The best LGBTQ+ movies & TV shows coming to streaming in April 2024

Sure, it may be April Fool’s Day, but we’re not joking: There are tons of great queer movies and TV shows headed to streaming in the week’s ahead.

Throughout the month, there are plenty of exciting LGBTQ+ friendly films, TV series, and specials worth tuning in for. Across the major streaming platforms, April will see the premiere of a sleek new take on a classic queer literary villain, a new home for Pedro Almodóvar’s celebrated gay cowboy story Strange Way Of Life, the final frontier for the queer-inclusive Star Trek: Discovery, the return of We’re Here with a gag-worthy batch of new queens, and streaming debuts for plenty of favorites, new and old.

Whether you use Netflix, Prime Video, (HBO) Max, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Tubi—or some combo of the those—Queerty has your can’t-miss recommendations for each.

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So, get those watch lists ready; it’s going to be a very gay April.

Jump to your streaming platform of choice:

Netflix • Prime Video • Max • Hulu • Paramount+ • Peacock • Tubi

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What’s new and gay on Netflix in April 2024

Spotlight: Ripley (April 4)

Fresh off his acclaimed work in All Of Us Strangers, Andrew Scott headlines this new take on Patricia Highsmith’s iconic literary antihero, Tom Ripley. Shot in gorgeous black-and-white, the series adapts The Talented Mr. Ripley, following the amateur conman as he travels to Italy, tapped to convince would-be playboy Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) to return home. But when that fails, Ripley finds himself too enamored with his new luxuriously lifestyle to give it up, resorting to extreme measures. As the lies—and bodies—begin to pile up, he’ll have to stay three steps ahead of Dickie’s suspicious friend Marge (Dakota Fanning) and the authorities.

Also Don’t Miss:

• The Matrix Trilogy (Apr. 1): The original changed the movies forever, the sequels… less so, but the Wachowskis sure did make one of the most mind-blowing cinematic trilogies of all time!
• Heartbreak High, Season 2 (Apr. 11): A “soft-reboot” of this Aussie teen favorite from the ’90s, this queer-inclusive high school dramedy is one of Netflix’s hidden gems.
• Strange Way Of Life, 2023 (Apr. 12): Pedro Almodóvar’s buzzy short film is a gay Western romance, with Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke as lovers on opposite sides of the law.
• Dead Boy Detectives (Apr. 25): Adapted from Neil Gaiman’s DC Comics series, the supernatural mystery about ghostly investigators counts Lukas Gage and Max Jenkins among its guest stars.

Related:

From Rock Hudson to Pedro Pascal: Western movies have always been gay

With ‘Strange Way Of Life,’ the western is having its long-overdue coming out party.

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Amazon Prime Video’s LGBTQ+ offerings in April 2024

Spotlight: The Matrix Resurrections, 2021 (April 1)

After revisiting The Matrix trilogy on Netflix, hack on into Max to watch this ambitious, decades-later sequel, which makes the queer subtext of the originals text and cleverly skewers the concept of money-hungry studios cranking out sequels just because they can. Keanu Reeves’ soulful hero Neo is back, trapped in yet another Matrix, and is joined by new allies, old friends (it’s so good to see Carrie-Anne Moss kick some serious *ss again as Trinity), and some new/old enemies—notably LGBTQ+ icons Jonathan Groff and Neil Patrick Harris.

Also Don’t Miss:

• Batman & Robin, 1997 (Apr. 1): Is this Joel Schumacher’s blockbuster blunder or camp classic? As huge fans of Uma Thurman’s vamping Poison Ivy, we know where we land!
• The Stepford Wives, 2004 (Apr. 1): Muppets mainstay Frank Oz directs this unfairly maligned dystopia offers juicy roles from Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler, Glenn Close, and more.
• Cruel Intentions, 1999 (Apr. 1): A sexual awakening for many a ’90s kid, this erotic drama finds two wicked step-siblings vying to deflower the new girl at their elite prep school.
• Fallout (Apr. 24): Look, there may or may not be anything gay about this video game adaptation, but gaymers sure are excited about this new spin on the post-apocalyptic adventure.

