Entertainment

Science fiction has a unique ability to reflect and reimagine our world in fantastical ways to explore complex and sometimes taboo themes. I personally love that the genre can delve into stories that reflect the struggles of minority groups, especially queer people. To celebrate this stellar intersection of LGBTQ+ stories and out of this world adventures, I’ve scoured the galaxy for a list of queer-themed sci-fi flicks for your streaming pleasure. Join me on this journey and let’s explore some captivating queer stories together!

Space Station 76

Synopsis: In a 1970s version of the future, the closeted gay commander of a space station clashes with his new second-in-command.

Why you should watch it: If you’re not big into sci-fi. The film may feature a science fiction setting, but the core story is about the relationships of a small isolated group. It’s also set to a soundtrack of hits from the 60’s and 70’s.

Where you can see it: Amazon Prime, YouTube, iTunes, Google Play

V for Vendetta

Synopsis: In a dystopian future, London is under fascist rule. A masked vigilante, V, enlists the help of a young woman to overthrow the government.

Why you should watch it: The film deals with homophobia and homosexual persecution by the fascist tyrannical government. In these trying times, the film’s themes are as important as ever.

Where you can see it: Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Google Play

Sense8

Synopsis: 8 strangers discover they share a special psychic connection that lets them share experiences and skills. They soon discover their kind are the target of a sinister research group.

Why you should watch it: If you’ve been living under a heterosexual rock, you’ll have missed this Netflix series by the Wachowskis (the final season is a feature length movie). The series has gained gay buzz for its numerous pansexual orgy scenes, gay romances, and its trans lead character. But you should also watch because it’s instantly bingeable.

Where you can see it: Netflix

Bloody Mallory

Synopsis: With a strikeforce of misfits, including a drag queen, the titular heroin must take on an army of undead monsters to rescue the Pope.  

Why you should watch it:

Where you can see it: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play

Nimona

Synopsis: In a futuristic medieval world, a knight is framed for a crime and must rely on the help of a shapeshifter named Nimona to prove his innocence.

Why you should watch it: This is the queer Disney movie you’ve been dreaming of! Nimona combines stunning animation with a seamless blend of sci-fi and fantasy genres to create a captivating story for the whole family. Featuring a gay romance and a storyline that reflects trans experiences, Nimona brings meaningful depth to the genre.

Where you can see it: Netflix

Riot Girls

Synopsis: A mysterious virus has killed all the adults, leaving behind teenagers who’ve formed into rival gangs.

Why you should watch it: Riot Girls leans more post-apocalyptic than traditional sci-fi, with a sapphic, teen comedy twist that packs in plenty of campy, gratuitous violence. Based on a graphic novel, the film nods to its origins but never fully commits to developing those elements into something greater. The storyline is definitely familiar but the world is fun enough to make it an enjoyable watch.

Where you can see it: Tubi, Prime Video, PlutoTV

Flaming Ears

Synopsis: Set in the city of Asche in the year 2700, this sapphic sci-fi story follows three women, comic book artist Spy, the alien being Nun, and performer Volley, in a story of love and revenge.

Why you should watch it: While I couldn’t follow the plot 100% of the time, I did enjoy it for the lo-fi aesthetic. Shot on 8mm film, this art house flick makes creative use of miniature sets, stop-motion effects, and fun low budget costumes and set design.

Where you can see it: Prime Video

Did you discover a whole new queer world? Tell me about your favorite sci-fi films! And if you’re a fan of spookier stories, be sure to check out my list of queer-themed horror movies.

To celebrate Pride month, I’ve put together a playlist of dance tracks I’m loving these days. We have to kick things off with Padam Padam by my diva Kylie. I’m so happy to see her winning with this viral hit. While every Kylie single is a hit to me, I know she still goes relatively unknown by most in the US.

From there we dance off to the movie of the summer with Dance the Night from the Barbie soundtrack. I love Dua and this song is so fun, even though it feels like a gay version of Justin Timberlake’s Troll song. Some other stand outs for me are: These Lips by Jessie Ware, while I do enjoy her latest album I find it a bit camp and this song recalls the sultry disco of the What’s Your Pleasure album. Voices by Jake Shears featuring Kylie Minogue, a fun dance track that gives us a chance to see these two BFFs joining forces. And lately I’ve been obsessed with both Feel About You and Boom Boom.

