Bat-Nipples, XO Kitty and The Magic Faraway Tree — Plus a BFI Flare special (pt 2)

Dearest gentle reader. One just heard the most titivating news from the 'Ton this week and I absolutely must share it with you at once!

Bridgerton is going gay! Like gay gay next season with a new romance led by Lady Francesca Stirling (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Baduza).

If I know my readers as well as I think I do, I wouldn't be surprised if #Franchaela births an entire tsunami of new lesbians throughout the 'Ton and beyond!

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Every Tuesday, paying subscribers can access a gazillion extras in the paid newsletter including Mother of the Week, classic gay film recs and my best LGBTQ+ Movies and shows of 2026 ranked — plus a 30 minute Zoom chat for all paying readers 🚨.

Want tips on how to get into journalism? Want to chat about your favourite movies? Or do you just want to talk about your favourite episode of Bridgerton? (My favourite is the spoon lick one, obviously).

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Queer and Now

Everything new in the world of queer TV and film

— So it's a gay emergency people. XO, Kitty is back for a third and final season. ARE KITTY AND MIN-HO ENDGAME? WILL DAE DO SOMETHING INTERESTING THIS SEASON? WILL Q MARRY ME?

The answers to all this and more will be revealed on Netflix from April 2nd.

— For All Mankind is the best show you're not watching on Apple TV+. Well, that and Pachinko. And Drops of God. WATCH MORE APPLE TV+!

Anyway, the penultimate season kicks off today and I for am beyond excited. Will there be more lesbian storylines like the one we enjoyed previously? I don't know. But I do know that Joel Kinnaman is back again playing an even older, silkier version of Ed Baldwin. And that's something worth celebrating.

— The Magic Faraway Tree is gay in more ways than I can possibly describe, so for now, I'll just leave you with this delightful picture of Andrew "Daddy" Garfield getting me wet in the shed.

— The Korean Netflix thriller Bloodhounds is back for a second season, which has the potential to be as strong as the first. You know what else is strong? Woo Do-hwan's arms. And his jawline. And his undying love for me, which he hasn't realised because we haven't met yet.

— No one works harder than 21 year old filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay. She'd even give Nicole Kidman a run for her money, and that queen says yes to pretty much everything these days.

If lesbian goths and vampiric trade sound like your idea of a good time, check out Mackay's latest trans-led horror, The Serpent's Skin, at BFI Flare in London plus New York cinemas from today.

20 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 20 best LGBTQ+ movies released this year so far.

But which film lurks in the top spot? And which one came dead last? Find out at the link below that I'll continue to update weekly for paying subscribers.

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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.

That heaving bosom didn't just turn me gay. It sustained my fruitiness in the three decades that followed, as perky as those Bat-Nipples and just as prominent.

We also need to talk about those lip condoms Robin wore giving Poison Ivy a kiss. Sure, it's giving straight, but Uma Thurman's take on the seductive villainess is drag in all but name, so it feels pretty gay to me regardless.

You know what else is gay? Just how full and pouty Chris O'Donnell's lips are in this scene.

In case you didn't guess it by now, Batman & Robin director Joel Schumacher was homosexual. Celebs, they're just like us! And just like us, they enjoy full, pouty lips as much as the next guy.

I see you, Joel Schumacher. You old dog, you! RIP to the man who gave us Bat-Nipples and a gay awakening for billions watching Batman & Robin back home in the 90s.

Send your own suggestions: cruisingcinema7@gmail.com.

Out Takes

Queer hidden gems you need to see 

I'm doing things a little differently again this week and that's because the BFI Flare Film festival is in (London) town.

I've been attending it on and off for almost a decade now, and it's honestly one of my favourite festivals anywhere in the world. There's just so much queer passion and joy to be felt everywhere, from the programming to the audiences who attend.

I'm going to pick out a few faves that I've already seen, but make sure you check out the program in full here, which kicked off on March 18th and will continue until this Sunday, March 29th (plus some picks I highlighted already in this very same newsletter last week here).

And if you can't attend in person? Read on anyway so you know what to look out for when some of these gems enjoy a wider release later this year or next (Don't forget to click on each film title for tickets and more info below).

— Queer Welsh storytelling is on the rise this year with Madfabulous and now On The Sea from filmmaker Helen Walsh.

Set in a remote fishing community, the film explores forbidden desires in this harsh, rural environment where queer lust can no longer be denied. Heartfelt, elegant, and ruggedly beautiful, put this one on your radar asap before its wider release.

— If I met the genie in Aladdin, I would use all three wishes to get Joan Chen an Oscar. She's deserved one for so long, and she deserves one again for her exceptionally layered, moving role in Montreal, My Beautiful.

Writer/director Xiaodan He has crafted an incredibly unique love story starring Chen as a dutiful wife and mother whose suppressed queer desires slowly surface upon meeting a hottie in Quebec. Life as an older woman, as a Chinese immigrant learning French, as the pillar of a heterosexual family unit, all intersect masterfully here.

Maybe my fave of the year so far?

— Washed Up draws inspiration from Cornish mythology to tell a fantastical love story that takes place between a struggling artist and a supernatural selkie.

Love a big swing like this, especially one that feels so intrinsically Cornish and queer.

— At a time when our queer present is under fire, it's vital we look back at the lessons we can learn from queer history.

Fil Ieropoulos's bold cinematic essay, Uchronia: Parallel histories of queer revolt, does exactly that, scrutinising iconic queer figures from the past to explore the impact of revolutionary politics and art on our community today.

— Lai Yuqing’s debut feature is also her last, and that is a tremendous loss for those who knew her and also the art she was destined to create.

But thankfully, we at least have Whisperings of the Moon, a striking Cambodian love story which includes a few of my favourite scenes from this year so far.

15 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 15 best LGBTQ+ shows I've seen so far this year.

But which show serves in the top spot? And which one is stuck at the bottom of the rankings? Find out at the link below that I'll continue to update weekly for paying subscribers.

(If you would just like to make a smaller, one-time contribution to Cruising Cinema, you can buy me a coffee here.)

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!

Remember to share your own Queer Awakenings for future editions (cruisingcinema7@gmail.com) and don't forget to follow the newsletter on Twitter here, Instagram here and Facebook here and Letterboxd here.

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