12 'straight' movies featuring gal pals who totally should have ended up together

As wonderful as it is that we've finally started getting more movies that involve actual on-screen explicitly sapphic representation, for many, many years, queer women learned to survive on crumbs. A wink and a nudge here, some unintentional queerbaiting there — we made do, and we loved it. We'll never forget the movies that allowed us to read more into the relationships between our favorite gal pals than the studios were willing to put on screen. We'll also never stop picking up on that sapphic tension, whether the people making the films intended it to be that way or not.

1. 'Pitch Perfect (2012)' — Beca & Chloe

Nothing screams "friendship" quite like walking into another woman's shower, asking her to sing "Titanium," and then insinuating it's your favorite song to listen to when you're feeling frisky. No matter how many men the people behind Pitch Perfect throw at these ladies across however many movies, we'll always know they belong together.

2. 'Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)' — Idgie & Ruth

It feels cruel putting Fried Green Tomatoes on this list when the book is explicitly gay, but the movie was not allowed to go that far, so here we are. Ruth and Idgie's love story is one for the history books, and even straightwashing the film can't hide that.

3. 'Barbie (2023)' — Barbie & Gloria

What could possibly be more delightful than seeing Barbie explore her sapphic side? We already know she wasn't in love with Ken and she's now adrift, searching for her inner truth in the real world. There might be some weird Dr. Frankenstein/Frankenstein's monster undertones in the idea of Barbie and Gloria getting together, but the vibes were there.

4. 'Bring It On (2000)' — Missy & Torrance

Bring It On is one of those movies where the romance might be cute, but it feels so superfluous. Torrance already gets an important new relationship in her life when Missy auditions for cheer — we never needed Missy's brother coming around on top of that! It clearly was a last resort!

5. 'Thelma & Louise (1991)' — Thelma & Louise

Well, the argument could be made that Thelma and Louise did end up together, in a sense.

6. 'Descendants (2015)' — Mal & Evie

This duet between Mal and Evie in Descendants 2 was so gay that even Dove Cameron called it out years later. Sorry not sorry to Ben and Doug!

7. 'Wicked (2024)' — Elphaba & Galinda

If Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's press tour didn't convince you that Gelphie should be endgame, then it's time to get your gaydar checked. They know it. The original Galinda knows it. The author of the book knows it. While we don't expect Wicked: For Good to explicitly confirm it, it's basically canon at this point.

8. 'Bend It Like Beckham (2002)' — Jess & Jules

Bend It Like Beckham is one of those movies that's so intrinsically sapphic that everybody tends to forget it actually wasn't.

9. 'The Parent Trap (1998)' — Meredith & Chessy

Sure, Meredith and Chessy did not get along at all in The Parent Trap, but enemies-to-lovers always makes a compelling story. And okay, sure, maybe we mostly just want this because Elaine Hendrix and Lisa Ann Walter are such adorable BFFs IRL.

10. 'A Simple Favor (2018)' — Stephanie & Emily

The first film was gay. The second film was gayer. The third film, should we ever be blessed with such a thing, surely must become the gayest. Paul Feig, we're trusting in you.

11. 'Scooby-Doo (2002)' — Daphne & Velma

Scooby-Doo was originally supposed to include a kiss between Velma and Daphne, albeit not one that singled the blossoming of a new, legitimate romance. But in every iteration of Scooby-Doo, sapphic fans have clamored for this to come to pass. And it sure would have been nice for it to happen in the version starring Linda Cardellini and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

12. 'Jennifer’s Body (2009)' — Needy & Jennifer

Jennifer's Body can hardly be considered a heterosexual movie, and we won't insult it by pretending otherwise. But whatever desperate obsession was going on between Needy and Jennifer, they absolutely should have joined forces and kept killing boys together — but in a totally gay way. Still keeping our fingers crossed the sequel of our dreams will do it right.