February’s most entertaining and binge-worthy queer movies and shows

After two blockbuster months of movie and tv releases in a row, February may really feel like a little bit of an leisure underdog. However everybody loves an underdog, proper? This month’s roundup options the return of beloved collection, like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” that battled pandemic delays to lastly get made, a Madea movie that just about didn’t get made, and a millennial-geared revival of the animated collection “The Proud Household.”

February’s record additionally features a collection of notable indie movies and reveals helmed by distinctive feminine voices, equivalent to multi-hyphenate Pamela Aldon and the world-champion boxer Kali Reis.

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus the World’

With the already in style season 14 of “Drag Race” underway, RuPaul turns her consideration to whole world domination. “RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus the World” is actually a world “All Stars,” that includes franchise alumni from all over the world, battling it out for the title of “Queen of the Mothertucking World” — to not be confused with “Queen of the Universe,” one other current addition to the RuPaul portfolio. Because the identify implies, the U.Okay. is given prime billing, appearing because the host nation and supplying three of the 9 competing queens, along with half of the judging panel. The opposite queens, all stars in their very own proper, hail from the U.S., Canada, Holland and Thailand.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus the World” season one premieres within the U.S. on WOW Presents Plus on Feb. 1.

‘Pam & Tommy’

Effectively earlier than Kim Kardashian’s intercourse tape launched a actuality TV dynasty, an X-rated recording of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee sparked one of many web’s first viral moments. The brand new collection “Pam & Tommy” appears to be like again on the scandal and the couple’s whirlwind romance. Because the story goes, the “Baywatch” star (performed by Lily James) and the Mötley Crüe drummer (performed by Sebastian Stan) have been married in 1995, after just some days of understanding one another. The following yr, a porn star turned electrician (Seth Rogan) and his lesbian-leaning, bisexual porn star wife (Taylor Schilling) stole the tape the newlyweds had recorded throughout their honeymoon and enlisted an trade buddy (Nick Offerman) to assist distribute it. The stolen tape ultimately made its approach on-line and without end modified the adult-entertainment panorama. 

“Pam & Tommy” season one premieres on Hulu on Feb. 2.

‘Anne+’

“Anne+,” a movie sequel to the Dutch present of the identical identify, is primed to make a giant splash amongst queer audiences when it lands on Netflix this month. Selecting up the place the collection ended, 20-something Anne (Hanna van Vliet) has left behind the chaotic days of relationship her approach by Amsterdam’s queer scene and settled right into a long-term relationship together with her girlfriend, Sara (​​Jouman Fattal). She’s within the technique of packing as much as transfer with Sara to Montreal when a few curveballs are thrown her approach. For one, Sara needs them to discover a polyamorous relationship and, for an additional, a nonbinary drag artist named Lou (Thorn Roos de Vries) has caught Anne’s eye.

The movie reunites collection creator-director group Maud Wiemeijer and Valerie Bisscheroux, who co-wrote the movie with van Vliet. These unfamiliar with their authentic collaboration can watch the 2 seasons of the present on Netflix earlier than the movie debuts.

“Anne+” will likely be out there on Netflix on Feb. 11.

‘Catch the Truthful One’

World-champion boxer Kali “KO Mequinonoag” Reis stars within the gritty sex-trafficking thriller that captured the Viewers Award for finest narrative function eventually yr’s Tribeca Movie Competition. Reis performs Kaylee Uppashaw, an Indigenous boxer whose life has taken a troublesome flip following the disappearance of her youthful sister, Weeta, and a career-ending harm. Kaylee — long-separated from her girlfriend and estranged from her mom — has little to lose when she will get a tip about Weeta’s whereabouts and decides to embed herself in a trafficking ring, in hopes of discovering her sister.

Reis, a vocal supporter of the lacking and murdered Indigenous girls and women motion who co-wrote the script with director Josef Kubota Wladyka, is nominated for a Movie Unbiased Spirit Award for finest feminine lead for her efficiency.

“Catch the Truthful One” premieres in theaters Feb. 11.

‘Dollface’

After a considerable Covid-related hiatus, “Dollface” — an ensemble comedy starring Kat Dennings, Shay Mitchell, Brenda Tune and Esther Povitsky — returns for a second season. This time, it isn’t simply Jules (Dennings) who’s in want of a significant life overhaul. Because the season opens, the foursome of pals is rising into their new post-pandemic actuality, staring down a not-so-glamorous finish to their 20s. Seeking to shake issues up, Stella (Mitchell) entertains going into enterprise with a queer bar proprietor named Liv, performed by none aside from former late-night TV host Lilly Singh. Based mostly on the season’s trailer, which reveals the chums standing in entrance of a wall of strap-ons, Stella may get greater than only a enterprise companion out of the deal.

