The only thing better than finding your new favourite LGBT+ book, is watching a great adaptation of it. So whether you’re paying your own way or piggybacking on someone else’s streaming service, these are some of our favourite LGBTQ+ book-to-screen adaptations worth watching.
Heartstopper
Based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels of the same name, Heartstopper follows two teenagers (Nick and Charlie) whose school friendship develops into something more. With an amazing representation of so many queer identities, this series is not only beautifully adapted for the screen but also one we wished we had growing up.
Book genre: Coming-of-age webcomic / graphic novel
Where to watch: Heartstopper on Netflix
Heated Rivalry
We’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard about Heated Rivalry, but did you know the show is an adaptation of a book series? Written by Rachel Reid, Game Changers follows several queer ice hockey players and their relationships. While the show centres around Shane and Ilya (the second book), you can delve further into Scott and Kip’s story in the first novel. Alternatively, you could just rewatch the show for the 101st time…
Book genre: Sports romance
Where to watch: Heated Rivalry on Now TV
Call Me By Your Name
Back when Timothée Chalamet was just an artsy up-and-coming actor, André Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name changed the lives of many LGBT+ folk yearning for a queer European summer romance. The film, following the romantic holiday relationship between 17-year-old Elio and 24-year-old graduate student assistant Oliver, inescapably brings the book to life — with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack to boot.
Book genre: Coming-of-age romance
Where to watch: Call Me By Your Name on Amazon Prime / Apple TV
Carol
You’d be hard-pressed to find a queer woman on earth who hasn’t watched Carol. Starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara (there’s even a subplot with Sarah Paulson!), the sapphic love story follows an affair between an older divorcee and a young photographer. Adapted from novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, the film is as brilliant as it is heartbreaking.
Book genre: Historical romance
Where to watch: Carol on Amazon Prime
Tipping The Velvet
The 2002 three-part BBC drama Tipping the Velvet, based on Sarah Waters’ novel of the same name, is a queer hidden gem. Set in 1890s England, it follows Nan (a young sheltered girl) who falls for male impersonator Kitty Butler when she performs at the local theatre. Like the book, the series is explicit in its depiction of lesbian sex, while also maintaining that nostalgic level of campness that all old BBC dramas used to have.
Book genre: Historical fiction
Where to watch: YouTube
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
An LGBT+ film classic, The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a movie we will forever recommend. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz as Cameron Post, it tells the story of a teenage orphan who is sent to a gay conversion camp in small-town America. It’s a solid adaptation of the novel of the same name by Emily M. Danforth, and right up your street if you’re looking for an indie But I’m a Cheerleader.
Book genre: Coming-of-age teen
Where to watch: The Miseducation of Cameron Post on Amazon Prime
Red, White and Royal Blue
With a distinct lack of real-life queer royal representation, Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (also author of sapphic classic One Last Stop) is the perfect fictitious antidote. Following the love affair between the son of the American president and a British prince, both the book and the film are lighthearted, heart-warming and the perfect level of cheesy — because queer folk deserve Hallmark movies too!
Book genre: Romance
Where to watch: Red, White and Royal Blue on Amazon Prime
Coming soon...
There are lots of queer book-to-screen adaptations coming soon that we can’t wait to see. We’re impatiently waiting for:
Atmosphere and the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (confirmed and in production)
Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko (already released in the US)
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (in early development)
LGBTQ+ stories have always deserved to be told, whether on the page or on screen. As more queer books continue to be adapted into films and television series, we can't wait to see even more authentic representation finding new audiences.
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Which LGBTQ+ Adaptation Would You Recommend?
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Tilly Brogan
Tilly is a queer Freelance Copywriter based in Manchester. She balances her time between working with LGBTQ+ organisations and women’s rights charities - and people watching in various Manchester cafes. She is also a proud lesbian. You can read more of her work here.
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