Category: Drama

PROUD: A French Family Story Told Across Three Defining Decades

Some LGBTQ+ stories are about a single moment of coming out. PROUD is about what comes after—and how the world around us can change across a lifetime.

This moving three-episode French miniseries follows three generations of one family as they navigate love, identity, parenthood, and the evolving fight for LGBTQ+ equality in France. For viewers who love emotional gay drama movies, international queer storytelling, and intimate family sagas, PROUD is a beautifully crafted series worth discovering.

Three Generations. Three Moments That Changed Everything.

The story begins in 1981 with Victor, a teenager discovering first love while living under the watchful eye of his father, Charles. It is a time when being openly gay still carries fear, secrecy, and real consequences.

By 1999, Victor is an adult building a life with his partner Serge, while questions of commitment, family, and adoption take center stage amid the arrival of France’s PACS civil-union agreement.

The final chapter moves to 2013, as marriage equality becomes law in France. Victor’s son Diego is now coming into his own, confronting the complicated history of the family that raised him and the meaning of having two fathers.

Two men sit together on a couch in a quiet, reflective scene from the French series PROUD, with a small rainbow Pride flag in the foreground.

A Love Story With History in Its Bones

What makes PROUD so affecting is its intimacy. The series never treats social progress as an abstract headline. Instead, it shows how laws, attitudes, and public debates enter the home: in tense conversations between fathers and sons, in relationships tested by time, and in the difficult work of becoming a family.

At its center is Victor’s journey—from a young man learning to name his desire to an adult still figuring out how to love, commit, and be present for the people closest to him. Around him, the series gives equal weight to the people whose lives are changed by his choices: Charles, Serge, Diego, and the family members who struggle to understand one another.

If you’re drawn to thoughtful gay movies and series that explore queer identity through real emotional stakes, PROUD fits beautifully alongside other character-driven Dekkoo titles like Away, The Best Friend, and Throuple.

Two young men share a private conversation inside a vehicle in the French LGBTQ+ drama series PROUD.

Why Watch PROUD?

With its elegant, emotionally grounded storytelling, PROUD is a powerful reminder that progress is personal. It honors the generations who lived through eras of silence and stigma while making space for the younger people who inherit both the victories and the unfinished conversations.

It is a richly observed drama about queer history—but more than that, it is about family: the family we are born into, the family we build, and the ways both can surprise us.

For anyone searching for a LGBTQ+ streaming service with international stories, powerful dramas, romantic films, and original series, Dekkoo offers a curated home for queer cinema from around the world.

Stream all three episodes of PROUD now on Dekkoo.

Love Is the Devil: The Daniel Craig Film That Showed a Different Side of the Future James Bond

Long before he became one of the most recognizable action stars in the world, Daniel Craig took on one of the boldest roles of his career in Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon.

Released in 1998, the film tells the story of legendary British painter Francis Bacon and his turbulent relationship with George Dyer, the man who became both Bacon’s muse and one of the defining figures in his artwork. Directed by John Maybury, Love Is the Devil is less a traditional biography and more an immersive journey into the emotional chaos, artistic obsession, and destructive passion that shaped Bacon’s life.

For viewers who know Craig primarily as James Bond, the film can be a startling discovery.

Daniel Craig Before Bond

Years before Casino Royale transformed him into an international superstar, Craig built a reputation by taking challenging and unconventional roles. In Love Is the Devil, he plays George Dyer, a small-time thief from London’s East End who becomes involved with Bacon after a chance encounter.

Craig’s performance is fearless. Dyer is vulnerable, volatile, charismatic, and increasingly tragic as the relationship spirals into emotional dependence and self-destruction. The role demanded a level of emotional exposure rarely seen in mainstream studio productions, and Craig fully commits to the character’s complexity.

