Haven't quite pulled your sweaters out of storage yet? We've got something else to keep you warm.
We're in the heart of fall right now, but just because it's getting cold outside doesn't mean you can't feel the heat. So while you remind yourself you enjoy home-brewing tea and wait patiently for your building to turn the heat on, you can turn on these steamy gay and lesbian movies that are streaming right now on Netflix and forget all about how frightful the weather's about to become. What's your favorite flick?
Kit Connor and Joe Locke in promotional image for Heartstopper.
Joseph Sinclair/Netflix
Netflix has officially announced that the hit series Heartstopper — starring Kit Connor as Nick Nelson and Joe Locke as Charlie Spring — will conclude with a feature film, thus not returning for a full fourth season.
Netflix's official blog, Tudum, reports that this movie finale will take place right after the ending of Heartstopper season 3 in which Nick and Charlie elevated their relationship to a new level. The movie's official logline reads:
"Nick and Charlie are inseparable, but with Nick preparing to leave for university and Charlie finding new independence at school, the reality of a long-distance relationship begins to weigh on them. Doubts take hold, and their relationship faces its biggest challenge yet. Meanwhile, their friends are also navigating the ups and downs of love and friendship, confronting the bittersweet challenges of growing up and moving on."
"Can first loves really last forever?" the Heartstopper's film description concludes.
Which actors are coming back for the 'Heartstopper' movie finale?
Kit Connor in a promotional image for Heartstopper.Joseph Sinclair/Netflix
Tudum reports that the two main stars of Heartstopper, Kit Connor and Joe Locke, are returning for this feature film finale.
Not only are they reprising their roles as Nick and Charlie, respectively, but the actors are also being credited as executive producers in this feature film — as noted by Netflix.
In turn, it's worth noting that Tudum has not confirmed which other actors — besides Connor and Locke — are returning for this final installment. "Keep coming back to Tudum for more official cast announcements," the blog post reads.
When is the 'Heartstopper' finale being released on Netflix?
Joe Locke in promotional image for Heartstopper.Joseph Sinclair/Netflix
Netflix did not reveal a release date for the Heartstopper movie finale, but noted in a press release that filming will begin this summer 2025.
Euros Lyn, the director of seasons 1 and 2 of Heartstopper, will serve as an executive producer for the feature film as well. However, Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice) has been tapped to direct this cinematic finale.
What did 'Heartstopper' creator Alice Oseman say about the hit TV show ending with a movie?
Alice Oseman at a screening for Netflix's Heartstopper.Netflix/Sama Kai
Alice Oseman, author of the Heartstopper series of graphic novels and showrunner of the hit Netflix show, shared this announcement in an Instagram post as well.
"We are making a feature film to conclude the Heartstopper screen adaptation, based on Heartstopper Volume 6 and the 'Nick and Charlie' novella," Oseman writes. "We are getting to tell the end of the story!!! I'm deeply relieved and so excited about this new creative venture. I've written the script and we’re hard at work already. I know you'll have a lot of questions, and I'll be able to talk about it more very soon, but for now let's CELEBRATE! Heartstopper is getting its ending!"
An official statement from Oseman has also been shared by Netflix, which reads:
"I am completely overjoyed that we will get to tell the end of the Heartstopper story. I'm so grateful to everyone who has worked hard to make this possible and to the incredible fans of Heartstopper for your patience and passion. I cannot wait to bring this story to a magical conclusion."
The first three seasons of Heartstopper are streaming on Netflix.
Love on the Spectrum's Tina Zhu Xi Caruso (left) and Pari Kim.
Netflix
Pari Kim isn't just "unapologetically autistic" — she's also "unapologetically queer."
The 23-year-old has captured audience hearts on season three of Love on the Spectrum, a Netflix dating show that features adults with autism. Pari's relationship with her now-girlfriend, Tina Zhu Xi Caruso, marked the show's first LGBTQ+ romance — and the couple is still going strong.
"It's going really well with us. I just love her so much," Pari tells The Advocate. "She is really the Amtrak to my commuter. She's just perfect for me. I love how we both get so excited together. She's just the sweetest and I can always count on her. She also holds me accountable for things, keeps me on track. No pun intended."
