11 best lesbian films that aren't made for the male gaze

Alike, a teenager from Brooklyn, lives with her parents. Unsure whether to tell her parents she's a lesbian, her mum insists she becomes friends with the daughter of someone she works with.

"It's so rare to see lesbian media that doesn't focus on white femmes cheating on their male partners. Pariah mostly deals with the difficulty of learning to understand and be confident in your sexuality while growing up in a religious, black community. Despite the grim title, it also has a decently hopeful ending, which is tricky to find in lesbian movies," one user wrote.

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Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) stars in this satirical comedy in which her parents send her to a boot camp to try and change her sexual orientation.

One user said it is, "the perfect balance of real queer issues and struggles, with perfectly colour-schemed whimsicalness. Almost as if Wes Anderson made a gay movie."

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Shamim Sarif directed this film based on a novel she wrote, how cool is that? It's set in Cape Town in the 50s and follows two Indian South African women as they fall in love.

One user who recommended the film said, "The chemistry between Lisa Raye and Sheetal Sheth is amazing. The two of them totally match together."

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This neo-noir crime thriller follows a woman as she tries to escape her gangster boyfriend. She falls in love with another woman and they plot to steal his millions.

One user wrote, "I rented it from the video store over and over again because I was afraid to buy it. It's not just a "lesbian movie" though. The script is compelling, and there are great performances from the whole cast. Great musical score. Baller cinematography."

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Directed by Donna Deitch, (who is widely thought of as the first person to create a mainstream lesbian film in a positive and respectful way), Desert Hearts is the story of a professor who gets rid of her husband and moves on with another woman.

"One of the first lesbian movies I watched and I can watch it back to back," one user wrote.

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When a young woman's family try to force her to stop seeing her female partner, they involve the church. The Sea Purple is based on a true story as well.

One user wrote, "by far the best lesbian movie that I watched. Best storyline and love story."

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In this Thai film, a sweet girl starts college and moves into a dorm with another woman who identifies as butch. Naturally, their friendship develops.

"Unbelievably underrated. The sweetness is very refreshing!" one user said.

Pride is a historical, comedy drama set in Thatcher's 70s where the LGBTQ+ community help the coal miners go on strike.

One user said, "More of a Queer movie, but it's absolutely fantastic. It's based on a true story, hilarious, and heartwarming." "Always good to see the history and the lives of influential LGBT+ people played in movies.," added another.

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Despite being married to a very traditional pastor who's always preaching about how sinful it is to be homosexual, Elena falls for a woman.

One user said: "fantastic and really relatable towards my life." And although both actors are straight, added, "it still seems like they did a good job reflecting the lesbian experience."

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Click through for 16 of the best LGBTQ+ films everyone should watch