It’s hard not to feel a bit deflated the week after Labor Day—summer is coming to an end—but we’d like to remind you that autumn? Oh it’s easily a top four season.
In all seriousness, we here at Queerty are big fans of fall, and it’s easy to see why: There’s plenty of queer and “queer-adjacent” movies just around the corner. Not only is Gay Christmas (a.k.a. Halloween) fast approaching, but we’re in also in the throes of fall film festival season, meaning there are tons of awards-ready features heading your way soon.
In order to help you keep track of it all, we’ve assembled a guide to the biggest film releases over the next three months. These are the must-see titles with notable queer characters and stories both in front of and behind the camera, slated to release in September, October, and November.
So, clear some space on your calendar this fall, because it’s going to be a very gay couple of months!
September
Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe
Based on the beloved YA romance, this charming coming-of-age tale follows the unlikely connection between two Mexican-American teens in 1987 El Paso, who go from loners to fast friends to long-distance pen pals , navigating their feelings for each other and their place in the world. Premieres in theaters on Sep. 8.
Rotting In The Sun
Comedian Jordan Firstman and filmmaker Sebastián Silva play themselves in what starts out as a raunchy cringe comedy full of d*cks, but becomes a full-on paranoid mystery after the director disappears and Firstman is left wondering if he got ghosted or something darker is afoot. Premieres in select theaters Sep. 8; streams on Mubi beginning Sep. 15.
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Cassandro
Gael García Bernal puts on some lipstick and squeezes into shiny spandex to play real-life gay wrestler Cassandro, known as “The Liberace Of Lucha Libre.” Co-starring Raúl Castillo, Roberta Colindrez, and Bad Bunny, this flamboyant biopic tells the story of Cassandro’s ground-breaking rise to fame. Premieres in theaters Sep. 15; streams on Prime Video beginning Sep. 22.
October
A Strange Way Of Life
Touted as Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar’s (long-awaited) answer to Brokeback Mountain, this Westerm short film casts screen daddies Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke as men on opposite sides of the law who nevertheless have some history and meet up one last time under mysterious circumstances. Premieres in select theaters Oct. 4, opens wider on Oct. 6.
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Dicks: The Musical
After a pair of business rivals (comedians Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp) discover they’re long lost twins, they hatch a plot to reunite their estranged parents (Nathan Lane and Megan Mulally). It’s like The Parent Trap but gayer, raunchier, weirder, and with way more Megan Thee Stallion. Premieres in select theaters on Oct. 6, expands wider on Oct. 20.
Dear David
Hollywood once again turns to social media for inspiration in this horror story based on a illustrator/internet content creator who shared a series of eerie viral tweets that he claims were proof his apartment was being haunted by the ghost of a young boy named David. Premieres in theaters on Oct. 13.
The Persian Version
After her father falls ill, a young, queer Iranian-American woman (Layla Mohammadi) is reunited with her boisterous family including her mother, with whom she has a shaky relationship. But when old secrets come to the surface, the two find they have more in common than they ever imagined in this winning dramedy. Premieres in theaters on Oct. 13.
Anatomy Of A Fall
When a bisexual author’s husband dies under mysterious circumstances, the widow (Toni Erdmann‘s Sanra Hüller) is the number one suspect, and is forced to prove her innocence in court. This French thriller premiered at the Cannes film fest earlier this year where it won the jury’s top prize. Premieres in theaters on Oct. 13.
Nyad
Annette Bening trained for over a year to play Diana Nyad, the lesbian author and athlete who made history when, at 64, she became the first person to ever swim from Cuba to Florida. Jodie Foster co-stars as Bonnie Stoll, Diana’s best friend who helped train her for the ambitious feat. Premieres in theaters on Oct. 20; streams on Netflix beginning Nov. 3.
November
Rustin
Colman Domingo stars as Bayard Rustin, the gay activist who co-organized the history-making 1963 March oN Washington—you know, the one that ended in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech? George C. Wolfe directs this biopic, co-starring Chris Rock and Audra McDonald, and produced by the Obamas. Premieres in theaters on Nov. 3; streams on Netflix beginning Nov. 17.
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The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes
In this prequel to the wildly popular series, we return to the dystopian Panem where future President Coriolanus Snow is a teen (Tom Blyth) assigned to mentor District 12’s tribute (Rachel Zegler) in the 10th Hunger Games. Look, we haven’t read the book, so we’re not sure is there’s anything queer about it, but Euphoria‘s Hunter Schaefer does star, which is cool! Premieres in theaters on Nov. 17.
Next Goal Wins
From Taika Waititi, this feel good sports comedy is based on the true story of a hot-headed Dutch-American soccer coach who is tasked with coaching the underdog American Samoa national team. Among the stars is fa’afafine actor Kaimana as Jaiyah Saelua, the first transgender player to ever compete in a World Cup game. Premieres in theaters on Nov. 17.
May December
Acclaimed gay filmmaker Todd Haynes (Carol, Far From Heaven) helms this melodrama about an actress (Natalie Portman) prepping for a role by getting to know a controversial married couple (Julianne Moore, Charles Melton) who fell in love when he was just a teen student in her classroom. Premieres in theaters on Nov. 17; streams on Netflix beginning Dec. 1.
Maestro
Following up his remake of A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper directs, co-writes, and stars in this biopic of great American composer Leonard Bernstein who, despite his years-long marriage to Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), was having affairs with men. Premieres in theaters on Nov. 23; streams on Netflix beginning Dec. 20.
Saltburn
Likened to The Talented Mr. Ripley, this ultra-dark comedy from Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell casts Barry Keoghan as an outcast Oxford student who gets an invite to spend his summer at the lush family estate of the classmate he might be a little too obsessed with (Jacob Elordi). Premieres in select theaters Nov. 24; opening wide on Dec. 1.
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dbmcvey
Especially excited for “A Strange Way of Life”, Almodovar is a genius and everything he makes is better than most of what’s out there, and Rustin. Coleman Domingo seems perfect! But I’ll look out for the others as well.