20 years of Sapphic cinema: the 20 best lesbian movies

Lesbian films have come a long way over the past two decades. From low-budget indies and underground cult hits to Oscar contenders and chaotic mainstream comedies, queer female characters have slowly taken up more space on screen — and even managed to carve out happily ever afters every now and then.

While the pickings are sometimes slim, each year usually gives us something worth holding onto. Some of these films broke new ground. Some quietly found their audience years later. Some are messy as hell but still mean a hell of a lot to those who loved them at the time or have come to love them in the years since.

Here’s our (very subjective) pick for the best sapphic movie of every year from 2005 to 2024.

2005: The Aggressives

This documentary offers a rare look into the lives of masculine-presenting queer and trans people of color in early 2000s New York. Honest and intimate, The Aggressives captures a community often left out of mainstream queer narratives, making it a standout entry from the era.

Where to watch: Paramount+

2006: Imagine Me & You

Okay, okay, we're fudging a bit with this one. Imagine Me & You was technically released in 2005, but it didn't hit the states until the following year, and 2006 was pretty devoid of sapphic stories, so, here we are. Queer romcoms are still hard to come by, and even moreso in the aughts. But this cute story about finding the person you're meant to be with, even if it means getting off the well-trodden path, will always be a top tier entry.

Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video

2007: Itty Bitty Titty Committee

This scrappy indie follows a young butch who falls in with a radical feminist art collective, throwing herself into queer politics, identity, and a little chaos along the way. Directed by Jamie Babbit (But I’m a Cheerleader), it’s a time capsule of mid-2000s queer counterculture with a punky, DIY spirit.

Where to watch: Roku

2008: I Can't Think Straight

This romantic drama tells the story of two women from very different backgrounds who find themselves drawn to each other in spite of strict expectations from their families and communities. It became a popular entry in the sapphic film canon, especially for viewers looking for stories that explored the intersection of culture, identity, and queerness.

Where to watch: Here TV

2009: Jennifer's Body

Initially dismissed by people who didn't understand it, Jennifer’s Body pairs teen horror with queer subtext that’s not exactly subtle. The world was used to watching boys fall all over themselves for Megan Fox during this era, but queer girls recognized the tension-filled friendship between Jennifer (Fox) and Needy (Amanda Seyfried) long before that kiss scene played out. We'll wait for the sequel forever, if we have to.

Where to watch:Rent on Prime Video

2010: The Runaways

A gritty biopic about the rise and fall of the 1970s all-girl rock band, The Runaways largely focuses on the complicated dynamic between Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. Unfortunately, the film didn't go as sapphic as we would have liked to see, keeping instead to hints of a romantic connection. But Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning brought their A-game, and the tension between them definitely added an unforgettable layer of queerness that easily earns this one a place on our list.

Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video

2011: Pariah

Pariahisn’t just the best sapphic film of 2011; it’s considered one of the best films of the decade — period. Exploring a world that often gets overlooked in media, this Sundance winner follows Alike (Adepero Oduye), a Black teenager in Brooklyn coming to terms with her identity while navigating expectations held by her religious mother.

Where to watch: Starz

2012: Mosquita y Mari

Set in Huntington Park, Mosquita y Mari follows two Chicana teenagers whose friendship begins to blur into something more. The film received praise for centering a queer coming-of-age story within a working-class Latinx community, offering representation that's still pretty rare to come by even now.

Where to watch: Daily Motion

2013: Blue is the Warmest Color

There are plenty of valid reasons Blue Is the Warmest Color shouldn’t be on this list — from the director’s treatment of the actors to the way it frames queer intimacy through a male gaze. But there’s no denying the cultural impact it had at the time, bringing a level of mainstream visibility to a sapphic love story that few films had achieved before. It sparked conversation, drew criticism, and introduced many viewers to queer cinema — flawed as it may be.

Where to watch: AMC+

2014: Girltrash: All Night Long

This musical comedy takes place over the course of one chaotic night in Los Angeles., following a group of queer women split between impressing a "fantasy crush," playing a killer gig, and trying (and failing) to avoid trouble. Based on the cult web series Girltrash!, the film isn’t without its behind-the-scenes drama. But there’s something about its DIY feel and campy earnestness that stays with you.