“Dollface” season two premieres on Hulu on Feb. 11.

‘Inventing Anna’

Socialite-grifter Anna Delvey turned a family identify following a 2018 New York Journal exposé, detailing how Delvey, born Anna Sorokin, conned her approach into the lives and wallets of Manhattan’s rich elite. The brand new Netflix restricted collection “Inventing Anna,” from creator Shonda Rhimes, imagines what was happening behind the scenes of the explosive article. “Ozark” star Julia Garner, within the titular position, does her finest to imitate the distinctive accent and je ne sais quoi that enabled Delvey to rip-off her option to infamy. And, alongside the opposite figures from Delvey’s interior circle, Laverne Cox performs Kacy Duke, the movie star coach and life coach who turned embroiled in scandal after a bunch journey to Morocco. 

“Inventing Anna” season one premieres on Netflix on Feb. 11.

‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and its ensemble solid, led by Rachel Brosnahan, are again with extra bubbly misadventures scored to large band tunes. After the final season wrapped in 2019 — and the present turned one in all many to undergo pandemic delays — its enthusiastic followers have been clamoring for a brand new installment. Season three ended on an unusually bitter be aware for the collection, with Midge (Brosnahan) going through the repercussions of publicly outing the favored singer Shy Baldwin (LeRoy McClain), who was that includes her as his opening act. What she doesn’t know, but, is that her supervisor, Susie (Alex Borstein), has gambled away the cash Midge was relying on to purchase her outdated condominium. 

Whereas final season’s ending units up fairly the determined state of affairs, Midge seems as spirited as ever within the season 4 trailer, saying to Susie that she’s executed with opening acts. (You simply can’t maintain lady down, it appears.) One of many contemporary faces this season is Gideon Glick (“Marriage Story”), becoming a member of the star-studded solid in a recurring position.

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” season 4 premieres on Amazon Prime Video on Feb. 18.

‘The Proud Household: Louder and Prouder’

The Proud household is getting a 2020s improve within the new revival collection for Disney+. The unique animated collection and its spunky heroine, Penny Proud, have been in style fixtures of early aughts tv, so the brand new present has already scored excessive factors for nostalgia amongst millennials, a lot of whom now have children. However, to make the present extra interesting to present audiences — whose preferences have dramatically advanced from the early 2000s — co-creators Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar have launched a handful of latest, queer characters. Billy Porter and Zachary Quinto voice Randall and Barry, a homosexual couple who’re dads to Maya (Keke Palmer), an outspoken 14-year-old activist who befriends Penny. EJ Johnson, the gender-nonconforming TV persona and baby of Magic Johnson, can also be becoming a member of the collection as Michael, a brand new character described as a “nonconforming trendsetter.”

“The Proud Household: Louder and Prouder” season one premieres on Disney+ on Feb. 23.

‘Killing Eve’

When “Killing Eve” premiered in 2018, sapphic-themed tv had a special place in leisure than it does now. These have been the times earlier than “Dickinson” and “Euphoria,” when it was a lot much less widespread to see mainstream feminine stars play reverse a same-sex love curiosity. And “Killing Eve,” regardless of pulling on a number of the extra unflattering sapphic stereotypes — just like the poisonous Might-September romance and the predatory lesbian — did quite a bit to vary that.

Now, the trail-blazing present is coming to an finish with its fourth and last season. Eve, a British intelligence agent performed by Sandra Oh, and Villanelle, a psychopathic worldwide murderer performed by Jodie Comer, are nonetheless locked in the identical recreation of cat and mouse that they’ve been taking part in for years. Whereas the 2 have lengthy been dancing round taking their mutual obsession with one another additional, they nonetheless haven’t consummated the connection — regardless of Villanelle being a card-carrying lesbian and Eve, nicely, actually eager to. Followers will likely be rooting for the pair to lastly break greater than skilled boundaries because the chapter lastly closes on “Killing Eve.” 

“Killing Eve” season 4 premieres within the U.S. on AMC+ on Feb. 27 and AMC the next day.