Related:

9 reasons ‘Cruel Intentions’ and its campy sequels deserve to be gay classics

Ryan Phillippe’s cheeks inspired an entire generation’s sexual awakening, but these movies have plenty more to offer.

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What’s gay on the way to Max in April 2024

Spotlight: We’re Here, Season 4 (April 26)

The big-hearted reality show is back to drag up small-town America, but you may notice things looking a little different this time around. The new season recruits RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9 winner Sasha Velour, Season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall, two-time All Star Latrice Royale, and Canada’s Drag Race winner Priyanka as its drag ambassadors, makeover the locals and changing hearts and minds in the process. And instead of a new city each episode, they’ll stick to two main locations: Tulsa, OK, and Murfreesboro, TN—where the notably filmed amid the state’s wave of anti-drag laws.

Also Don’t Miss:

• Basquiat, 1996 (Apr. 1): A star-studded biopic of the influential queer American painter, starring the great Jeffrey Wright in the titular role. (Plus, David Bowie plays Andy Warhol!)
• McQueen, 2018 (Apr. 1): A documentary about the life and career of Alexander McQueen, the boundary-pushing designer who forever changed fashion before his untimely passing.
• The Watermelon Woman, 1996 (Apr. 1): A landmark of the New Queer Cinema movement, this thought-provoking dramedy is said to be the first film directed by a Black lesbian woman.
• Zola, 2020 (Apr. 1): Based on the viral Twitter thread, this is the story of a stripper’s Florida road trip gone very wrong, co-starring Colman Domingo in one of his best roles ever.

Related:

Time for some ‘Watermelon,’ and one of the best queer movies ever

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The best and queerest on Hulu this April 2024

Spotlight: Under The Bridge (April 17)

Lily Gladstone may not have taken home the Oscar for her quietly heartbreaking work in Killers Of The Flower Moon, but the talented, trailblazing Indigenous actor’s career is clearly only just taking off. Next up, she costars alongside Riley Keough in the true-crime miniseries Under The Bridge, based on Rebecca Godfrey’s nonficition book about the real-life disappearance of a teen girl in 1997 Canada. Keough plays Godfrey and Gladstone plays a local cop name Cam Bentland, who worked together on the investigation which brought them deep inside the secret world of the teens accused of the murder.

Also Don’t Miss:

• Blockers, 2018 (Apr. 1): An underrated (and LGBTQ+ inclusive!) raunchy teen comedy about three girls who make a pact to lose their virginity on prom night—and the parents who try to stop them.
• X-2: X-Men United, 2003 (Apr. 1): With everyone high on X-Men ’97, why not revisit the very best of their movie adaptations, featuring Scottish bi-con Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler.
• iHeart Music Radio Awards (Apr. 2): A bunch of our favorite queer artists were nominated this year, and the show will feature a musical tribute to the Icon Award recipient, Cher!
• American Horror Story: Delicate, Part 2 (Apr. 4): Frankly, we didn’t realize this Emma Roberts & Kim Kardashian-starring season was split in two. It might be the most ridiculous AHS season yet!

Related:

Geek out over the queerstory of X-Men

Why was the first openly gay superhero exiled into the closet for over a decade?

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All the gay streaming picks on Paramount+ in April 2024

Spotlight: Star Trek Discovery, Season 5 (April 4)

The fifth and final season of the celebrated Star Trek prequel/sequel series finds Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) leading the crew of the starship Discovery on a galactic quest to find the source of a mysterious centuries-old power before it falls into the wrong hands. Of course, we’re tuning in for Wilson Cruz‘s medical doctor Hugh Culber and Anthony Rapp’s engineer Paul Stamets, a couple who aren’t just a mini Rent reunion, but also happen to be the first openly gay regular Star Trek characters in the franchise’s history. We’ll be sad to say goodbye, but we’re just grateful Discovery managed to make deep-space a little bit queerer.

