10 wet and wild gay pool movies that definitely make a splash

This summer’s been a scorcher, and one surefire way to beat the heat is a quick dip in the pool.

But we know there’s not always one to cannonball into at a moment’s notice, so we’ve got the next best thing: 10 refreshing, queer movies set in and around the pool—all of which are available to stream right now.

What is it about the pool that makes it such a perfect setting for LGBTQ+ stories? Well, swimming’s one of the most naked activities you can do in public—without warranting sideways glances or phone calls from “concerned citizens”—so, for many of us, the pool was one of the first places where we could (safely, respectfully) behold the beauty of the human body and discover what parts of it we were into.

Even as we grow up, those formative experiences stick with us, which is perhaps why queer filmmakers frequently return to the pool when they want to evoke feelings of desire, discovery, and even danger.

Plus, isn’t the water just kind of… sexy?

However you might feel about the smell of chlorine, the pool has been a trope cinema dives into again and again. Whether erotic romances, twisty thrillers, or even heartwarming tales of triumph, these 10 queer and queer-adjacent films want you to dive on in—the water’s fine!

Amphetamine (2010)

One of prolific queer Hong Kong-based filmmaker Scud’s earliest features, Amphetamine is overflowing with longing and eroticism (and nudity!). Fitness instructor Kafka (Byron Pang) believes he’s straight, but his whole world turns upside down when he meets gay businessman Daniel (Thomas Price), and the two begin a heated affair. Their romance largely plays out in and around water—a lap pool, a locker room shower, the beach, an especially sexy penthouse jacuzzi—which becomes the movie’s metaphor for all-consuming love.

Streaming on Plex and Tubi.

Related:

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Still optional: wearing a jock strap.

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A Bigger Splash (1974)

Named after gay painter David Hockney’s most famous work—depicting a pool at a mod Palm Springs home—this documentary film blends fact and fiction as it examines the life of the artist, particularly his gradual break-up with former model Peter Schlesinger. In the ’70s, A Bigger Splash stood out for its intimate portrait of the creative process (Hockney was reportedly “shocked” by it at first) and its experimental format, as well as its frank and open-minded approach to homosexuality, which was unheard of at the time in mainstream films.

Streaming on Dekkoo and Mubi. Available for rental via AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube TV.

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Borrowed (2022)

As much a “pool movie” as it is an “ocean movie,” this small-scale indie thriller makes its home in the Florida keys, where wealthy artist David (The Closer‘s Jonathan Del Arco) has become a recluse in his stunning oceanfront estate. When a younger man named Justin (Héctor) turns up, romance sparks immediately, and the two spend blissful days on and in the water… until suspicion starts to creep in. Borrowed is a sexy and suspenseful two-hander that exposes the dark side of a life under the Florida sun.

Available for rental via Amazon Prime Video and Vudu.

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The Covenant (2006)

And here’s where we include a little disclaimer that not every film on this list is going to be a good, per se. But we do think you’ll still have a great time watching the ’06 teen horror The Covenant—even (or especially) if it’s on mute. Starring hotties Sebastian Stan, Chase Crawford, and Taylor Kitsch, it’s basically “What if The Craft but men?,” about a group of young warlocks whose powers grow on their 18th birthday. Thankfully, someone had the good sense to put all of them on a swim team, which means we get plenty of skin and Speedos.

Streaming on Hulu. Available for rental via Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube TV.

Related:

Lather, rinse, rewind: 6 homoerotic shower scenes from film and TV

These scenes are hot enough to fog up your bathroom mirrors.

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Floating Skyscrapers (2013)

Ten years ago, this Polish drama boldly swam into uncharted waters: It is widely cited as the country’s first film to center on LGBTQ+ themes. Floating Skyscrapers tells the story of a young man named Kuba, who’s dedicated most of his life toward training to be a professional swimmer. While he lives with his girlfriend, he’s been enjoying clandestine gay hook-ups in the gym locker room, and eventually falls for another man. Though groundbreaking in Poland at the time, the film unfortunately falls victim to some tragic queer tropes.

Available for rental via AppleTV.

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Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (2015)

Indie auteur Stephen Cone made a splash with this coming-of-age feature set over the course of one day, the eponymous Henry Gamble’s birthday. The son of a pastor, Henry (Cole Doman) invites schoolmates and members of his family’s congregation to his pool party, including his best friend Gabe (Stranger Things‘ Joe Keery), who he harbors a secret crush on. Cone packs a lot of narrative into his single-location drama, as characters—kids and adults alike—intermingle and various secrets and unspoken feelings float to the surface.

Streaming on Kanopy, Roku, and TUbi. Available for rental via Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Vudu, and YouTube TV.

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Light In The Water (2018)

For a different kind of stroke, check out this true story about a group of queer athletes who, after the first ever Gay Games in 1982, created West Hollywood Aquatics, a first-of-its-kind club for openly gay swimmers. As told by members past and present in refreshingly frank interviews, the club’s history provides a fascinating lens for the broader LGBTQ+ community, reflecting changing attitudes toward homosexuality through the AIDS crisis up to the passing of the Marriage Equality Act, after which two of its long-standing members got married.

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Fubo TV, Kanopy, Peacock, Pluto, and Tubi. Available for rental via AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube TV.

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The Swimmer (2021)

The tiny trunks, the smooth yet chiseled bodies, the locker-room camaraderie—let’s face it, competitive swimming is one of the most homoerotic sports around, and Israeli film The Swimmer gets that, allowing its camera (and, by extension, the viewer) to ogle its cast’s athletic physiques. In it, promising young swimmer Erez is destined for the Olympics, but finds himself distracted by his gorgeous his training buddy Nevo—a connection their demanding coach recognizes and exploits to push both to their limits.

Available for rental via Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube TV.

Related:

Meet the sexy shirtless stars of gay sports drama ‘The Swimmer’

‘The Swimmer’ is a sports movie not afraid to ogle its chiseled athletes—so ogle away!

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Swimming Pool (2003)

Acclaimed queer filmmaker François Ozon directs this erotic thriller, which stars the legendary Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) as a celebrated mystery author who ventures to her publisher’s luxurious home in the French countryside hoping to get a start on her next novel. But her isolation is interrupted by a young woman claiming to be the publisher’s daughter, and the author develops a voyeuristic fascination with the unexpected guest and her many lovers—which eventually leads to lust and murder, all centered around the titular pool.

Streaming on Hulu. Available for rental via Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube TV.

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Wild Things (1998)

This twisted, lurid ’90s thriller lives on in cinematic infamy thanks to its wild sex scenes and, primarily, its pool makeout between stars Neve Campbell and Denise Richards. Ostensibly created by and for the straight male gaze, the steamy, sapphic moment nevertheless inspired quite a few queer awakenings. Plus—as has been revealed more recently—it was originally meant to include a romance between Kevin Bacon and Matt Dillon’s characters (including a homoerotic shower scene), if only Dillon hadn’t panicked and refused to film it.

Streaming on Hulu and Paramount+. Available for rental via Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube TV.

Related:

Strangers By The Lake: 10 queer lakeside stories perfect for a summer watch

Whether taut thrillers or steamy romances, queer lakeside cinema is a subgenre all its own.