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weekend watch

From fantasy heroes to ordinary teens, these streaming movies all spotlight nonbinary characters

By Lee Meyer July 19, 2024 at 11:00am
Image Credits: ‘Nimona,’ Netflix (left) | ‘The Kings Of Summer,’ Cinetic Media (center) | “Zombies 3,’ Disney (right)

Welcome to your weekend streaming recommendations, a.k.a. the Weekend Watch, a handy guide to the queerest film and TV content that’s just a click away!

Queer representation in movies have come a long way, but nonbinary characters are still deeply underrepresented. Often, nonbinary characters in films are relegated to minor or supporting characters, good for a joke or a one-off cringe moment (don’t get us started on Benedict Cumberbatch’s character in Zoolander 2). This weekend’s streaming picks, however, include richly drawn, fairly portrayed nonbinary characters, from fantasy heroes to aliens to your everyday, normal teens.

Read on for movies featuring nonbinary characters to stream this weekend.

Nimona

This 2023 animated fantasy, directed by Nick Bruno & Troy Quane, tells the story of Nimona (Chloe Grace Moretz), a teenager in a fantasy-punk world who is revealed to be a shapeshifter who doesn’t see themselves as one gender thanks to their unique ability. Nimona meets a knight on the run for a crime he didn’t commit, Ballister (Riz Ahmed), and the two set out to clear Ballister’s name. This film has a powerful message about identity and gender, and even features a gay love story along the way between Ballister and his knight-in-shining-armor, Ambrosius (Eugene Lee Yang). Nimona is based on the graphic novel by nonbinary author ND Stevenson.

Now streaming on Netflix.

The Kings Of Summer

Before making a blockbuster smash in Kong: Skull Island, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts directed this coming-of-age dramedy in 2013. This movie stars Nick Robinson (a.k.a. Simon of Love, Simon) as Joe, a teen who gets into a fight with his dad (Nick Offerman) and runs away from home with his best friend, Patrick (Gabriel Basso), who got into a fight with his mom (Offerman’s IRL wife, Megan Mullally—funny, right?). They, along with their oddball friend Biaggio (Moisés Arias), decide to live in the nearby woods and live off the land. Biaggio is the unsung hero of the film, a deeply enigmatic and quirky kid who casually—yet impactfulyl—declares, “I don’t really see himself as having a gender.” 

Now streaming on Pluto. Available to rent or buy digitally on Apple TV, Amazon and Fandango At Home.

Zombies 3

It’s not a horror film! Despite this Queerty writer’s penchant for recommending grimdark streaming picks to unsuspecting readers, Zombies 3 is about as wholesome as a movie about zombies, werewolves, and invading aliens can get. Directed by David Light and Joseph Raso, this 2022 Disney+ film is the third entry in a series of comedic musicals about Seabrook, a town where zombies, werewolves, and humans live in harmony. In Zombies 3, Seabrook is threatened by a UFO that wants to take over the town (and the world). One of the aliens, A-Spen (nonbinary actor Terry Hu), has a major crush on series lead, zombie Zed (Milo Manheim) and is not treated with any more disrespect than the rest of the aliens. Zombies 3 is a sweet, funny family movie that adults will enjoy for the social commentary and catchy music.

Now streaming on Disney+.

Seed Of Chucky

You didn’t think we’d let you go without one spooky movie, right? Directed by Chucky series creator Don Mancini, 2004’s Seed Of Chucky is one hell of a good time, with serial killing dolls Chucky (Brad Dourif) and wife Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) coping with having a child, Glen/Glenda (Billy Boyd). Glen/Glenda is a doll with no genitals and doesn’t understand why their parents are so violent. This being a movie about murderous dolls, though, Glen/Glenda doesn’t stay docile for long. Mancini, who is openly gay, has been up front about Chucky being a queer horror series, and Glen/Glenda, while played for laughs, also teaches their parents about identity and gender.

Now streaming on Tubi. Available to rent digitally on Amazon, Apple, Fandango At Home and Microsoft Store.

The Kicker…

Nonbinary actor Sara Ramírez played the controversial, polarizing Che Diaz on And Just Like That… While the character was written unevenly and faced criticism for their abrasive personality and behavior, Ramirez has gone on the record about the importance of the character in the Sex And The City sequel’s first two seasons. Check out their take on Che Diaz.

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