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!
International Trans Day Of Visibility is this Sunday, March 31, celebrating trans lives all over the world. In honor of this special day, we’ve picked four movies that explore very different trans experiences, including coming-of-age romances, action thrillers, and an indie comedy that follows two friends over the course of one increasingly unbelievable day.
Read on for movies centered on the trans experience to stream this weekend.
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Haymaker
What if The Bodyguard but trans? This 2021 low-budget action movie stars trans singer-songwriter Nomi Ruiz as a singer who hires a retired Muay Thai champion, Nicky “Mitts” Malloy (Nick Sasso, who also directs) as her bodyguard. Nomi and Nicky fall in love against the backdrop of a very silly action-romance. But while Haymaker isn’t exactly great filmmaking, Nomi is terrific as the feisty and talented chanteuse, Sasso’s easy on the eyes, and the movie treats Nomi as a classic Hollywood leading lady.
Now streaming on Prime Video, Fubo, Tubi, Plex, and Reveel.
Anything’s Possible
This 2022 teen romantic comedy—the directorial debut of Billy Porter—tells the story of Kelsa (Eva Reign), a trans teen YouTuber who finds first love with Khal (Abubakr Ali), a classmate who dispenses relationship advice on Reddit. Khal falls hard for Kelsa but worries what the other kids at school will think of him dating a trans girl. While this film addresses some heavy topics, including Kelsa dealing with transphobic language and bullying, it’s also very sweet, with a talented cast of mostly-unknown actors (the wonderful Renée Elise Goldsberry being the exception as Kelsa’s concerned but supportive mom) and a clever script. In fact, the screenplay was on the 2020 Black List, a list of highly acclaimed scripts not yet produced.
Now streaming on Prime Video.
The Trans List
This 2016 documentary, directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, follows the lives of several trans celebrities and personalities, including Laverne Cox, Caitlyn Jenner (we’re sorry), Buck Angel, Amos Mac, Bamby Salcedo, and others. Each of them has a unique story and perspective, showing a variety of trans experiences. The stories contained in The Trans List are often heartrending and don’t make for easy viewing, but it’s a powerful and moving portrait of many unique voices.
Now streaming on Max.
Tangerine
Directed by Sean Baker, this 2015 buddy comedy was shot entirely on iPhones, and is pretty beautiful considering! Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), a trans sex worker who just got out of jail, learns that her boyfriend and pimp (James Ransone) has cheated on her with a cis woman, Dinah (Mickey O’Hagan). Sin-Dee and her best friend, Alexandra (Mya Taylor), navigate a world that is harsh toward them with attitude and sass. Interestingly, though Rodriguez garnered significant acclaim, including an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for Tangerine, she has not acted since.
Now streaming on Fubo, Paramount+, Showtime, Hoopla, and Kanopy. Available to rent digitally on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, FlixFling, and Spectrum.
The Kicker…
Trans star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez played the role of Audrey opposite George Salazar’s Seymour in the 2019 Pasadena Production of Little Shop of Horrors. Hear her SLAY “Suddenly Seymour” in this performance on the Late Late Show With James Corden.