The film is also notable for featuring full-frontal nudity from Craig, making it one of the most talked-about performances of his early career. Rather than feeling provocative for its own sake, the nudity serves the film’s raw and unflinching portrayal of intimacy, power, and vulnerability. It remains a striking reminder of the artistic risks Craig was willing to take before becoming a global franchise star.

Derek Jacobi as Francis Bacon and Daniel Craig as George Dyer in the LGBTQ+ drama Love Is the Devil.

A Queer Story Unlike Most Biopics

What makes Love Is the Devil stand apart from many LGBTQ+ films of its era is its refusal to soften its characters.

Francis Bacon, played brilliantly by Derek Jacobi, is neither hero nor villain. He is charismatic, cruel, brilliant, and deeply flawed. George Dyer is both victim and participant in a relationship marked by imbalance and emotional turmoil.

The result is a film that feels more like a living painting than a conventional drama. Scenes unfold with dreamlike intensity, often mirroring the distorted imagery found in Bacon’s artwork. Strange camera angles, warped visual effects, and unsettling sound design create an experience that places viewers directly inside the emotional landscape of the characters.

It’s challenging cinema, but also deeply rewarding.

Derek Jacobi’s Extraordinary Performance

While Craig’s role often attracts attention because of his later fame, Derek Jacobi delivers one of the finest performances of his career as Francis Bacon.

Jacobi captures the painter’s intelligence, wit, and cruelty while revealing the loneliness that lurks beneath his public persona. His chemistry with Craig forms the emotional center of the film, creating a relationship that feels both magnetic and impossible to escape.

Together, the two actors elevate the film beyond biography and into something far more psychologically complex.

Derek Jacobi stars as painter Francis Bacon in Love Is the Devil, the acclaimed LGBTQ+ biographical drama.

Why Love Is the Devil Still Matters

More than two decades after its release, Love Is the Devil remains a fascinating piece of queer cinema. It arrived during a period when LGBTQ+ stories were still rarely given artistic ambition or mainstream visibility. Rather than presenting a sanitized romance, the film embraces the contradictions and imperfections of its characters.

For audiences interested in queer film history, Daniel Craig’s early career, or unconventional biographical dramas, it remains an essential watch.

The film also serves as a reminder that some of the most memorable performances come long before actors become household names. Watching Craig in Love Is the Devil today offers a glimpse of the intensity and commitment that would eventually make him one of the defining actors of his generation.

Derek Jacobi and Daniel Craig in Love Is the Devil, a biographical LGBTQ+ drama about the relationship between Francis Bacon and George Dyer.

Stream More Acclaimed LGBTQ+ Cinema on Dekkoo

If you’re looking to discover powerful LGBTQ+ stories from around the world, Dekkoo offers a curated collection of award-winning films, romantic dramas, exclusive originals, and hidden gems you won’t find on mainstream streaming services.

Explore more:

Whether you’re revisiting a cult classic like Love Is the Devil or discovering your next favorite LGBTQ+ film, there’s always something new waiting to be streamed on Dekkoo.

Why Boys (2018) Still Hits So Hard

Some films are easy to describe.

Boys isn’t one of them.

You can call it a coming-of-age story. You can call it a romance. You can even call it a mystery. But none of those descriptions fully capture what it feels like to watch this haunting French drama starring Félix Maritaud.

What makes Boys memorable isn’t simply what happens. It’s the way the film lingers long after it’s over.

At the center of the story is Jonas, a young man carrying the weight of something he can’t seem to leave behind. As the film moves between past and present, viewers slowly piece together the relationship that shaped him and the event that continues to define his life years later.

Rather than rushing toward answers, Boys takes its time. It trusts the audience to sit with uncertainty, heartbreak, and memory.

That’s a rare thing.

Scene from Boys (2018), the acclaimed French gay coming-of-age film exploring friendship, romance, and identity.

First Love Never Really Leaves

Many gay romance movies focus on the excitement of first love. Boys is more interested in what happens afterward.