Love on the Spectrum's Pari Kim and Tina Zhu Xi CarusoNetflix
Not only are the two still together, but they're starting to get serious. Pari says, "We talked about someday getting married and having a train-themed wedding. Maybe like, rent out a private Amtrak charter train. A nice vintage steam engine would be really cool, but yeah, it's gotta have trains in it."
Though Pari finally did get her "Princess Charming," it wasn't without a little awkwardness that everyone experiences while dating. One scene from the show has gone viral for a sweet interaction in which Pari and Tina both seemed too nervous to make the first move, despite wanting to.
"I always wonder what it would be like to kiss a girl, honestly," Pari said in the clip, to which Tina responded, "Yeah. I wonder, too." The two then stood together in silence, creating a moment that queer women both on and off the spectrum have been relating to.
Not to worry though — Pari eventually got her dream kiss while riding a train over a scenic city bridge with Tina, who had thoughtfully avoided eating gluten just in case they ended up locking lips.
Pari says that it's been "awesome" to watch her season and see just how far she and Tina have come. She would "love to come back if they invite me back for season four on Love on the Spectrum, and maybe someday be in more movies or TV shows."
"I almost teared up at the ending when they show who's still together and that the Railfans got another member," Pari says. "I wish there was more. I want another season because I just feel like there's more to a story and I want to continue just telling it. And [Tina] has so many things I know she wants to tell, too. I really want to get to share more of my journey with everyone."
As a leader of the "Railfans" — a group of friends that share a special interest in public transportation — Pari says that her dream job would be an influencer or partner for a railroad's social media, such as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in her home of Boston. Amtrak would also "be a dream come true."
"I have so many great ideas I want to bring to the table," she says. "I feel like I have a good creative vision and they could use more diversity in their teams."
Pari's life has drastically changed in the weeks since season three of Love on the Spectrum premiered, as she's become a public figure almost overnight. The influx of followers to her Instagram profile even caused her to be temporarily locked out of her account because the platform assumed they were bots instead of new fans. While there's been some negativity online, Pari says she's "overwhelmed in the best way by all the kindness flooding in."
"Some [fans] want to reach out and ride the T with me, say they've been touched, they have a kid who's on the spectrum, they love watching the show, or they feel like they can be themselves because of me. It doesn't go unnoticed," Pari says. "Every nice comment I read makes me smile, and I'll never forget the heartfelt gratitude. I just love all my fans and I hope they realize how much of an impact they make on my life."
Pari wants the world to know that "there's nothing wrong" with being autistic or LGBTQ+ — or both. She says "there's a lot more of us out there than you think, and it's just part of who we are."
"There's people saying, like, 'You're confused' or 'Your sister's a bad influence.' No, this is just who we are and we don't have to change ourselves," Pari says, adding, "Just ignore the haters and bullies because they just want to get a rise out of you. There's always going to be way more people who love and support you than ones who want to bring you down."
This week, Survival of the Thickest returns for its sophomore season on Netflix, and the show, which already felt like a much-needed and joyful escape, is even more poignant now.
For the unfamiliar, the series follows the exploits and experiences of Mavis Beaumont (as played by Michelle Buteau and based loosely on her book of essays), and her friends as they navigate both career challenges and (queer) romantic ones. Mavis has dreams of becoming both a famed stylist to the stars and of making the world — by way of the fashion industry — a more welcoming and accessible place for people with larger bodies (or, as she puts it, folks with oddy bodies and fatty baddies. Season two picks up with Mavis quickly finding herself single again but ready to pour herself into growing her brand, and creating more space and acceptance for everybody beginning with her own brick-and-mortar store.
It’s aspirational to be sure, but much has changed in the real world since season one made its way to Netflix in July 2023. So while the show is as funny and charming as ever, Mavis’ quest to take on the system just hits a little different this time. And that’s a very good thing.
