odyssey is a tale about the unwavering solidarity of friendship – the true spirit of yuletide joy! Shot on an iPhone camera, Tangerine’s singular vision in story and style is an independent feat.
Carol (2015)
One of the best Christmas films, dare we say, the best… Carol is yuletide perfection. Todd Haynes’ seasonally transcendental romantic period drama floats on an ocean of queer pining. Carol (Cate Blanchett) and Therese (Rooney Mara) first meet at a department store when the former is shopping for her daughter’s Christmas gift. Their first interaction is a fleeting connection, but one that leaves a mark on them both. There is electricity in the air yet glances are brief and touches are quick so as to not draw attention. Complicated consequences, however, linger just out of frame. When Carol gets brave and her infatuated love affair is noticed, she’s threatened with her infant daughter being taken away.
Carol’s elegance – shot on 16mm which creates a nostalgic feel paired with the glorious presence of its leading ladies – is spellbinding. With the sublime chemistry between Blanchett and Mara, the romance is irresistible. Subtly intoxicating, Carol makes for a truly perfect Christmas watch.
