Six sapphic movies to stream during Pride Month

Pariah (2011)

Pariah is a bit of an older entry on this list, released in 2011, and it, unfortunately, hasn’t had the same staying power as some other classic lesbian films. However, this film is truly masterful, even winning the Sundance Excellence in Cinematography Award that same year. Following a butch Black lesbian as she struggles with her identity amongst her conservative family, Pariah sheds light on the Black lesbian experience through the main character, Alike (Adepero Oduye). Despite being a much heavier watch, it’s still an incredible story of love, loss, and family and reiterates that sometimes family has to be chosen.

Directed and written by Dee Rees, the film beautifully captures the harsher realities of being queer, highlighting a less optimistic view of life outside the closet than earlier entries on this list. Though the coming out story is often criticized in media today, this film proves that it’s still as important as ever, especially to tell the stories of what coming out in different communities entails because that reality remains to this day. Because, even though Pride Month is a celebration, it’s also an acknowledgment of queer suffering.

Watch on HBO Max