October is Pride Month in South Africa. In celebration here’s a selection of our favourite gay movies in 2023. Stream online to watch.

EISMAYER (Austria)

Vice Lieutenant Eismayer is the most feared trainer and model macho in the Austrian Military and lives as a gay man in secret. When he falls in love with a young, openly gay soldier, his world gets turned upside down. Based on real events.

IN FROM THE SIDE (UK)

Mark, an inexperienced rugby club member, finds himself drawn to Warren, a seasoned player. A series of incidences at an away fixture led to a drunken encounter. Mark and Warren unwittingly embark on a romantic affair they struggle to hide from their partners and teammates. As the secret begins to unravel, team spirit, loyalties and camaraderie are tested. It’s a sensitive story about forbidden love and finding your tribe.

RED, WHITE, & ROYAL BLUE (US)

Based on the New York Times bestseller, Red, White & Royal Blue centres around Alex, the president’s son, and Britain’s Prince Henry whose long-running feud threatens to drive a wedge in U.S./British relations. When the rivals are forced into a staged truce, their icy relationship begins to thaw and the friction between them sparks something deeper than they ever expected.

BARRIO BOY (US)

Barrio Boy tells the story of Quique (pronounced KEE-kay), a Nuyorican barber living in a rapidly changing Brooklyn neighbourhood who embarks on an erotically charged odyssey of self-discovery. A chance encounter on a basketball court sparks an instant attraction between Quique and a handsome Irish stranger passing through town to settle his late father’s affairs. As this friendship blossoms, so do suspicions about the nature of their relationship, especially to the jealous eye of Cuz, Quique’s childhood friend turned local bully. Quique’s quest for love and self-acceptance is further realised as he navigates his way through complex and often messy layers of sexuality, family, friends, race and class.

NORWEGIAN DREAM (NORWAY)

On the frozen coast of Scandinavia, the friendship between a hard-edged Polish immigrant labourer working at a salmon processing factory and the adopted Black son of his new boss slowly develops into something more.

HORSEPLAY (ARGENTINA)

In the hot Argentine summer, a group of friends get together to enjoy the holiday. They drink, party hard and make videos together. A rare mix of homophobia and horseplay comes together, however, under the surface jealousy and violence begin to emerge. A twisted triangle of friends between a repressed gay, a secret bisexual boy, and a homophobe will push tensions to the limit.

JOBURG PRIDE 2023 DETAILS

Image by Sketchepedia