The relationship between Jonas and Nathan unfolds with the awkwardness, intensity, and vulnerability that make first love so unforgettable. There’s no grand Hollywood spectacle here. Instead, the film finds power in small moments: a glance, a touch, a conversation that suddenly means everything.

For anyone who has ever looked back on a relationship that changed the course of their life, Boys will feel painfully familiar.

Félix Maritaud’s Breakthrough Performance

Long before becoming a recognizable face in queer cinema, Félix Maritaud delivered one of his most affecting performances in Boys.

His adult Jonas feels restless and unsettled, a man constantly moving but never quite escaping where he’s been. Maritaud rarely overplays the emotion. Instead, he allows the character’s pain to surface in quiet, unexpected ways.

It’s the kind of performance that rewards close attention.

Fans who discover Maritaud through Boys may also appreciate character-driven LGBTQ+ stories like The Best Friend and Away, films that similarly explore how love, loss, and personal growth continue to shape us long after relationships end.

Scene from Boys (2018) featuring two characters by a swimming pool in the acclaimed French LGBTQ+ drama.

More Than Another Coming-of-Age Story

What separates Boys from many other gay drama movies is its willingness to embrace complexity.

The film isn’t interested in neat resolutions. People make mistakes. Questions remain unanswered. Memories become unreliable.

That ambiguity gives the story its emotional power.

Much like real life, not everything can be neatly explained.

A Film Worth Discovering

Every year brings new LGBTQ+ releases, but only a handful remain part of the conversation years later.

Boys has endured because it understands something universal: the people we love become part of us, even after they’re gone.

Whether you’re exploring classic gay movies, searching for thoughtful gay films online, or simply looking for a story that stays with you after the credits roll, Boys remains one of the most emotionally resonant queer dramas of the past decade.

And if you’re ready to continue exploring, Dekkoo’s collection of LGBTQ+ cinema includes everything from intimate romances and coming-of-age stories to contemporary favorites like A Night Like This, Throuple, and many more titles available in our complete All Titles A–Z collection.

Award-Winning LGBTQ+ Drama AWAY Is Streaming Exclusively on Dekkoo

Some journeys take us across the world. Others take us deeper into ourselves.

Gerard Oms’ acclaimed debut feature AWAY (Molt Lluny) is both. A powerful story of self-discovery, identity, and personal transformation, the award-winning LGBTQ+ drama is now streaming exclusively on Dekkoo in North America, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

Watch AWAY

An International Festival Favorite

Since its premiere, AWAY has earned recognition as one of the standout LGBTQ+ films on the international festival circuit.

The film won the Critics’ Jury Award at the Málaga Film Festival, while star Mario Casas received the Silver Biznaga for Best Actor for his unforgettable performance. It later went on to win Best Debut Film at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, cementing Gerard Oms as an exciting new voice in contemporary cinema.

For fans of thoughtful, character-driven storytelling, AWAY delivers an emotional and deeply human experience.

Mario Casas in a scene from the award-winning LGBTQ+ drama AWAY.
Mario Casas stars in Away.

A Story About Finding Yourself

Set during the 2008 financial crisis, AWAY follows Sergio, a man who travels from Spain to Utrecht, Netherlands, for a football match. After suffering a panic attack, he makes an unexpected decision that changes the course of his life: he stays.

Separated from his familiar surroundings and forced to navigate an unfamiliar country, Sergio begins a journey of self-discovery that challenges everything he thought he knew about himself. As he builds new relationships and confronts long-buried truths, he slowly learns what it means to live authentically.

Mario Casas as Sergio cheering at a football match in AWAY.

The result is a moving portrait of identity, belonging, and the courage required to embrace who you truly are.

If you’re looking for more acclaimed LGBTQ+ cinema, explore Dekkoo’s collection of gay films here!

Mario Casas Delivers An Amazing Performance

At the center of AWAY is an extraordinary performance from Mario Casas. Known for his work across Spanish film and television, Casas brings remarkable vulnerability and emotional depth to Sergio’s journey.

