It’s that time of the year again when movie lovers are split between comfort watching Christmas rom-coms or looking for alternative Christmas movies to spice up their watchlist.
TBH, I was looking forward to doing the former but 2022 seems to be a dried-up well for new queer holiday rom-coms. Here’s an alternative list of queer Christmas movies to check out instead.
“Tangerine” (2015)
Similar to Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” and “The Florida Project,” the director’s earlier iPhone 5s-shot project “Tangerine” is a dramedy on the underrepresented. Inspired by a true story, it’s about trans sex worker Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) who finds out that her pimp boyfriend has been cheating on her during her 28-day jail sentence. She and her best friend/fellow trans sex worker Alexandra (Mya Taylor) set out to teach him and his new lover a lesson on Christmas Eve.
It’s funny and gritty, and gives us a truthful glimpse into the lives of LA’s African-American and Latino transgender community.
“The B*tch Who Stole Christmas” (2021)
You’d think that a “Drag Race” Christmas movie would’ve made more buzz. While Hallmark movie parody “The B*tch Who Stole Christmas” only garnered lukewarm reviews, fans might want to see RuPaul joined by more than 20 “Drag Race” alums including Ginger Minj, Jan, Brooke Lynn Hytes, and Peppermint.
We follow an undercover big-city fashion journalist named Olivia (Krysta Rodriguez) who convinces the local gals to join the Winter Ball competition so they can save their beloved inn from being taken by the bank. In truth, Olivia’s on a mission to steal the town’s Winter Ball pageant crown at the behest of her editor (RuPaul). Also in their way is the shady housewife played by scene stealer Jaymes Mansfield.
“Anna and the Apocalypse” (2017)
A zombie Christmas high school musical isn’t something we get often. This makes the “Shaun of the Dead”-esque “Anna and the Apocalypse” an extra fun ride even if it doesn’t have a queer protagonist.
It revolves around a group of high schoolers who sing and fight their way back to their loved ones as their town gets ravaged by a zombie apocalypse. But behind all that action is a social commentary on teenage issues. Part of the main cast is disillusioned queer activist Steph (Sarah Swire) who thinks her family doesn’t care about her. We wanted to see her interact with her offscreen girlfriend but we’ll have to take it.
“Tokyo Godfathers” (2003)
Satoshi Kon’s (“Paprika,” “Perfect Blue”) “Tokyo Godfathers” is an anime classic. While not as fantastical and psychologically-driven as his more famous works, the tragicomedy “Tokyo Godfathers” is still beautifully animated and possibly more moving.
A homeless makeshift family composed of middle-aged alcoholic Gin, teenage runaway Miyuki, and former drag queen Hana find an abandoned baby while rummaging in the trash for food on Christmas Eve. With little to no clue on the baby’s identity, they roam the streets of Tokyo to look for help in finding her parents. Along the way, they are forced to confront their own pasts.
“Female Trouble” (1974)
John Waters’ cult classic “Female Trouble” stars drag queen Divine like his better known flick “Pink Flamingos” but it’s even more brazen with Divine playing a character that is “crime personified.” “‘Pink Flamingos’ was a hard act to follow,” Waters wrote in his book “Shock Value.” “All my humor is based on nervous reactions to anxiety-provoking situations, so I wanted the ideals rather than the action of ‘Female Trouble’ to be horrifying.”
Divine plays a spoiled delinquent schoolgirl who runs away from home on Christmas Day, gets pregnant while hitchhiking, and becomes entangled in a life of crime and violence. Though too perverse for today’s standards, it provides a great snapshot into early queer filmmaking’s push for the revaluation of values and norms.
“1985” (2018)
A lot of us tend to steer clear of sad queer Christmas movies. But if you’re looking for a cathartic crying sesh, give “1985” a go. It follows the story of closeted advertising executive Adrian (Cory Michael Smith of “Gotham”) who returns to his estranged family’s Texas hometown for the holidays during the first wave of the AIDS crisis.
Shot on black-and-white super 16mm film and with a storyline about navigating an AIDS diagnosis, it may remind you of Jun Lana’s “Kalel, 15.” Though there isn’t much that sets its narrative apart from films that tackle AIDS, there are visually interesting moments that make it worth it. And Jamie Chung, who plays Adrian’s childhood friend, is always nice to see.
Art by Ella Lambio
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