15 romantic gay movies with happy endings & how to stream them
| 06/08/22
A Gay Happy Ending for All
We freely admit we have a thing for cute gay romance movies where the characters live happily ever after (or something close).
Luckily, there are plenty of romantic gays movies from around the world, from Brazil to the Netherlands to the U.K. and beyond, that don't end with heartbreak. So grab some popcorn, track down the remote, and get comfy.
Keep scrolling to find our curated list of the 14 best gay romance movies that will make you believe in happily ever after, along with where to stream them.
‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ (1985)
Directed by Stephen Frears and starring Gordon Warnecke and a young Daniel Day-Lewis, My Beautiful Launderette tells the story of a Pakistani Briton and his boyfriend opening a laundromat in London. Set against the backdrop of gritty racial politics of South London, this Academy and BAFTA Award-nominated film shows love conquers all.
Available to stream for free on Pluto.
‘Maurice’ (1987)
Based on the E.M. Forster novel of the same name and directed by James Ivory, Maurice stars Hugh Grant, James Wilby, Rupert Graves, and bisexual actor Denholm Elliott. It’s a story of romance, heartbreak, and happy endings set in Edwardian England, centering on a man recovering from rejection by his lover and coming to terms with his sexuality.
Available to stream for free on Tubi.
‘Beautiful Thing’ (1996)
Beautiful Thing is set in a South East London housing estate where two teens meet, connect over shared trauma, and fall in love. Jamie is shy, nerdy, and hopelessly in love with his neighbor, athlete, and schoolmate Ste. The movie has a happy ending but the two youths battle homophobia, friends, and family to find love and acceptance, a truly beautiful thing for Jamie and Ste.
Available to stream for free on Tubi.
‘Big Eden’ (2001)
Written and directed by Thomas Bezucha, Big Eden tells the story of Henry Hart, a gay man who puts aside his career and life in NYC who returns to his small Montana hometown to care for his ailing grandfather and to finally address his unrequited passion for a high school best friend (who just happens to be returning home with his two young sons following the breakup of his marriage). He fears what it will mean to be gay and living alone in a small town, but the people of Big Eden surprise their returning prodigal son.
Available to stream for free on Tubi.
‘Latter Days’ (2003)
Latter Days is a classic love story of opposites attracting in this sweet romance about a party boy falling for a young Mormon missionary. Young Edler Aaron from Pocatello, Idaho, on his mission to Los Angeles with a fellow missionary when he meets his openly gay neighbor, Christian, who decides he’s going to make it his mission to bed one of his cute missionary neighbors. Their journey of mutual discovery takes some dark turns but, of course, turns out happily in the end.
Available to stream for free on Tubi.
‘Touch of Pink’ (2004)
Touch of Pink follows Alim, a closeted gay man living in Canada, who has his life turned upside down when his conservative Muslim mother pops into town for a visit. He and his boyfriend are forced to play it straight, causing Alim to summon the ghost of Cary Grant -- yes, that Cary Grant (with Kyle MacLachlan of Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks fame in another memorable performance) -- to help him come to terms with his sexual identity and conservative family values.
Available to stream with subscription Hulu, Fubo, and Disney Plus.
‘Shelter’ (2007)
Surf’s up in Shelter, which follows Zach, a young surfer and aspiring artist whose plans for going away to college are upturned when he has to tend to family obligations. Things become more complicated when Gabe, the older brother of Zach’s best friend, returns home for a visit. Sparks fly as Gabe helps Zach come to terms with his family, his direction in life, and his sexual identity.
Available to stream with subscription on YouTubeTV, Prime, and Sling.
‘North Sea Texas’ (2011)
Based on a book by André Sollie, North Sea Texas is the directorial debut for Bavo Dafume, who also co-wrote the screenplay. The Belgian film follows Pim, a young, sensitive gay boy whose life is complicated by his mother and her string of boyfriends, his handsome best friend Gino, and a somewhat hedonistic carny named Zoltan who quickly rents an empty room at Pim’s home. This frank and honest movie shows the depths and pain of first love, and, of course, concludes with a qualified but happy ending for Pim and his true same-sex love.
Available to stream for free on Tubi.
‘The Way He Looks’ (2014)
Leonardo is a blind student who craves independence in The Way He Looks. But the arrival of Gabriel in his life changes the way he sees the world and himself forever in this Brazilian coming-of-age romance.
Available to stream with subscription on Prime, Fandango, YouTube, GooglePlay, and AppleTV.
‘Boys’ (Jongens) (2014)
Love blossoms between friends and relay race teammates in Boys (Jongens),a coming-of-age romance from the Netherlands. Sieger is dealing with his mother’s death, and grows close to Marc as they train intensively for an upcoming race. Confused after a kiss while swimming, Sieger is confused and tries to ignore Marc. But true love always finds a way to blossom, as Marc and Sieger team up in a much more meaningful way by the movie’s end.
Available to stream for free on Roku.
‘Moonlight’ (2016)
This alternately heartbreaking and heartwarming coming-of-age tale brought home the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali. It also won Best Kiss at the MTV Movie & TV Awards. Moonlight follows the life of a young black man named Chiron through three stages of his life while he struggles to accept his sexuality.
Available to stream with subscription on Hulu, Prime, AppleTV, and other streaming platforms.
‘God’s Own Country’ (2017)
In God’s Own Country, Johnny Saxby (Josh O'Connor) lives an isolated life on his farm in Yorkshire. He acts out in his off time with drinking and casual sex. However, his life is upended by the arrival of a Romanian migrant named Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu), who ignites a different passion within him.
Available to stream for free on Hulu.
‘Love, Simon’ (2018)
Simon (Nick Robinson) has a pretty nice, normal life with great friends and a supportive family. He just has one secret: He's gay and fears that coming out will upset his world. But his anonymous correspondence with a guy named Blue changes all of that as he begins trying to figure out who his mystery man is. Things get complicated when Simon is outed, but Love, Simon ends happily as he finds that his secret admirer is a lot closer than he ever imagined.
Available to stream with a subscription on Fubo, Prime, AppleTv, and more.
‘Fire Island’ (2022)
Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, and Margaret Cho star in Fire Island, the groundbreaking film based on Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice. When a group of friends discovers that this will likely be their last summer spent on Fire Island together, they decide to make the most of it with plenty of partying and romance.
Available to stream with subscription on Hulu, Fubo, and Disney Plus.
‘Heartstopper’ (2022)
OK, fine, this one's a bit of a cheat because it's a series and not a film, but it's Heartstopperis cute that it's a must watch this Pride Month. Based on the comic of the same name by Alice Oseman, this sweet coming-of-age romance follows teens Charlie and Nick as they discover that their friendship is something much deeper and sweeter.
Available to stream on Netflix.
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