His award-winning performance grounds the film in authenticity, making every moment feel intimate, relatable, and profoundly affecting.

It’s the kind of performance that stays with you long after the credits roll.

More Dekkoo Exclusives to Watch

Loved AWAY? Continue exploring some of the acclaimed LGBTQ+ films and series available exclusively on Dekkoo.

The Best Friend

A moving story about friendship, connection, and the complicated emotions that shape our relationships.

Tethered Wings

An emotionally rich LGBTQ+ drama exploring love, loss, and the possibility of new beginnings.

Danny Will Die Alone

A comedy series about messy friendships, terrible dating decisions, and the chaos that follows when confidence consistently outruns good judgment.

Looking for more romantic LGBTQ+ stories?

Stream AWAY Today

Whether you’re drawn to award-winning international cinema, powerful LGBTQ+ storytelling, or unforgettable character-driven dramas, AWAY is a film that deserves a place on your watchlist.

Experience one of the year’s most celebrated queer films exclusively on Dekkoo.

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Stream B.O.Y.: Bruises of Yesterday on Dekkoo

B.O.Y.: Bruises of Yesterday movie poster

At first glance, B.O.Y.: Bruises of Yesterday looks like a familiar coming-of-age drama.

The film follows Tobias, a lonely teenager spending the summer with his grandparents in rural Denmark. There are friendships to navigate, attractions to explore, and all the uncertainty that comes with growing up. But as the story unfolds, director Søren Green reveals something far more complex and emotionally challenging.

Now streaming on Dekkoo, B.O.Y.: Bruises of Yesterday has earned praise for its unflinching portrayal of loneliness, vulnerability, and the desperate search for connection.

A Summer That Turns Dark

What makes B.O.Y.: Bruises of Yesterday so compelling is how gradually it transforms.

Rather than following the traditional path of a queer coming-of-age film, the story peels back the layers of Tobias’s emotional world. As his isolation deepens, the film explores the consequences of neglect, rejection, and the feeling of being unseen.

In its review of the film, Cineuropa noted that what initially appears to be a relatively straightforward summer story slowly descends into “total darkness,” becoming a powerful examination of what can happen when vulnerable young people are left alone with their struggles.

The result is a film that feels both intimate and unsettling—one that asks viewers to sit with difficult emotions rather than look away from them.

An Honest Portrait of Loneliness

Many LGBTQ+ films focus on first love, self-discovery, or acceptance. B.O.Y.: Bruises of Yesterday certainly touches on those themes, but its greatest strength is its exploration of loneliness.

Tobias isn’t simply searching for romance. He’s searching for connection, understanding, and a place where he feels valued.

That emotional honesty is what has resonated with critics. Rather than presenting a simplified version of queer adolescence, the film acknowledges how messy, painful, and confusing those years can be.

A Standout Performance

The film’s emotional impact rests largely on the shoulders of its young lead, whose performance anchors nearly every scene.

Through Tobias, viewers experience the excitement of possibility, the sting of rejection, and the quiet desperation that comes from feeling invisible. It’s a performance that gives the film its emotional authenticity and makes its most difficult moments impossible to forget.

Why LGBTQ+ Audiences Should Watch

B.O.Y.: Bruises of Yesterday isn’t always an easy watch, but it’s an important one.

The film offers a thoughtful and compassionate look at themes that are rarely explored with this level of honesty:

  • Loneliness and isolation
  • Mental health struggles
  • The need for human connection
  • Queer adolescence and identity
  • The lasting impact of emotional neglect

For viewers who appreciate character-driven LGBTQ+ cinema, the film delivers a deeply moving experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

Stream B.O.Y.: Bruises of Yesterday on Dekkoo

B.O.Y.: Bruises of Yesterday is available to stream now on Dekkoo.

If you’re exploring more LGBTQ+ films after watching, be sure to visit our:

You can also discover your next watch by visiting our Dekkoo Discover page.

