What are the best queer movies?
Summer of 85, Call Me by Your Name, and Good Grief immediately come to mind.
Obviously, some of our favorite LGBTQ+ movies are those filmed in Europe because they tell new stories of love against the backdrop of the continent’s gorgeous old towns, ancient palazzos, and historic neighborhoods.
Countries like France, England, and Italy are no stranger to film crews—The Holiday, Notting Hill, Letters to Juliet, Bridget Jones, the list goes on—but it’s more than refreshing to see cameras focus on more than the male-female meet-cute movies that have dominated the box office.
(Though we do wish there were more Christmas themed movies with LGBTQ+ characters set in Europe; A Castle for Christmas features a widowed gay character named Angus who hasn’t spoken since his heart was broken.)
Image Credit: ©2020 Mandarin Production
Here are a few of the best romantic LGBTQ+ movies and where to find their filming locations in Europe.
Summer of 85
🎬 Released: 2020
🎭 Cast: Benjamin Voisin, Félix Lefebvre, Philippine Velge, and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
📚 Based on a book: Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chambers
🎥 Filmed in: France
What is Summer of 85 about?
Summer of 85 tells a story of 16-year-old Alexis who is rescued in a boating accident by 18-year-old David. The two boys become close and begin a secret relationship.
Where is Summer of 85 filmed?
Filming for Summer of 85 took place in Normandy, France, with some scenes also filmed near Paris. Most of the movie was shot in locations around Le Tréport.
Image Credit: Amazon MGM
Red, White & Royal Blue
🎬 Released: 2023
🎭 Cast: Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Uma Thurman, and Jemma Redgrave
📚 Based on a book: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
🎥 Filmed in: England
What is Red, White & Royal Blue about?
Red, White & Royal Blue sees the son of the President of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz, accidentally fall in love with British Prince Henry. The two have a clandestine relationship as they try to evade the public eye and their prestigious families.
Where did they film the museum scene in Red, White & Royal Blue?
Prince Henry takes Alex to the real Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. It’s one of the most popular museums in the UK; you can visit by taking the London Underground to South Kensington station.
Blue is the Warmest Colour
🎬 Released: 2013
🎭 Cast: Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche, and Aurélien Recoing
📚 Based on a book: Le Bleu est une Couleur Chaude by Jul Maroh
🎥 Filmed in: France, Belgium
What is Blue is the Warmest Colour about?
Based on the graphic novel, Blue is the Warmest Colour is about a high schooler named Adèle who meets the free-spirited, blue-haired Emma. Their relationship grows beyond friendship as Adèle learns to express who she truly is.
Where did Blue is the Warmest Colour take place?
Blue is the Warmest Colour takes place primarily in France around the city of Lille. Catch a train from Paris Gare du Nord to Lille-Flandres in an hour or London St Pancras to Lille-Flandres in 1hr 30m. For the parade scenes, production actually filmed in Belgium during the 2012 Brussels Pride festival.
Image Credit: Chris Baker / Netflix © 2023
Good Grief
🎬 Released: 2023
🎭 Cast: Dan Levy, Luke Evans, Ruth Negga, and Himesh Patel
📚 Original screenplay by Dan Levy
🎥 Filmed in: England, France
What is Good Grief about?
One of the best LGBTQ+ movies to watch on Netflix if you need a good cry, Good Grief is about the love and loss Marc experiences when his husband, Oliver, unexpectedly dies. Marc has to work through his grief as he discovers a separate relationship Oliver kept in secret.
Where was Good Grief filmed?
Good Grief was filmed on location in London and Paris, with iconic landmarks like Big Ben, The British Museum, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe making appearances. You can get between London and Paris to see both locations when you take the train beneath the English Channel.
Disobedience
🎬 Released: 2017
🎭 Cast: Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, Alessandro Nivola, and Anton Lesser
📚 Based on a book: Disobedience by Naomi Alderman
🎥 Filmed in: England
What is Disobedience about?
Disobedience finds Ronit returning to her Orthodox Jewish community years after they eschewed her for being attracted to one of her female friends. The story finds Ronit reconnecting with Esti and reigniting their attraction for one another.
Where was Disobedience filmed?
Disobedience was filmed in London, England. Should you arrive at London Stansted Airport from New York, as Ronit did in the film, you can take the Stansted Express into the city to find more filming locations from Disobedience and other LGBTQ+ movies.
Image Credit: Universal Pictures UK
Last Christmas
🎬 Released: 2019
🎭 Cast: Emilia Clark, Henry Golding, Lydia Leonard, and Emma Thompson.
📚 Based on a book: Original screenplay by Emma Thompson and Bryony Kimmings
🎥 Filmed in: England
What is Last Christmas about?
Last Christmas follows Kate, an aspiring singer, as she struggles to get on her feet. She meets a charming man named Tom who inspires her to turn her life around. It is one of the few Christmas themed movies with LGBTQ+ characters: Kate’s sister, Marta, has a female partner and keeps her romantic life unknown to her parents.
Where was Last Christmas filmed?
Last Christmas was filmed in London and features scenes in Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Phoenix Garden, and St. Mary’s Bryanston Square Church.
Download the Trainline app today and visit more of your favorite filming locations in Europe, including:
- Downton Abbey
- Finding Mary & George
- Peaky Blinders
- Emily in Paris
- Book Club: The Next Chapter
- Poldark
- Game of Thrones
- Sex Education
- Poor Things
Header Image Credit: ©2020 Mandarin Production