‘Tyler Perry’s A Madea Homecoming’

Tyler Perry isn’t executed with Madea, simply but. After saying goodbye to the franchise in the beginning of 2020, with “Madea’s Farewell Tour,” Perry was impressed to as soon as once more reprise the position amid the notably humorless onset of the pandemic. Within the new movie, Madea welcomes her clan into city to have a good time the commencement of her great-grandson, Tim (Brandon Black). However, as is commonly the case, the matriarch must maintain household drama at bay if she needs to protect the gathering’s festive temper. 

A dozen movies in, “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Homecoming” is the primary within the franchise to function an brazenly homosexual character, which Perry has revealed is the supply of battle within the movie. Becoming a member of Perry for this momentous occasion are acquainted faces Tamela J. Mann, David Mann and Cassi Davis (Aunt Bam), in addition to the Irish actor Brendan O’Carroll, in a visitor position.

“A Madea Homecoming” premieres on Netflix on Feb. 27.

‘Higher Issues’

Pamela Aldon is saying goodbye to her award-winning FX comedy collection “Higher Issues,” in its fifth and last season. Along with operating issues behind the scenes, Aldon performs the semi-autobiographical character Sam Fox, a working actor and single mom who stumbles extra typically than she succeeds in her makes an attempt to boost three youngsters and keep sane. Whereas Sam has had her ups and downs with the entire children, a few of her largest studying experiences — and most poignant moments — have been shared with center baby Frankie (Hannah Alligood), whose gender exploration has been a central storyline within the collection. Going into the ultimate season, Frankie’s character arc is on the prime of the record of issues that Aldon must tie as much as give followers a correct sendoff. 

“Higher Issues” season 5 premieres on FX on Feb. 28.

In case you missed it…

‘Station Eleven’

Regardless of its sci-fi presentation, the premise behind HBO’s viral, apocalypse hit “Station Eleven,” doesn’t really feel too far off from present-day actuality. Based mostly on the award-winning novel of the identical identify by the Canadian author Emily St. John Mandel, the collection revolves round a killer flu that wipes out a lot of the inhabitants. Within the fallout, the few folks left alive band collectively primarily based on their collective pursuits — at first, merely for survival and later to amass energy, artwork and different trappings of the civilized world. The primary character, Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis), is simply 8 when the flu hits. Twenty years later, through the present’s current day, she’s a modelesque, fierce protector who appears to have seduced a lot of the members of her group, in a method or one other.

“Station Eleven” season one is out there on HBO Max.

‘Pivoting’

When childhood pals Amy (Eliza Coupe), Jodie (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Sarah (Maggie Q) lose the fourth member of their group, they band nearer collectively — whilst their lives appear to be falling aside. Sarah takes the loss notably arduous and resolves to not accept a lifetime of taking part in it protected: She quits her job as a surgeon and takes a gig bagging groceries, whereas she figures the remaining out. On the upside, together with an absence of disposable revenue, she now has the psychological area to begin getting over her nonetheless financially dependent ex-wife.

“Pivoting” season one is out there on FOX and Hulu.

‘Scream’

Twenty-five years after the primary “Scream” movie, the campy horror franchise a couple of knife-wielding serial killer who wears an Edvard Munch-inspired masks is again for its fifth installment. The movie returns to its 1996 roots as a brand new killer emerges within the quiet, fictional city of Woodsboro, California, and pulls the unique survivors again into its murderous orbit. However this time, relatively than being queer-coded, the movie will have a good time its LGBTQ legacy out within the open: In anticipation of the movie’s launch and after a long time of queer readings, “Scream” creator Kevin Williamson confirmed that the franchise’s storyline is, certainly, a metaphor for homosexual survival.

Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette reprise their authentic roles alongside “Yellowjackets” breakout star Jasmin Savoy Brown, “Higher Issues” actor Mikey Madison and different contemporary faces. 

“Scream” is out there in theaters and on demand.

‘How I Met Your Father’

Almost eight years after “How I Met Your Mom” ended its nine-season run on CBS, Hulu has debuted “How I Met Your Father,” a brand new sequel collection set in the identical universe however tackling extra modern considerations. Hilary Duff stars as the principle character, Sophie (Kim Cattrall, sooner or later), who’s making her approach in New York Metropolis with the assistance of a close-knit group of pals. Comic Tien Tran (“Work in Progress”) performs Ellen, a current divorcée who falls in with the group as she’s about to deal with essentially the most daunting factor of all: navigating the town’s queer relationship scene.

“How I Met Your Father” is out there on Hulu.

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