Some films entertain. Others challenge us to better understand the people around us. B.O.Y.: Bruises of Yesterday manages to do both.

Short Film Spotlight: Turn It Around

Set at a teen house party, the 9-minute short Turn It Around follows fifteen-year-old Bram (Valentijn Avé), a young man who is surrounded by his friends and draws the Turn It Around Captures the Heart-Racing Intensity of a Teenage Crush

What starts as an ordinary house party quickly becomes a life-changing night in Turn It Around, the tender and emotionally honest LGBTQ+ short film now streaming on Dekkoo.

At the center of the story is Bram, a shy teenage boy trying to blend into the chaos of a crowded party. While he attracts the attention of several girls throughout the evening, Bram’s heart is focused elsewhere. Across the room is Florian (Tonko Bossen), the effortlessly cool, denim-clad boy who instantly captures his attention.

As the night unfolds, the chemistry between the two boys becomes impossible to ignore. There’s just one complication: nobody at the party knows Bram is gay.

The tension slowly builds through stolen glances, awkward moments, and the overwhelming fear that comes with wanting to be seen for who you truly are. When a game of spin the bottle begins, Bram is suddenly faced with a choice that could change everything — not just for the night, but for the rest of his life.

Directed by Dutch filmmaker Niels Bourgonje and written by Paul Bontenbal, Turn It Around became an award-winning festival favorite thanks to its authentic emotional storytelling and heartfelt performances from its young cast. The film perfectly captures the nervous excitement, vulnerability, and longing of a first crush while exploring the fear and freedom that come with coming out.

Fans of emotional coming-of-age stories and romantic LGBTQ+ cinema will find a lot to love here. If you enjoy intimate queer dramas, you can also explore Dekkoo’s collection of gay romance movies and discover even more heartfelt stories on the platform’s LGBTQ+ movies collection.

Why Turn It Around Works So Well

What makes Turn It Around stand out is its simplicity. Rather than relying on melodrama, the short film focuses on small moments — eye contact across a crowded room, hesitation before speaking, and the anxiety of wondering whether your feelings might actually be returned.

The result is a deeply relatable story for anyone who remembers the intensity of a teenage crush or the fear of revealing a hidden part of themselves.

The chemistry between the leads gives the film its emotional core, helping transform an ordinary party setting into something unforgettable.

Watch Turn It Around on Dekkoo

Turn It Around is now streaming exclusively on Dekkoo, home to a growing library of award-winning queer cinema, romantic dramas, international LGBTQ+ stories, and original series.

Looking for more emotional and romantic stories? Browse Dekkoo’s collections of:

Watch the trailer for Turn It Around below and experience this touching coming-of-age short for yourself.

Season 2 of Open to It Is Now Streaming on Dekkoo

Open to It Season 2 promotional image featuring Cam and Greg embracing while exploring love, relationships and life as a throuple

Ready for more romance, chaos and complicated relationships? Season 2 of Open to It is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Created by, written by, directed by and starring Frank Arthur Smith, Open to It returns with more laughs, more chemistry and even more unexpected twists as one couple continues exploring what happens when love doesn’t always fit inside traditional boundaries.

Looking for more queer stories to stream? Explore our collection of gay movies and series here!

Love Gets More Complicated in Season 2

After opening up their relationship, Cam (Frank Arthur Smith) and Greg (Tim Wardell) quickly discover that being in a throuple isn’t always as effortless as it seemed.

Season 2 follows the pair as they navigate attraction, intimacy and difficult questions about what they really want — and whether opening their relationship solved anything at all.

Meanwhile, Princeton (Jason Caceres) is forced to take a closer look at himself and confront truths he wasn’t expecting. Elsewhere, Elsa (Kimberly Pace-Nieva) and Reggie (Elizabeth M. Boone) continue figuring out whether threesomes are better as an idea, an experience… or something in between.

Featuring Drag Favorites and New Faces

Season 2 opens with a special Drag Queen Story Hour episode and welcomes appearances from RuPaul’s Drag Race fan favorites including Manila Luzon, Laganja Estranja, Pandora Boxx and Honey Davenport.

Packed with sharp comedy, relationship drama and plenty of sexy moments, Open to It continues to explore queer love in ways that are funny, messy and relatable.

If relationship-driven stories are your thing, browse more gay romance movies and series here!

Stream Open to It on Dekkoo Today

Whether you’re single, coupled or throupled, all of Season 2 of Open to It is available to stream now on Dekkoo.

Watch Open to It now!

Exploring Allen Ginsberg’s Howl: A Cinematic Journey

From Academy Award-winning documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, filmmakers behind celebrated queer classics like The Celluloid Closet and The Times of Harvey Milk, the 2010 docudrama Howl bends genres to depict the story behind the literary revolution that was Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl.”

James Franco stars as a young Ginsberg on the precipice of making waves with his incendiary, culture-shifting poem.

The film takes us to a famous reading of “Howl” at the Six Gallery, a recreation of an unpublished interview allegedly given to Time in 1957 and the poem’s infamous obscenity trial.

We’re also witness to the beginnings of Ginsberg’s relationship with lover, Peter Orlovsky, played by “Gossip Girl” alum Aaron Tveit. Featuring an impressive supporting cast – including David Strathairn, Jon Hamm, Jeff Daniels, Treat Williams and Mary-Louise Parker – Howl offers up a fascinating and idiosyncratic portrait of an epic literary work and its iconoclastic creator.

Watch the trailer for Howl below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Exploring LGBTQ+ Life in Singapore: People Like Us Season 3

Following the lives of four gay men, People Like Us, a short-form series from creator Leon Cheo, offers up a poignant reflection and insightful look at being gay in modern-day Singapore. The characters drift into one another’s worlds – and beds – as they navigate love, lust and life in the big city.

Picking back up with our central group, Season Three finds Joel (Josh Crowe) dealing with grief, struggling with the dating scene and binge-eating his feelings. Meanwhile, Ridzwan (Ifran Kasban) distracts himself with work and sex as Isaac (Steven Lim) falls deeper into his substance addiction. Finally, post-‘honeymoon phase,’ Rai (Hemant Ashoka) and Haniff (Syaheeran Othman) are facing new and unexpected challenges as a serodiscordant couple, one being HIV+ and one HIV-.

In addition to the sexual escapades and relationships that unfold between these characters, People Like Us explores themes of acceptance, community support, the challenges of dating, substance abuse and HIV awareness in the local LGBTQ+ community.

Watch the trailer for the newest season below and catch up on all the drama of People Like Us on Dekkoo. All three seasons are available now.

Exploring Sexuality in the Digital Age: My Sweet Prince

In a smoke-filled basement, lit only by the flicker of a screen and the occasional orange glow of a spliff, a teen boy named Tommy (Yoni Roodner) sits detached from his friends, paralyzed by the fear of his own sexuality.

Afraid of the intense attraction he feels towards his male friends, he chooses to forgo physical company and instead seeks out anonymized friendships online, carefully muffling the dial-up sound of the router for midnight chat sessions with his pen pal and confidant on MSN Messenger.

Set during the early days of the internet, My Sweet Prince, a clever short written and directed by London-based filmmaker Jason Bradbury, uses segments from the filmmaker’s own teenage VHS diaries, shot during childhood summers at his home on the Isle of Wight. This footage is spliced together alongside the fictional story of Tommy, a young boy wrestling with doubt and uncertainty while finding solace in the virtual company of his online crush.

Looking back at at a very particular moment in time, My Sweet Prince subtly examines how the internet’s arrival catalyzed an unprecedented set of formative experiences for a guinea pig generation of youngsters.

Watch the trailer for My Sweet Prince below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.