Explore Netflix’s LGBTQIA+ collection

Let’s have a look at some of the great LGBTQIA+ content on Netflix whether you’re a history buff, romance lover, action adventurer, or horror fanatic.

Sense8 – 2015-2018 (MA15+)

From the powerhouse director team the Wachowski sisters, Sense8 is a truly global phenomenon. Eight strangers find themselves connected to each other mentally, able to share skills, memories and experiences with each other. As they try to untangle the mystery of why, they are also hunted and have to lean on each other as they search for answers. The Wachowski sisters bring their incredible filming choreography and action scenes to this thrilling and full-of-heart series.

Haunting of Bly Manor (2018) & Haunting of Hill House (2020) Rated MA15+

Mike Flanagan does right by horror fans in these two mini series. Focusing on haunted houses, these shows go far beyond their ghosts and scares to explore broader themes of grief, love and family. While the two are not connected, they have familiar feels and themes and are both based loosely on novels – Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959) and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (1898). They also share some cast members, and it’s lots of fun to see them play vastly different roles.

Queer Eye: More than a Makeover (2018) Rated M

Like the title says, the 2018 reboot of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (2003) is more than a makeover. The original show made history at the time in an era when attitudes towards sexuality were far less accepting. The new Queer Eye builds on the original format, with each episode focusing on people from a range of different demographics in different areas of America (and even one special in Yass, NSW). Their goal is not just to improve people’s lifestyles, but to help them appreciate themselves and bring awareness to their charities, businesses or life experiences.

Sex Education (2019) Rated MA15+

A show that is probably more educational than some sex ed classes, Sex Education is set in a charming area of England and explores some of the complex and confusing sexuality and gender issues that teenagers deal with. To help their schoolmates, Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve (Emma Mackey) start their own underground sex therapy clinic, but this doesn’t come without its own complications. Gillian Anderson is a comedic tour de force as Otis’ mother, a sex therapist with her own selection of issues.

Grace and Frankie – 2015-2022 Rated MA15+

With acting juggernauts Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sam Waterson and Martin Sheen, it’s no surprise that Grace and Frankie is a hugely popular show. With 13 Emmy nominations under their belt, Grace and Frankie has moved from strength to strength over its 7 seasons. It all starts with two married couples and their adult children, until the husbands Sol (Waterson) and Robert (Sheen) finally confess to Grace (Fonda) and Frankie (Tomlin) that they’re in love and have been having a decades long affair with each other. What follows in the next 7 seasons is a tale of family, the one you belong to and the one you make.

Carol - 2015 (M)

Another classic film with a star-studded cast, Carol is a love story between confident, glamorous Carol (Cate Blanchett) and aspiring photographer Therese (Rooney Mara). Set in the 50s, the chemistry between the two crackles across the screen, paired with stunning cinematography and style, Carol definitely earns the many, many awards it’s received.

Single all the Way - 2021 (PG)

We’ve seen a huge spike in Christmas romance films over the last few years, probably because Netflix knows that people can’t get enough of the genre’s sugary sweetness. Single All The Way takes all the tropes of the genre – fake dating, a cute kids Christmas play, meddling family members, the sweet but doomed other romance, and rushing to the airport – and uses them winkingly to create a movie with a huge amount of heart. Whether it’s Christmas or not, this is definitely worth a watch.

See more of Netflix’s LGBTQIA+ collection available via Optus SubHub.

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