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The Queer Gaze (Podcast)

The Queer Gaze (Podcast) is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Joe Lipsett.

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Rating Title | Year Author Quote
5/5
Tell Me Everything (2026) Joe Lipsett An exquisite 80s throwback about a fractured father/son relationship. Reminiscent of early Almodovar texts and featuring stand-out performances across the board. One of the year's best films
Posted Jan 26, 2026  Edit critic review
King Cobra (2016) Joe Lipsett Christian Slater is the MVP in Justin Kelly's melodramatic, semi-salacious, occasionally erotic true crime adaptation. It's become difficult to watch Franco queer bait in the intervening years.
Posted Jan 15, 2026  Edit critic review
3.5/5
Spa Night (2016) Joe Lipsett Ahn's feature debut is beautiful and melancholy. Some may struggle with David's impassivity, but it's arguably the point. Seo is wonderfully captivating in a nearly silent performance.
Posted Dec 01, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Cactus Pears (2025) Joe Lipsett Gorgeous, intimate, and prone to meaningful silences, Cactus Pears is unlike most queer films. A bold and confident first feature worthy of celebration.
Posted Nov 20, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/5
The History of Sound (2025) Joe Lipsett It's a beautiful film with great chemistry between the leads, but the narrative takes several wrong turns in the back half, the runtime is punishing, and the deliberate lack of sex feels inauthentic.
Posted Nov 01, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Plainclothes (2025) Joe Lipsett The use of video is overdone to the point of distraction but Blyth and Tovey's committed performances help to smooth over most of the rough edges. This is a throwback to a rough time for queers (the 90s), though the ending is overwrought and too dramatic
Posted Oct 30, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Beach Rats (2017) Joe Lipsett Dickinson dazzles in his feature debut, but Eliza Hittman's screenplay has a few bumpy parts. Still, the internalized homophobia is handled well, the cinematography is lush, and the open ending inspires conversation.
Posted Oct 21, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Mārama (2025) Joe Lipsett As a Gothic mystery, this is pretty straightforward and easy to figure out. What elevates the film is Ariāna Osborne's outstanding performance, the centering of Māori rage and the tastelessness of British racism. All of those elements feel fresh and raw
Posted Oct 21, 2025  Edit critic review
1/5
Maddie's Secret (2025) Joe Lipsett Even when you understand the genesis of Early's project, it doesn't make the film more fun or tolerable. Despite the solid cast, the comedy feels insufferable and the storytelling and messaging are wildly inconsistent
Posted Oct 21, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Blue Moon (2025) Joe Lipsett Qualley looks the part, but she's tragically overshadowed by Hawke in every scene. It doesn't help that this is a guaranteed Oscar nominated performance from Linklater's frequent collaborator
Posted Oct 09, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Boys (2014) Joe Lipsett A simple, but beautiful made-for-TV film about a gentle coming out story. Credit Marc for being so patient with Steiger, though; that boy is a mess!
Posted Oct 02, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Riley (2023) Joe Lipsett While the bracketing device from the short featuring 'Obi Wan Hook Up' doesn't work, there's a painful honesty in Jake Holley's performance. Dakota's relationship with best friend Jaeden is the most intriguing part of the film
Posted Sep 18, 2025  Edit critic review
4.5/5
Griffin in Summer (2024) Joe Lipsett An exceedingly funny, but surprisingly deep film that features an exceptional lead performance from newcomer Everett Blunck.
Posted Aug 29, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/5
Unicorns (2023) Joe Lipsett A sweet and charming, albeit familiar, romance that overstays its welcome with an overly long runtime. A violent third act twist, however, essentially derails the movie and nearly ruins it.
Posted Jul 25, 2025  Edit critic review
5/5
Moonlight (2016) Joe Lipsett Jenkins' gorgeous adaptation presents a triptych dedicated to a specific queer, Black experience that is undeniably universal.
Posted Jul 24, 2025  Edit critic review
4.5/5
C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005) Joe Lipsett Jean-Marc Vallée's 70s-set coming of age/coming out film is visually stunning, filled with specifically chosen needle drops that nearly turn the movie into a musical, and anchored by a fantastic lead performance by Marc-André Grondin.
Posted Jul 10, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/5
The Birdcage (1996) Joe Lipsett The American remake of the French farce feels like a product of its time, particularly how it handles queer issues (which makes it feel made for straight audiences).
