Welcome to your weekend streaming recommendations, a.k.a. the Weekend Watch, a handy guide to the queerest film and TV content that’s just a click away!
This week, Netflix bid a fond farewell to its popular queer romance series Young Royals, as fans wiped away tears to say their goodbyes to Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) and his paramour Simon (Omar Rudberg) after three seasons of ups, downs, and young love.
But that also meant it was time to say goodbye to Hillerska, the prestigious boarding school where Wilhelm and Simon met. And that had us thinking: Boarding schools really have been the backdrop for all sorts of queer stories, the perfect settings for coming-of-age tales, new romances, and self-discoveries,
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In honor of Young Royals finale this week, check out these other films and television series set at boarding schools—each with notable LGBTQ+ characters—that are well worth a watch!
Boarders
This 2024 comedy-drama follows five inner city Black kids from London who head to a prestigious boarding school. Myles Kamwendo plays Omar, an out and proud gay kid who is cut from a different cloth than everyone, including his four other classmates who go to the boarding school with him—Omar loves anime and art. Boarders has been compared to Sex Education for its mix of progressive comedy and drama, but takes place in a distinctly British school, as opposed to Sex Education’s more Americanized academy.
Now streaming on Tubi.
Looking For Alaska
Based on the novel by John Green, this limited series takes place at the Culver Creek Academy in Georgia. One of the series’ characters, Dr. Hyde (the late, great Ron Cephas Jones), is a strict, elderly religion instructor who eventually tells the main characters, Miles (Charlie Plummer) and Alaska (Kristine Froseth), about his lover who died of AIDS in the 1980s. The beautiful story is actually an addition to the series and not found in the novel. Looking For Alaska is a terrific eight-episode coming of age story.
Now streaming on Hulu.
Little Ashes
This 2008 drama, directed by Paul Morrison, tells the story of how Salvador Dalí (Robert Pattinson), Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty), and Frederico García Lorca (Javier Beltrán) met at the Residencia de Estudiantes. This film explores the intense friendship between Dalí and Lorca, as well as Lorca’s love for the surrealist artist. While their friendship gradually turns romantic, their relationship in early 20th century Spain is doomed. Dalí eventually marries a woman, but the movie treats his love for Lorca with tenderness and sweetness.
Now streaming on Hoopla and Here TV. Available to rent digitally on Amazon.
Vampire Academy
Based on the novels by Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy stars Sisi Stringer as Rose Hathaway, a dhampir (half vampire, half human!) at St. Vladimir’s Academy. Vampire Academy has a sexy romance between Mia (Mia McKenna-Bruce) and Meredith (Rhian Blundell). Mia is a “moroi,” a mortal vampire who can wield water magic, while Meredith is training to be a dhampir guardian-in-training. If you can get past the lore and crazy terms, this one-season wonder is a solid adaptation of Mead’s novels, and much better than the awful 2014 film.
Now streaming on Peacock. Available to buy digitally on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play and Vudu.
The Kicker…
Drag legends Trixie and Katya get gagged as they watch season one of Young Royals. Their commentary is fun, but the dynamic between these talented ladies gets us every single time.
ddmtl
Have you fallen out of love with Ricky Martin? What about Palm Royale where he’s quite an eyefull and great comedy all together!
dbmcvey
I am really enjoying Palm Royale but it’s not set at a boarding school. Also, I’m not completely sure where Martin’s storyline is going.