Enjoy Pride month and I hope this playlist gives you as much to dance about as it has for me.

Many many years ago, in 2009 to be exact, I was struggling through a relationship. Looking back it’s very easy to see that it wasn’t a relationship I wanted to be in. At that moment in time, I didn’t know better. To keep the peace, my boyfriend was adamant that we try opening our relationship. The queer landscape was very different then, and I knew almost nothing about how this should work. As part of my own process, I wrote a screenplay for a short film about a couple struggling with opening their relationship. I had a vision for something serious told with a camp sensibility and plenty of motion graphics. Even though our world was yet to go fully digital, I wanted to show a physical representation for conversations and connections happening digitally. 

Open Season tells the story of Jason, who’s struggling with a newly opened relationship. While his boyfriend is out one night, Jason chats with an oversexed torso, a lonely gaymer, and tries to defend his situation from the judgments and questions of his best friend. 

For years I sat on this project and periodically came back to it to edit the story and send it to friends for feedback. Enough time passed since I had worked on a film and I was eager to get something going. In the summer of 2015, I pulled the trigger and decided to move forward on shooting Open Season. Luckily, I had a group of friends who were willing to help out and work on the project with me.

The Dramz

From the get go, I had issues casting for the film. I booked two days at a studio to have actors come and read for me. Unfortunately, no one showed up either day. I was gutted but it didn’t break my determination. Through a mix of single in-person and online reads, I was able to put together a strong cast. A week or two before filming, I invited them over to my house for a rehearsal. The actor playing Chase wasn’t able to show up because of a conflict with another shoot. I was okay with it, but it definitely was a red flag. He was MIA the weekend of the shoot.

We sprang into action to adjust the schedule, shuffle one of the actors to play Chase, and I had to step in to play the boyfriend, David. There’s plenty of acting in my past, so I wasn’t uncomfortable taking on the role. But it was upsetting because I was looking forward to focusing on directing. Not to mention, the final scene with David is pretty emotional and I wanted to make sure everything was done right. If I intended to act in the film, I would’ve rehearsed my scene more intensely and recorded rehearsals to direct myself better before actually shooting. 

What I Learned

Filmmaking is one of my passions and sadly one that I don’t explore more often. I’m not working professionally in film and I’ve yet to make something that’s generally praised so it still comes with many lessons. Open Season was no different. 

An important piece of feedback that is still an issue with the film is the unclear boundary between reality and digital conversations. It’s hard to grasp that these text exchanges aren’t flashbacks. My original vision was to play with those blurred boundaries and maybe add a digital glitch as a transition between the two worlds. Through multiple edits, I really came to love the idea of making text exchanges seem like they happened in person and decided to use match actions to transition between scenes. This confusion was key to the film, I thought. To keep the distinction subtle, I planned to add motion graphics in the background to show other conversations these characters could be having at the same time. 

Honestly, while I love the graphics they do very little to serve the narrative. We originally shot Natasha’s scene so that a clothing rack was in her living room, showing that she was online shopping while she talked with Jason. This scene stood out way too much since no other scene had surreal elements like that. We reshot it to remove the clothing rack. If I could do this film all over, I would’ve set the text conversations in surreal worlds and never would’ve played up these blurred lines. Chris’ conversation can take place in a Call of Duty war zone, Chase can be lying on a bed of shirtless men, and Natasha can be in a dressing room at Forever 21. It would add that camp sensibility I was looking for and make it clear these conversations weren’t happening in person. 

The message of the film, I think gets a bit lost and it’s definitely something I wish I could clean up. Over the years, I had several gay friends react differently to the story. Some felt it was a great reminder that online dating apps are terrible or that open relationships are terrible. Neither of those are the message of the film as I intended. The main story is about a couple failing to communicate or truly understand their needs. Jason struggles with even finding a way to discuss the relationship with his best friend. Another part of the story is the need to make connections. Sure, Chase is on the app for a good time but Chris is trying to find a real relationship and Jason is trying to make sense of his own. 

While I entered a handful of festivals, Open Season failed to gain any traction. Womp womp. It’s really upsetting but aside from my own criticisms it’s still a wonderful project that I’m proud of. I’m happy to share the story wherever I can. And if you’re putting together any kind of film showcase, please let me know! I’d love Open Season to be a part of it!