Femme, Ghost in the Shell and Rosebush Pruning — Plus more Superman spandex
Spandex bulge is my Kryptonite.
Emmy nominations were announced this week and Connor Storrie nabbed one for his guest role in SNL. Still waiting for him to take a guest role in my bedroom, but never mind I guess!
Heated Rivalry didn't receive a single nomination, something to do with being ineligible, but no matter. The boys don't need an Emmy for people to give a puck about this show. Still, that got me thinking.
If Heated Rivalry was eligible, what would it be nominated for?
Best Drama? Best Actor? Best Use of a Tuna Melt Post-Coitus? There's plenty I'd love to give these guys.
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Queer and Now
Everything new in the world of queer TV and film
— Rosebush Pruning is for the perverts (complimentary), although it's not the best film of the year by any means (derogatory).
The freaky family at its heart are gorgeous beyond belief — Lukas Gage’s curls and Callum Turner‘s cheekbones could sink a thousand ships — but the film itself is a chaotic, incestuous mess. Still, it's got cult classic written all over it.
Read my Indiewire review for more and then check it out in UK cinemas from today. Trust me when I say you'll never look at toothpaste the same way again.
— Prime Video's Ghost in the Shell remake channels the retro vibes and humour of the original manga to perfection. Plus Kusanagi is queer in it too.
Check out all the major gay stuff that The Major gets up to in episode two, which drops on Tuesday July 14th.
— It seems all good things must come to an end, and that includes the wonderfully messy I Kissed a Girl, which drops its final episode on BBC next Tuesday.
Stick around for a reunion special where former Mother of the Week Dannii Minogue gets the dirt on who stayed together and who finger banged someone else the first chance they got.
— Mexican indie The Last First Time stars Alejandro Quintana as 18 year old Eduardo who moves from a small town to the city of Guadalajara. Big town vibes and big boy action await in this debut feature from Rafael Ruiz Espejo, which won the best director award at Gran Fiesta De Cine Mexicano.
Out on VOD in the UK and US from Thursday 16th July. Other territories to follow shortly.
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37 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 37 best LGBTQ+ movies released this year so far.
Check out the link below to see where your faves end up.
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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.
Superman's short shorts the other week got me thinking about another Kryptonian himbo who shaped my taste in human himbos. And he just so happens to be the most underrated Superman of all.
Brandon Routh was an unknown when Bryan Singer (ew) selected him to lead big Blue's comeback in Superman Returns. What I did know, however, is the incredible hold Routh's red underwear had on me.
Look up in the sky. It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a budgie smuggler!
Routh channelled that classic Christopher Reeve look with a goofy charm all of his own. Throw in that jawline and cute butt chin? This Superman was like Kryptonite to me, weakening my resolve with a flutter of those big blue eyes.
I remember loving this film so much back in the day, even if it's not exactly a classic, which is why I lost my mind when Routh returned to the role in an Arrowverse crossover titled "Crisis on Infinite Earths".
Yes, the spandex still fit him a treat, and yes, this is an especially nerdy queer awakening this week. Gay nerds are a thing. You didn't know?
Beyond Superman and the Atom, Routh also played Todd "Bleach-blonde" Ingram in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010). Purple shampoo toner?
The crown jewel in his resume though, more than Superman even, is this guest role Routh took in an early episode of Gilmore Girls. Forget Team Dean or Team Jess. I'm Team "Party Guy".
Reply with your own Queer Awakenings or email me at: cruisingcinema7@gmail.com.
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Out Takes
Queer hidden gems you need to see
Who doesn't love revenge, am I right? My personal mantra of "Never forgive, never forget!" has done me wonders over the years.
But vengeance can also get messy, as is the case in Femme (2023), a British indie where a drag queen gets dragged into a very tricky moral dilemma.
Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping's debut feature starts with Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) who's attacked by a thug while dressed in her Aphrodite drag queen persona.
Jules retires Aphrodite after, broken by the assault. But when he suddenly runs into Preston (George MacKay) at a gay sauna, Jules realises that his attacker doesn't know him out of drag. So begins a plot to seduce to seduce Preston and exact his revenge...
This seemingly straight-forward vengeance grows more complicated when Jules develops feelings for Preston. Red flag? This guy is a red parachute, the kind that will drag you down and destroy you completely.
But Femme doesn't judge anyone in this situation. Instead, it plays on the discomfort that their connection creates, blurring the lines in typical noir fashion.
Because make no mistake about it. Femme is a noir film through and through, except it's set against the seedy strip clubs and grimy alleys of East London rather than the likes of LA. The Big Sleep, this ain’t. Rather, the focus is on a big bang, the one Jules secretly records to out Preston.
Still, you can't help but feel for the guy, no matter how vile he can be. MacKay’s deeply closeted character is all pent-up rage, yes, but he’s also lonely and secretly craves a connection beyond his equally cruel yet ignorant mates.
Can Jules and Preston have a real shot at happiness together? Gays love a toxic situationship and they don't get much more toxic than this. It's unsettling to watch Jules begin to excuse Preston's violence against him, but life is messy and it's unusual to see a film reckon with such complexity in a queer context.
With so much posturing and the constant threat of danger looming, Femme can be extremely uncomfortable to watch. It's fascinating though, especially when it comes to breaking down the paradoxical power and weakness of hyper-masculinity within such a setting.
It almost makes you wonder why they haven't made more queer drag revenge noir movies already to be honest!
Check out where you can watch Femme at this link below.
39 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 39 best LGBTQ+ shows I've seen so far this year.
Check out the link below to see where your faves end up.
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