Also Don’t Miss:

• Talk To Me, 2023 (Apr. 1): A group of teens become obsessed with a party game that turns downright terrifying, featuring a great supporting role for trans star Zoe Terakes.
• Cloud Atlas, 2012 (Apr. 1): An ambitious sci-fi epic from the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer with stories form the past, present, and future, including a gay love story that’ll have you in tears.
• Cheech & Chong’s Up In Smoke, 1978 (Apr. 1): In their first feature film, stoner comedy legends go on a wild road trip that surprisingly ends in a pro-gay punk rock performance.
• The Challenge: All-Stars, Season 4 (Apr. 10): The best-of-the-best return to duke it out in this reality TV gauntlet, with LGBTQ+ faves like Derek Chavez, Cara Maria Sorbello & Ryan Kehoe.

Related:

Wilson Cruz beams down to dish new Star Trek season

To commemorate Discovery’s new season, Cruz beamed down to kiki about his character Dr. Culber, queer Latinx representation in television, and his return to Broadway.

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Peacock’s upcoming LGBTQ+ releases this April 2024

Spotlight: Chucky, Season 3 – Part 2 (April 17)

This truly weird and wacky horror-comedy keeps finding fun new ways to reinvent its titular slasher doll, and we’re always tuned in to see where this bloody good time goes next. After infiltrating the White House, Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif since way back in 1988’s Child’s play) finds himself on the verge of death, but a dark supernatural force may become his ticket to revenge—that is if young hero Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur) and his friends don’t foil him once again. The series continues to make space for a surprisingly sweet gay romance, then throw in icons like Jennifer Tilly and John Waters—come on, what more could you want out of TV?

Also Don’t Miss:

• Community, Seasons 1 – 6 (Apr. 1): NBC’s comedy about a community college study group was reliably one of the most clever send-ups of genre and TV conventions, with an A-plus ensemble.
• House Of Gucci, 2021 (Apr. 1): Lady Gaga and her absurd commitment to character anchor Ridley Scott’s sprawling melodrama about the Gucci family, a tale of fashion, opulence, and revenge.
• Parks & Recreation 15th Anniversary (Apr. 17): The beloved sitcom lead by Amy Poehler is celebrating 15 years of making (the fictional) Pawnee, Indiana a funnier, happier place.
• M3GAN: Unrated Version, 2023 (Apr. 24): This doll slays. Literally. The nü-camp horror classic was already a bloody blast—now imagine it unrated!

Related:

M3GAN enters her supermodel era in killer new fashion campaign & the girlies are living

M3GAN traded her trademark tan mini dress, striped bow & white tights for a ’90s grunge vibe.

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Here’s what’s queer coming to Tubi in April 2024

Spotlight: Fireworks, 2023 (April 1)

Shy and bullied Gianni feels out of place in his small Sicilian town—one that values masculinity above all else—that is, until he meets the sweet and confident Nino, who turns his whole world upside down. Based on a tragic true story that is said to have played a significant role in the Italian Gay Rights movement in the ’80s, Fireworks is both a sun-kissed coming-of-age story and a sobering examination of the not-too-distant past.

Also Don’t Miss:

• Death Becomes Her, 1992 (Apr. 1): You want to talk about a mother off? Watch Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn as dueling divas who are—ingeniously, cartoonishly, hilariously—immortal.
• The Birdcage, 1996 (Apr. 1): Still among the highest grossing gay films ever, we adore this riotous family comedy and are always down for a re-watch.
• For Your Consideration, 2006 (Apr. 1): Christopher Guest and his troupe of hilarious improvisers take on the self-importance of “awards season” in this Hollywood satire.
• The Schoolmaster Games, 2022 (Apr. 1): A bizarro Swedish curio about thetThe St. Sebastian Academy, an all-male school where homosexuality is the norm.

Related:

These are the Top 10 highest-grossing LGBTQ+ films of all time—but how gay are they, really?

Some of the films on this list are unquestionably queer classics, and others? Well… not so much.