Spine-Tingling Queer Noirs to Watch This Pride Month
The 7th Victim (1943). Photo: Criterion Collection.
June 7, 2026
by Ian Rosales
Happy Pride Month, Queer Fear fans! Unfurl the rainbow throw and pop some popcorn, because it’s time for one of our favorite Pride traditions: movie watching! Programmer Ian Rosales has curated a list of some of his favorite noirs films to check out this month.
Ian’s Picks:
I am a sucker for old Hollywood noirs and mysteries, and I thought it would be a fun time to compile a list of queer takes on the subgenre that, in classic Queer Fear fashion, have a spooky twist to them. For this list, I wanted to stray away from the obvious picks like Diabolique (1955), Cruising (1980), Thelma and Louise (1991), Bound (1996), or Mulholland Dr. (2001), though if you haven’t seen these touchstone films, definitely add them to your list. But I’ve found a mix of queer essentials and hidden gems I can’t wait for you to dig into.
The 7th Victim (1943)
A horror classic from the Hays Code era of Hollywood, The 7th Victim is an oddball film that provides an early blueprint for the modern slasher film. In The 7th Victim, Mary travels to New York City after the disappearance of her older sister Jacqueline. During her search, Mary uncovers the dangerous plans of an underground satanic cult. Running a breezy 71 minutes, The 7th Victim is an intriguing artifact of old Hollywood, providing a subversive and sympathetic take on the queer-coded other.
Victim (1961)
Taking place in 1960s London, a closeted barrister’s life falls apart when an anonymous blackmailer links him to a queer working-class man. Victim’s horror does not derive from crazed killers or violent creatures, but rather the monstrosity of man’s bigotry. Released while homosexuality was still criminalized in the UK, Victim was highly controversial upon release. Led by openly gay actor Dirk Bogarde, who gives one of his best performances, Victim is an underrated British classic that demands to be seen.
Frisk (1992)
Based on Dennis Cooper’s controversial book, transgressive filmmaker Todd Verow paints a disturbing portrait of a gay serial killer, imbuing his adaptation with 90s indie spirit. Featuring a cast of indie icons, including Parker Posey, Alexis Arquette, and Craig Chester, Frisk blends its hypersexual, hyperviolent attitude with the cozy DIY spirit of 90s queer cinema. Verow makes the full-blown homo American Psycho movie years before Ryan Murphy would dig his teeth into sexy serial killers in shows like American Horror Story or Monster.
Hard (1998). MPH Productions
Hard (1998)
Made on a shoestring budget of $100,000, John Huckert’s Hard is a new take on films like Cruising or Seven. Following a closeted rookie detective’s hunt for a vicious gay serial killer, Hard pulls no punches when crafting its gritty detective mystery. Noel Palomaria and Malcolm Moorman deliver great performances as a detective/serial killer duo, becoming the heart of the film.Equal parts pulpy hard-boiled noir and psychological thriller, Huckert creates a riveting queer thriller that deserves way more attention.
Thoroughbreds (2017)
Before breaking into Hollywood, Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy led this offbeat indie thriller. Cooke and Taylor-Joy play two deadpan childhood friends who reconnect after a recent tragedy, but the two grow closer when they plan to kill Lily’s (Taylor-Joy) rich stepfather. Strange, yet darkly comic, Thoroughbreds trades horror for suspense to tackle the malaise of the upper class, offering a memorable entry in the “be gay, do crime” subgenre.
Knife + Heart (2018)
Yann Gonzalez’s queer giallo revitalizes its Italian roots, promising plenty of sex, violence, and surreal mystery. Knife + Heart follows Anne, a gay porn producer who struggles to maintain control over her latest film’s production when a mysterious killer targets her cast and crew. Gonzalez wears his genre inspirations proudly, embedding stylish visual flourishes into his murder mystery, complete with a leather-clad killer wielding a dildo switchblade.
Cuckoo (2024). Fiction Park, Neon, Waypoint Entertainment.
Cuckoo (2024)
To no one’s surprise, the internet has fallen in love with Euphoria star Hunter Schafer, and in Cuckoo, she finally has time to shine as one badass final girl. In Cuckoo, Gretchen (Schafer) is forced to move to a secluded resort in Germany when her father receives a job from the resort’s eccentric manager (Dan Stevens). However, Gretchen quickly discovers that nothing at the resort is as it seems. Tilman Singer weaves a bizarre narrative, featuring mysterious disappearances, coming-of-age angst, and a strange creature haunting the nearby forests. Cuckoo is a wild ride that’s one part exploitation film and one part Goosebumps.
I hope you enjoy some of these picks! Remember to stay queer and spooky!
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Are you a queer horror or dark genre filmmaker? Submissions are now open for our next festival! Check us out on FilmFreeway.