Ranging from experimental indie titles to mega-budget studio films, 2022 will offer many exciting and significant works aiming to highlight and platform LGBTQ+ perspectives that the world needs to see. This year, feature-length documentaries and films from all corners of the globe will focus on sharing real and fictionalized LGBTQ+ experiences that many mainstream audiences and filmmakers alike have often ignored in the past.
RELATED:10 Best Films With Queer Representation of 2020
Whether premiering on the film festival circuit or opening wide theatrically with powerhouse studio backing, the LGBTQ+ films of 2022 will operate as significant cultural works to represent underserved communities in our culture. Here is a peek at some of the most anticipated LGBTQ+ movies coming out in 2022.
Premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival wasAm I OK?, the directorial debut of married filmmaking duoTig NotaroandStephanie Allynne. StarringDakota JohnsonandSonoya Mizuno,Am I OK?centers around two longtime best friends whose bond faces challenges when one of them comes out as gay, pushing both women to examine their identities in an unpredictable, ever-changing world.
First reactions toAm I OK?have been generally warm, with many critics hailing the film for its relatable narrative that many young adult audiences can appreciate. At the tail-end of Sundance,Am I OK?was purchased for distribution byWarner Bros., so this crowd-pleasing film will likely be released on HBO Max by the end of 2022.
A likely 2022 release fromNetflixwill beBeauty, directed by Nigerian filmmakerAndrew Dosunmuand written byLena Waithe. Taking place in the 1980s, the film starsAleyse Shannonas a young black singer struggling to maintain her sense of self on the verge of receiving a major record deal.
Related:5 Shows About Queer Woman You May Have Missed
Benediction
After premiering at TIFF last fall,Benedictionwill finally begin its theatrical release on May 13th. Directed by the quintessential British auteurTerence Davies,Benedictionis a lyrical and heart-wrenching biopic centered around writer and poetSiegfried Sassoon(portrayed byJack Lowden), best known for his work that condemned the violence and destruction of World War I.
After serving in the war, Sassoon was known in British high society for his open love affairs with men, along with his lifelong struggles between his religious faith and his sexual identity. Davies' intricate screenplay grapples with Sassoon’s existence in a changing world, reflecting the openly queer director’s own life experiences. Both beautiful and mournful,Benedictionis a critical masterwork from a leading director that will undoubtedly impact the spirits of many queer audiences in 2022.
Likely to be 2022’s biggest LGBTQ+ film release isBros, directed byNicholas Stollerand co-written byBilly Eichner, who also plays the movie’s main character. Boasting iconic supporting roles performed byTS Madison,Luke Macfarlane, andSymone,Broswill make history as the first studio film ever to include anentirely LGBTQ+ cast.
Brosis a romantic comedy focusing on two gay men wrapped up in their careers who stumble into an unexpected fling, compelling them both to examine their commitment issues. It will be released on September 30th of this year byUniversal Pictures.
Fire Island
Another queer romantic comedy planning for a 2022 release isFire Island. Loosely adapted fromJane Austen’sPride and Prejudice,the film centers around a group of best friends who venture on vacation to the well-known LGBTQ+ holiday hotspot eponymous of the film’s title.
Directed byAndrew Ahnwith a cast thatincludes Margaret Cho, Bowen Yang, and Joel Kim Booster,Fire Islandwill likely platform Asian experiences within the LBGTQ+ community, a perspective often neglected by mainstream queer culture. The film will be released on Hulu later this year.
Framing Agnes
Fresh off premiering at Sundance Film Festival on January 22nd is the unparalleled documentaryFraming Agnes.Directed byChase Joynt,Framing Agnesgathers a group of transgender actors to discuss the real-life account of a young trans woman named Agnes, who took part in many groundbreaking gender health research studies at UCLA during the 1960s.
The documentary works with contemporary methods to examine the complications of transgender history and its widespread erasure and invisibility in many spheres of our global society. Although currently seeking distribution, it will likely reach audiences later in 2022.
Great Freedom
After premiering atCannes Film Festivallast year and winning a prize in the Un Certain Regard section,Great Freedomby Austrian filmmakerSebastian Meisewill finally hit U.S theaters in spring 2022. Set in post-World War II Germany,Great Freedomtracks a man named Hans, who is imprisoned for “homosexual activity”. During his sentence, Hans develops a profound bond with his cellmate, Victor, who has a dramatically differing and violent criminal past compared to himself.
Related:How ‘Knife + Heart’ Used Giallo to Talk About the AIDS Epidemic
AsGreat Freedomunfolds, its contrasting central characters and their relationship is on full display, bringing together two individuals with highly disparate realities and views of the world. Hitting theaters and MUBI on March 4th,Great Freedom’s release may positively impact its Oscar chances; the film is currently shortlisted as Austria’s entry for Best International film at this year’sAcademy Awards.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
One of 2022’s most anticipated releases will beKasi Lemmon’slatest film,I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the musical biopic tacklingWhitney Houston’slegendary rise to become one of history’s most influential and successful female recording artists.
The film stars Naomi Ackieas Houston andAshton SandersasBobby Brown,withNafessa Williamsin a supporting role as Houston’s personal assistantRobyn Crawford. While there have been other Houston biopics,I Wanna Dance With Somebodyemphasizes the unpublicized love affair between Houston and Crawford andis scheduled to be released on December 23rd bySony Pictures.
Neptune Frost
One of 2022’s most thought-provoking and ambitious LGBTQ+ film releases will beNeptune Frost, directed by musicianSaul WilliamsandAnisia Uzeyman. An Afrofuturist musical set in Rwanda, it is a modern love story between an intersex computer hacker and a mine worker.
Related:How ‘The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love’ Reinforced the Idea that Queer People Are Everywhere
Through this unlikely duo’s perspective,Neptune Frostbrazenly criticizes capitalism in the contemporary world and the long-lasting effects of colonialism in Africa. This film made its way through the film festival circuit in 2021 and early 2022 and will be released by Kino Lorber later this year.
This year another Netflix title that will likely be released isRustin, a biographical film about Bayard Rustin, the openly gay African American civil rights activist known for helping to organize the March on Washington Movement during the mid 20th century.
Directed byGeorge C. Wolfe(known for 2020sMa Rainey’s Black Bottom),Rustinis notably produced by theObamasand featuresa noteworthy cast, including Colman Domingoin the central role andChris Rockas a supporting character.Rustinwrapped filming in December 2021, so audiences can almost surely expect to catch this timely biopic about one of America’s unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement sometime later this year.
