Spider-Man, The Shards and I Want Your Sex — Plus Andrew Garfield in spandex
Would love to wall crawl all over that.
In a historic first for Cruising Cinema, I've had to cut the Hidden Gem section of the newsletter.
"BUT WHY!?!?!?" I hear you scream.
August is starting to feel like the new Pride Month because this week is absolutely STACKED with new films and shows made with alphabet people in mind. As such, there isn't room for a new Hidden Gem this week.
But have no fear, queers. Our normal programming will resume next week. And honestly, isn't it great that there's almost too much gay shit to choose from?
In case you still need consoling, here's Spider-Man star Tom Holland with his not-so hidden gems out on full display. It's a Friday. Treat yourself.
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Queer and Now
Everything new in the world of queer TV and film
— I Want Your Sex isn't just what I scream at Hudson Williams when I watch Heated Rivalry. It's also the name of Gregg Araki's triumphant return to cinemas.
Don't know who this legendary gay auteur is? OPEN THE SCHOOLS! Or, you know, just read my thoughts on one of his classic movies in the very first Cruising Cinema right here.
I Want Your Sex It stars Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman in a sex comedy that parodies crime and BDSM sexual practices alike. So just a normal Tuesday for your average gay then. Watch it now in US cinemas and in the UK from August 28th.
— My husband Paul Baker just got his own stand-alone episode of Adults that tells his origin story ahead of season two, which will arrive later this month on August 27th.
While "origin story" might suggest a Marvel superhero-style gig, the truth is i just want to see Jack Innanen in spandex.
— Batman: Caped Crusader is an incredibly underrated take on the Dark Knight that's just dropped its second season today on Prime Video.
Fruits take note, because the new episodes continue the show's queer take on Harley Quinn with more of the lesbian love story that was established in season one. "Mister J" would be jealous, but the joke's on him because his arc has nothing to do with Harley at all here.
— Jimmy, out today in a few US cinemas, is not the James Stewart biopic starring Riverdale himbo KJ Apa. It's actually a poetic portrait of gay literary genius James Baldwin that imagines his life in Paris circa 1948.
Yashaddai Owens wrote, directed, produced, edited, and photographed Jimmy, which makes me feel incredibly inadequate as a human being. Benny O Arthur's seductive take on playing this icon is almost mythic thanks to a surprising lack of dialogue. Check it out if you're in the mood for something slow and artsy and oh so gay.
— Taylor Sheridan shows are so bad that I haven't even checked out Lioness yet, despite Nicole Kidman's involvement. What I didn't know until just recently though is that this show also stars Laysla De Oliveira and Stephanie Nur as two bisexual women, which gagged me a bit, honestly.
Check out season three from August 2 and go watch the show from the beginning on Paramount+ if you need to.
— Who doesn't love a Japanese BL on GagaOOLala? Take a gander at Your Sky: Hare Nochi Koi from August 2 if the following synopsis tickles your fancy:
"Hinata, a kind-hearted, innocent, and positive guy, and Sora, a tsundere senior who’s a campus celebrity and feared as the 'Tyrant Prince.' They’re supposed to be fake lovers… but is this real love?! The fates of these two, who were never meant to cross paths, take a dramatic turn after a spur-of-the-moment 'lie.'"
— Women who love women have historically loved the island of Lesvos, drawn in by the legacy of an ancient Greek poet named Sappho. That's literally where the words "lesbian" and "sapphic" are derived from.
Find out more in Lesvia, the deeply moving documentary shot by a lesbian Lesvos resident named Tzeli Hadjidimitriou. It's available on VOD in the UK from August 3rd.
— Ted Lasso might be the perfect example of a show no one asked to see more of, yet here we are with a surprise fourth season starting on Apple TV+ from August 5th.
The new episodes are a mixed bag, but I will give the writers credit for spotlighting women's football with Ted's team, including a new queer coach played by Sex Education star Tanya Renolds.
— Just when I thought I couldn't stomach another YA drama on Prime Video, Sterling Point has come along and completely won me over in every way possible.
My Old Ass director Megan Park really worked her ass off on this one, giving us some seriously addictive teen drama which includes feels of the lesbian variety. Amélie Hoeferle is so spunky as Ramona and I also love Bo Bragason, our future Princess Zelda on screen, as Oona.
Go watch them and also a very cute hottie named Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie Prime Video starting from August 5th when every episode drops at once.
— Ryan Murphy just farted out another show, but you know what? The Shards is actually kind of good. Bringing controversial author Bret Easton Ellis into the fold has helped breathe new life into the Murphy formula, even if a lot of these teen lives end up bring rather short-lived.
Wes Bentley and Evan Rachel Wood play delightfully deranged parents in this 80s set murder mystery, but it's the so-called teens, played by improbably hot adults, who lead the way. Special shout out to Igby Rigney who plays Bret with the most perfectly sculpted curls and abs I've seen since I last opened OnlyFans.
Go see them for yourself when The Shards airs weekly from August 5th on FX and Disney+ worldwide.
— The Japanese-Thai BL movie Love Song was released in cinemas last October, but now you can thirst over the lads on Netflix starting from August 5th.
Win Morisaki and Koji Mukai star in this story of a Japanese researcher who unexpectedly reunites with his college crush upon transferring to Bangkok.
While I'm sure they end up getting sticky with each other, may I also recommend they try some mango sticky rice as well? I couldn't get enough of it in my recent trip to Bangkok. That stuff is so addictive.
— The somewhat vapid but entertaining show My Life with the Walter Boys returns to Netflix for a third season on August 6th.
Are there way better teen shows to watch? Sure. Will I continue to watch this one anyway? Of course I will. For reasons.
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43 Best LGBTQ+ Movies of 2026 Ranked (so far)
Plus where to watch them
In need of something new and extremely gay to watch? Look no further than my ranking of the 43 best LGBTQ+ movies released this year so far.
Check out the link below to see where your faves end up - includes 6 new additions today.
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Queer Awakenings
You know, the hotties who "turned" you gay.
Being gay is NOT a choice. How do I know? Because I was always going to be gay after seeing this as a kid.
Actually, I've loved Andrew Garfield since his breakout role in Channel 4's lesbian drama, Sugar Rush, not to mention an early guest part in Doctor Who.
More like Doctor Whoof!
I could list all of Andrew's stunning accolades, including two Oscar noms, and all of his even more stunning performances across stories like Tick, Tick... Boom!. But truthfully, I just flew overnight and only had one hour sleep, so I feel like I'm on death's door.
We're also running out of room in today's edition of Cruising Cinema, so instead, I'm just going to leave you with a selection of images that got my organic web shooter thwipping real hard in recent years, because that man is just as fine now as he ever was, if not more so.
You are so very welcome.
Reply with your own Queer Awakenings or email me at: cruisingcinema7@gmail.com.
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44 Best LGBTQ+ TV Shows of 2026 Ranked (so far)
Plus where to watch them
Do you want gay shit? Of course you do. Do you want to spend hours looking for it? Obviously not. Thankfully, I'm here to help with this ranking of the 44 best LGBTQ+ shows I've seen so far this year.
Check out the link below to see where your faves end up, including five new additions.
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And just like that, we've come to the end of Cruising Cinema today. As a thank you for making it this far, here's Jonathan Bailey with a reminder to drink your milk. See you next Tuesday!
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