Posted Jun 27, 2025  Edit critic review
4.5/5
Y tu mamá también (2001) Joe Lipsett A scintillating road trip movie about much more than sex. Cuaron's shooting style is intimate and immediate; the political commentary is baked in for viewers who know where to look. The performances are raw and vulnerable. A classic of queer cinema.
Posted Jun 12, 2025  Edit critic review
2/5
I Don't Understand You (2024) Joe Lipsett Despite being gifted comedians, even Rannells and Kroll can't elevate this repetitive, unfunny, one-joke screenplay.
Posted Jun 06, 2025  Edit critic review
5/5
Call Me by Your Name (2017) Joe Lipsett Luca Guadagnino's adaptation is a sublime queer romance anchored by Chalamet's assured lead performance and great chemistry with Hammer. And a scene with Michael Stuhlbarg that'll break your heart.
Posted May 29, 2025  Edit critic review
5/5
Monster (2023) Joe Lipsett Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, the film is a puzzle narrative in the form of a triptych that constantly asks audiences to re-evaluate their understanding of characters in order to answer the question: "who is the monster?" A perfect gem of a film.
Posted May 15, 2025  Edit critic review
5/5
Close (2022) Joe Lipsett Devastating is the word to describe this film. What's fascinating is how the boys do not technically identify as queer; it's the hateful world around them that poisons their beautiful, innocent friendship
Posted May 01, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
The Visitor (2024) Joe Lipsett Deliberately provocative and confronting (as many of LaBruce's films are), The Visitor is not for everyone. Still, one wishes that the last act packed a greater punch as the messaging seems simple and repetitive.
Posted Apr 25, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
A Nice Indian Boy (2024) Joe Lipsett A charming, albeit slight gay rom-com with a healthy dose of cultural specificity
Posted Apr 04, 2025  Edit critic review
5/5
Weekend (2011) Joe Lipsett Haigh's breakout sophomore film is beautiful, nuanced, and incredibly intimate. The long takes allow the actors and the audience to breath in every moment of the brief relationship in this deeply earnest (and funny) queer romance.
Posted Apr 03, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Misericordia (2024) Joe Lipsett A cross between a psychosexual thriller and a French farce, Alain Guiraudie's latest film defies categorization and subverts expectations at every turn. It's genuinely exciting to be so surprised by a film
Posted Mar 21, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
God's Own Country (2017) Joe Lipsett It's a film filled with beautiful sweaters, mud wrestling, and sad boys, which means it's deeply romantic
Posted Mar 06, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Brokeback Mountain (2005) Joe Lipsett 20 years on, Brokeback Mountain remains a milestone of queer cinema. There's an interesting discussion to be had about the casting of straight actors and the depiction of intimacy, but the film's score and tragic ending remain iconic
Posted Feb 06, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Extremely Unique Dynamic (2024) Joe Lipsett An extremely fun and clever riff on both buddy comedies, as well as indie queer films, Leung and Xu have a lived-in friendship that makes them a delight to watch, even in the film's slight moments.
Posted Jan 29, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
House of Boys (2009) Joe Lipsett Those expecting a fun Udo Kier drag movie (like me) will find the focus on the AIDS epidemic startling and upsetting. Jean-Claude Schlim's film is well made and emotionally volatile, albeit too busy and scattered to be totally effective.
Posted Aug 19, 2024  Edit critic review
Come Undone (2000) Joe Lipsett A surprisingly sad look at mental illness and first love, wrapped up in gorgeous (but chilly) French summer beach town aesthetics.
Posted Aug 13, 2024  Edit critic review
Summer Storm (2004) Joe Lipsett A silly, but mostly entertaining product of its time, Summer Storm has all of the hallmarks of a gay coming of age film (and surprisingly few sports tropes!)
Posted Aug 13, 2024  Edit critic review
Beautiful Thing (1996) Joe Lipsett This slice of gay coming of age film is quintessentially British. Some elements haven't aged particularly well, but the film's use of Mama Cass, and the character's tentative steps towards acceptance are solid. Plus: Ben Daniels!
Posted Jul 10, 2024  Edit critic review
1.5/5
Sebastian (1995) Joe Lipsett This slight coming of age queer story is filled with unusual moments that could be chocked up to differing cultural contexts, but ultimately Sebastian remains a mystery despite being the star of his own film.
Posted Jul 10, 2024  Edit critic review
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