Why are these two movies in the same post?

1. They’re both queer indie films written and directed by LGBTQ+ people that wound up on Netflix.

2. I (re)watched them again recently and love them so very much.

3. They fall into a genre I like to call “queer people being messy and making a found family with bittersweet endings.” Overly specific? Yes. It will make sense, I promise. So without further ado:

The Half of It

Written and directed by Alice Wu and starring Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, and Alexxis Lemire, this movie takes place in Squahamish, a fictional rural town in Washington. Protagonist Ellie Chu mostly spends her time alone caring for her widowed stationmaster father and writing homework for other students to make extra money. When football player and absolute himbo Paul Munsky asks her to write him a love letter he can give to Aster Flores, she grudgingly accepts so that she can pay her house’s electricity bill. She and Aster strike up a correspondence based around art and literature, and Ellie (sophisticated lesbian disaster that she is) falls in love with her, while her friendship with Paul grows stronger. The movie ends on a bittersweet note, with Ellie starting a new chapter in her life.

This movie is fundamentally about the friendship between Ellie and Paul. They balance each other out perfectly, with Ellie being deeply philosophical and cynical while Paul is a very sweet, sincere, and clueless person (he has such golden retriever energy). Their unlikely relationship and Paul’s acceptance of her lesbian identity despite the way he was raised resonates really deeply. It’s something they both really needed, as both of them felt out of place for very different reasons. Paul always got lost in the crowd of his family, while Ellie only really had her father and felt isolated from her community (plus, she and her dad are the only Asians for miles…). Found family and meeting kindred spirits is such an important aspect of many LGBTQ+ people’s experiences, and it tends to be less explored in many “mainstream” narratives. I also appreciate that the characters are still figuring themselves out, especially Paul and Aster. They’re still awkward teenagers learning about themselves and the world, and their uncertainty comes through in a very genuine, relatable way.

This film is witty, thought-provoking, and the cinematography (art!!) and sound design are incredibly immersive. This is the movie to watch when you’re looking for something both contemplative and sweet. Highly recommend it!

Runs In The Family

This South African movie was directed by Ian Gabriel, written by Gabe Gabriel and stars Ace Bhatti, Kathleen Stephens, and Gabe Gabriel (a double threat!). It centers on the relationship between ex-conman Varun and his son River as they go on a road trip to break Varun’s ex-girlfriend Monica out of rehab in Eswatini in time for River to make it to a drag competition so that he can afford top surgery. If this seems like a wild synopsis, know that it doesn’t even come close to doing this movie justice. It’s a wild ride of heists, plots, romance, drama, and so, so much beautiful drag. The film has a mostly happy but slightly bittersweet ending with tons of queer joy.

The core of this film is the beautiful relationship between River and Varun. From the beginning, Varun is unconditionally supportive of his son’s identity and interests and works hard to make sure he knows it. River is very self-assured and a bit stubborn, and tends to clash with his father over it. Together, they navigate complex feelings toward Monica, who abandoned their family when River was a baby. I don’t want to spoil the ending of this film because you should definitely watch it (support trans creators!) but the extent to which Varun will go for his son is really touching and they share a lot of wonderful moments bonding over what it means to be a good man.

In terms of representation, I think the film does a fantastic job portraying the messy realities and freedom of queerness. There are moments that represent the difficult and dangerous facets of simply existing as a trans person (like the narrative about affording top surgery, which is ludicrously expensive). But for all of these moments, there are even more that focus on joy. River is deeply confident in his identity and relationship to drag as a gay trans man, and his best friend (and secret love!) Ollie is equally comfortable in their nonbinary-ness. All due credit to the people involved in the writing and acting process; it’s really wonderful to see multiple queer trans characters of color form friendships and family. Further, drag is treated as an art form and showcased in all its beauty, and trans identity is celebrated as a part of that. All of the queens who are part of the drag show are absolutely gorgeous. Overall, this is a heartfelt, hilarious, and wonderful film. Do yourself a favor and give it a watch!

(Also, Varun’s dad jokes are peak humor and should be appreciated as such, so if nothing else, watch it for that)