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It wasn’t long ago that movies had to code their queer narratives. Back then, gay people didn’t exist in the world of film, and if they did, they were either tragic characters who died to appease test audiences or, in the case of rom coms, provided stereotypical assistance to the main character.
Even though Hollywood still likes to live in a heteronormative fantasy, there were filmmakers in the past who lent gay subtext to their movies, and if you knew, you knew.
Below are six movies where straight audiences were victims of subterfuge, while the LGBTQ community’s gaydar led them through the plot devices and hidden narratives for a much deeper experience. Make sure to check out Just Watch to see where these titles are streaming.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
Often called the gayest mainstream horror film ever made, packed with subtext, camp, and coded desire.
What it’s about: A teenage boy is haunted in his dreams by Freddy Krueger who is out to possess him to continue his murdering in the real world.
The Hunger (1983)
This is a stylish, erotic vampire film that blurs the lines between horror, sexuality, and identity.
What it’s about: Miriam and John are an elegant couple with a dark secret: they are vampires. Feeding on human blood, Miriam has lived for over 2000 years. She gave her lover the gift of eternal life and together they hunt. But John begins aging rapidly, he seeks the help of Dr. Sarah Roberts. Miriam is immediately drawn to Sarah, desiring her as her next immortal companion…
Hellraiser (1987)
Clive Barker’s leather-clad Cenobites embody taboo desires and transgressive beauty in iconic form.
What it’s about: A woman discovers the newly resurrected, partially formed, body of her brother-in-law and lover. She starts killing for him to revitalize his body and escape the demonic beings that are pursuing him after he escaped their underworld.
Suspiria (1977)
A hyper-stylized nightmare where female power, outsider identity, and aesthetic excess collide.
What it’s about: A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the school is a front for something far more sinister and supernatural amidst a series of grisly murders.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Once misunderstood, now reclaimed as a queer feminist cult classic with bite and attitude.
What it’s about: When small town high school student Jennifer (Megan Fox) is possessed by a hungry demon, she transitions from being high school evil gorgeous (and doesnt she know it), stuck up and ultra-attitudinal to the real deal: evil/evil. The glittering beauty becomes a pale and sickly creature jonesing for a meaty snack, and guys who never stood a chance with the heartless babe, take on new luster in the light of her insatiable appetite. Meanwhile, Jennifers best friend, Needy (Amanda Seyfried), long relegated to living in Jennifers shadow, must step-up to protect the town’s young men, including her nerdy boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons).
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
A gothic tale of immortality and desire that challenges heteronormative storytelling at every turn.
What it’s about: A vampire tells his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries
