Didn't Love 'Bros?' Here are 8 Queer Romcoms to Watch Instead

Queer movie fans have been clamoring for more LGBTQ+ romantic comedies from Hollywood studios since the genre has seen a burst in popularity over the last few years. And those large studios as well as television networks are starting to recognize the demand in queer stories.

Enter Billy Eichner's "Bros," a story about two gay men who aren't so keen on falling in love, that is until they meet each other. Despite positive reviews from critics, the film bombed at the box office, making only a fraction of its budget during its opening weekend. It's easy to make the claim that homophobic viewers simply didn't want to watch a movie about gay men from a major studio (as Eichner did), but a deeper dive reveals LGBTQ+ audiences were just as uninterested in the picture due to cardboard characters and lead performances that simply weren't all that mesmerizing.

If you're a fan of queer rom-coms and want something a little more diverse, true-to-life, and funny, think about watching the following movies and shows we've compiled for your viewing pleasure.

This charming film stars Steven Weber in the role of the titular Jeffrey, a gay man who is afraid to fall in love because he thinks the relationship is poised to end in tragedy due to the AIDS epidemic. The film perfectly captures the highs and lows of the queer experience, especially as it relates to STDs and the stigma. It's a groundbreaking watch that still entertains and educates almost 30 years later.

Teenage romance films have been a right of passage for young people for decades as they're a way to learn about how to navigate their own love lives. It's too bad it took until 2018 for a major studio to put money behind a gay teenage rom-com, but we're sure glad they did with "Love, Simon." Based on the adorable novel by Becky Albertalli, the film explores many of the universal feelings of loneliness, betrayal, confusion, and sadness that many queer teens experience when trying to come out, but it paints a triumphant picture of perseverance. Nick Robinson stars as the lead, and he brings a great relatability and charisma to Simon.

The spin-off television series "Love, Victor" is even more groundbreaking because it gets to dig deeper into these issues across 28 episodes. Michael Cimino is the perfect casting choice as Victor. He brings to light a whole different set of struggles that gay Latino teenagers feel, something the white protagonists in many other gay rom-coms can't relate to. Race and sexuality are tied together in profound ways, and this show leaves you feeling warm and excited about the progress that has been made, along with being hopeful for the future.

There's no queer rom-com quite like "But I'm a Cheerleader." It's refreshing to see the young gay experience through the eyes of a girl instead of the usual perspective of a boy. The film also satirizes the ignorance of people who think conversion therapy is an effective way to "treat" homosexuality like it's a disease. Its strong use of archetypes, color, and jokes related to the gay experience are still sharp two decades later. And the film features RuPaul playing a conversion therapy camp leader. What's not to enjoy?

There needs to be more films that celebrate the intricacies of the gay experience, from friendships to parties to sex, and "Fire Island" does that pretty darn well. The cast is diverse (Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Matt Rodgers, Matt Scully, Margaret Cho, Tomas Matos) and has great chemistry, as the characters in the film explore the queer vacation destination with drama and flair. Directed by out filmmaker Andrew Ahn and based on Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," the movie is a great example of the ways being queer expands far beyond what's happening in the bedroom (although there's still plenty of that too, duh).

"Young Royals" proves that just because you're in a position of power, it doesn't mean coming out is any easier. Prince Wilhelm of Sweden (Edvin Ryding) struggles with hiding his attractions to classmate Simon Erikkson (Omar Rudberg), both because people would judge him for his sexuality, and because he is in a much higher social class than Simon.

The show's six-episode first season was a revelation. Audiences were delighted by the down-to-earth way the characters act and look, replete with acne on faces and performers who are 19 in real life instead of 30. The second season will premiere on November 1 on Netflix.

If you haven't seen "Heartstopper'' by now, you might be living under a rock. The British coming-of-age rom-com starring Joe Locke and Kit Conner took the world by storm in the spring of 2022. Based on graphic novels of the same name by Alice Osman, it's hard to think of a show that depicts the tenderness and innocence of sexually curious schoolmates more than this one. The show also gives much needed discussion around male bisexuality, an orientation that has been made to feel taboo by people in both the straight and queer communities.

A trailblazing film for a number of reasons, "Edge of Seventeen" was able to normalize the journey of being a gay teenager in ways that were unprecedented in the late '90s. Eric Hunter (Chris Stafford) serves as a conduit for audiences to learn about formative gay experiences like losing your virginity, coming out to your mom, and having to let your female best friend know that their crush on you is unrequited. It's aged fairly well, and it set a standard for some of the other films and shows on this list.

The plot of "Alex Strangelove" is nothing too novel. Many of the concepts covered are simply modern takes on the discussions that have already been had in some of the other teen rom-coms on this list, but the film navigates the unique struggles of coming out in the social media era with a deft confidence. The coming out of Alex (Daniel Doheny) to Claire (Madeline Weinstein) that interpolates real-life coming out videos into the mix is a special touch that shows how being your true self means something different now than it did years ago.