Images: Sony Pictures Classics; Max/Warner Bros. Discovery
It’s officially spooky season, and this month’s queer media has both horror, history, and realistic fiction. From gay pirates and queer ghost hunters to gay cowboys played by Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke, here are some of the LGBTQ+ movies and television shows that come out this October.
Our Flag Means Death – October 5
Our Flag Means Death is one of the queerest shows on television right now. Loosely based on the life of 18th century pirate Stede Bonnet, this GLAAD-Award nominated gay pirate show includes several queer characters, including a non-binary pirate played by non-binary actor Vico Ortiz. Season 2 of Our Flag Means Death premiered on Max on October 5.
Everything Now – October 5
According to The Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ youth experience higher rates of eating disorders than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. This month, a fictionalized teen drama called Everything Now seeks to shed light on that experience, following a 16-year-old teen as she attempts to readjust to school after being hospitalized for an eating disorder. Everything Now premiered on Netflix on October 5.
Strange Way of Life – October 6
Out gay filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar has had quite the impressive career, and in May 2023, his short film Strange Way of Life premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. A queer western drama, Strange Way of Life stars Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke, and marks Almodóvar’s second English language film. Strange Way of Life was released on October 6.
Down Low – October 10
2023 might just be the year of the queer sex comedy; first, we had Bottoms, and this October, we’ll get Down Low, which is described as “an outrageous comedy about one wild night, a deeply repressed man, the twink who gives him a happy ending and all the lives they ruin along the way.” Down Low stars Zachary Quinto and Lukas Gage and was released on October 10.
The Fall of the House of Usher – October 12
October is truly the month for gay horror, and as always, Netflix has gotten the message. On October 12, the streaming giant will premiere The Fall of the House of Usher, a gothic horror drama miniseries that is loosely inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s short story of the same name. The Fall of the House of Usherpremieres on Netflix on October 12.
Anatomy of a Fall – October 13
This year’s Cannes Film Festival had a lot of queer content, including the film Anatomy of a Fall, which took home the festival’s highest honor: the Palme d’Or. Anatomy of a Fall is a courthouse drama thriller about a bisexual woman who is accused of murdering her husband. It will be released in select theaters in the United States on October 13.
Living for the Dead – October 18
As Kristen Stewart told us on Saturday Night Live, she is like “so gay, dude,” and this month, her queerness extends to a new gay ghost-hunting reality series called Living for the Dead, which she produced and narrates. Living for the Dead follows five queer ghosthunters, as they explore some of the world’s most infamous haunted locations, and will premiere on Hulu on October 18.
The Persian Version – October 20
Earlier this year, The Persian Version premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. Written by queer Muslim filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz, the film follows an Iranian American as she attempts to keep her “real” life as a pregnant lesbian from her Muslim family. The Persian Version will be released in select theaters in the United States on October 20, followed by a nationwide release on November 3.
Élite – October 20
In 2018, Spanish teen drama series Elite premiered on Netflix, and five years later, this LGBTQ-inclusive show is still going strong. The upcoming seventh season of Élite will include returning queer characters such as Omar Shanaa, Iván Carvalho, and Nicolás "Nico" Alfonso Fernández de Velasco Viveros. Season 7 of Élite premieres on Netflix on October 20.
Nyad – October 20
It’s been thirteen years since Annette Benning played gay in The Kids Are All Right, and later this month, she’ll do it again in Nyad, where she plays gay long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad. The film also stars out lesbian actress Jodie Foster as Nyad’s best friend and coach, Bonnie Stoll. Nyad hits theaters October 20 and will be available to stream on Netflix on November 3.
Fellow Travelers – October 27
In 2007, out gay author Thomas Mallon published Fellow Travelers, a historical novel about two men who embark on an affair during the McCarthy era. This year, the Lambda Literary Award finalist is being turned into a miniseries and will star out gay actors Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey. Fellow Travelers will begin streaming on Showtime on October 27.