Where to watch: Pluto TV

2015: Carol

A quiet but powerful love story set in 1950s New York, Carol follows two women (Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara) as they navigate attraction, social expectations, and the ache of wanting more. It's particularly notable for bringing a sapphic love story to mainstream audiences — and it didn't even have to end in tragedy to make straight audiences fall for its charms.

Where to watch: Netflix

2016: The Handmaiden

Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden is a twisty, seductive psychological thriller set in 1930s Korea, where a con artist posing as a maid becomes entangled with the woman she’s meant to deceive. The film’s stunning visuals and unapologetic sapphic desire made it an immediate standout. We could use more films like this one!

Where to watch: Prime Video

2017: Thelma

This slow-burning supernatural drama follows a sheltered college student (Eili Harboe) who starts experiencing strange seizures after developing feelings for another woman. As Thelma’s powers begin to unravel, so does the tight grip of repression she’s lived under. Genre films centered around sapphic characters have seen an uptick in recent years, but there have still been relatively few overall. Fortunately, Thelma is a worth entry into the queer supernatural canon.

Where to watch: Fubo & Fawesome

2018: The Favourite

The Favourite made a splash in 2018 thanks to its star-studded cast and overwhelming number of award nominations. Set in the early 18th century, the film follows Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) as her attention shifts between two women in her court—Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail Masham (Emma Stone). Although the story centers around ambition and control, the fact that uses queer desire to explore those themes (and does so in the most quietly hilarious manner) makes it stand out from other period pieces.

Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video

2019: Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Speaking of period pieces, Portrait of a Lady on Fire offered a very different take on queer longing when it premiered in 2019. Set in 18th-century France, the film follows a painter (Noémie Merlant) hired to secretly paint a woman (Adèle Haenel) before her arranged marriage — only to fall in love with her instead. This French film is easily one of the most highly regarded and well-known sapphic films in recent years, and deservedly so.

Where to watch: Max

2020: Shiva Baby

Shiva Baby turns social anxiety into a comedy of errors as college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott) attends a shiva with her parents — only to discover her secret sugar daddy is there with his wife and baby. The film isn't about queerness, exactly, which marks a welcome shift in media around this time. It's also a perfectly chaotic collaboration between Sennott and writer/director Emma Seligman, and fortunately not the only one.

Where to watch: Netflix

2021: Fear Street: 1994

In 2021, Netflix dropped a trilogy of movies loosely based on R.L. Stine's Fear Street books, along with the delightful reveal that they revolved around two girls (Kiana Madeira and Olivia Scott Welch) who previously dated but had a falling out. There's so much to be said about all three of the films, but 1994 kicked things off, which makes it the real winner here. A lot of people die in these movies, but — spoiler alert — at least Deena and Sam get a happily ever after.

Where to watch: Netflix

2022: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Everything Everywhere All At Once was the splashy crown jewel of 2022. This multiverse-hopping adventure follows Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), a laundromat owner who discovers she’s the key to saving existence itself. Among the film’s many threads is Evelyn’s relationship with her daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), whose queerness is a big part of why the two have been at odds with one another. As we hop through different universes, there's also a disturbing (yet romantic) one where Evelyn herself is in a relationship with Deirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis). This wildly original movie was a must-see both when it was released and now.

Where to watch: Max

2023: Bottoms

Bottoms brought dirtbag lesbian comedy to the big screen with a story about two queer teens (Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri) who start a fight club to hook up with cheerleaders. This gleefully chaotic whirlwind is a refreshing break from saccharine coming-of-age stories and traumatic period pieces. The fact that it was a rare mainstream comedy featuring overtly queer protagonists was just the cherry on top.

Where to watch: Prime Video

2024: Love Lies Bleeding

Love Lies Bleeding ditched conventional expectations at every turn with its story about a reclusive gym manager (Kristen Stewart) who falls for an aspiring body builder (Katy O’Brian). This one pushed a lot of buttons, but at the end of the day, its commitment to messy truths and unapologetic queer desire makes it one of the year’s most unforgettable films.

Where to watch: Max