It’s not lost on Buteau who is excited to use her platform to elevate the voices and stories of marginalized people and is unapologetically an ally to the queer community. “Everybody is our brother and sister — we’re all family. So can we just do that?” she asks PRIDE.
She has high hopes that LGBTQ+ people will feel uplifted by this season which sees multiple queer love stories unfold.
Buteau says her desire is one that the queer audience knows. “That” they are worthy and important and that they matter and that they should have happy endings and a community to go through stuff with.” For the actor, creator, and producer of the show, Buteau sees the show as, “such a love letter to my friends and I always say the oddy bodies and fatty baddies in the queer community to be like we got this let’s keep going. While I have this moment on this platform to do this show I’m gonna do what I can to make us shine, bitch.”
Netflix
While she is serious about her allyship, Buteau can’t help but joke about the pleasures and pitfalls of bringing her love stories to the screen this season. Fresh off of a heartbreak, Mavis is ready to embrace her “hoe” side in season two, which sees her set out on a spree of dates: some that go well and some that go hilariously wrong. But there’s a method to all the madness, says Buteau.
“I had a lot more intimate scenes than I had in season one. I think trying to figure out how to tell that story in the most beautiful way, but also honest way, so it’s like maybe less makeup because I think it’s very important to tell women that they don’t need a beat face in order to be loved or dicked down, or however you enjoy your sex,” she explains. Adding, “But I’m not gonna lie… being on set having cooked meals for you all the time and then trying on a bunch of lingerie in between lunch, it’s just like, ‘What is this gonna be? That was a little challenging, but it was also really fun. It’s also an honor, but it’s also really hard not to fart on them sometimes.”
Netflix
That quote perfectly encapsulates the ethos and balancing act that Survival embodies. It’s activism and humor, sexiness, and humanity all rolled into one utterly watchable series. Fart jokes? You bet, but it also presents a world that suggests what our real one could be if we just led with love and acceptance.
It’s also why the inclusion of drag legend Peppermint, playing a version of herself, adds so much depth — and hope — to the proceedings. The drag superstar, broadway actress, and trans activist doesn’t mince words when it comes to seeing how this show can serve as a powerful tool of empathy building in a time when we truly need it most.
Netflix
“In the day and age where we’re hearing people who weren’t elected to be very close to certain high offices in the country, talking about how empathy is the enemy and the death of this country, which is not true, but that is what has been said because they know that empathy is the one thing that will defend people against this type of dehumanization,” Peppermint tells PRIDE. “You cannot dehumanize who you empathize with, and that is key.”
She continues. “We need each other, and I can impact you, and you can impact me. It’s inevitable, if we’re sharing space, we will impact each other and improve on each other’s lives,” she tells PRIDE. “That’s one of the things that Michelle and the writers do so well [in season two.]”
Netflix
Like the best of entertainment, Survival of the Thickest manages to do both things, entertain first and foremost, but it also invites us to open up our hearts to characters, some of whom are like us, some of us whose lived experiences are totally unlike ours and to love them both. That’s not just a recipe for queer joy, it’s one for survival.
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Watch the trailer below.
This week Netflix’s hilarious and heartwarming queer series Survival of the Thickest kicked off its sophomore season and to celebrate the cast, crew, and a bevy of celebs partied the night away in NYC.
The streamer partnered with Everyday People to host a celebratory and inclusive 'Doing Thee Most' community toast at Nobu Fifty Seven—and the stars turned out. In attendance were the show's stars Michelle Buteau, Peppermint, Tone Bell, Tasha Smith, Bevy Smith, and Jerrie Johnson. But that's not all. Liza Treyger, Sandra Bernhard, Jonathan Van Ness, ALOK, and others were also in attendance.
They were joined by the show’s creative team and influential figures in the Black and LGBTQ+ community including Achieng Agutu, Scottie Beam, Kela Walker, Simi Moonlight, Sophie Diaries, Thaddeus, and Sean Garrette. So yeah, it was quite a night, but one befitting one of the most queerly joyful and inclusive shows ever.
This season sees the return of Mavis Beaumont (Buteau) once again single and ready to grow her brand to new heights with the help of her friend and chosen family. Speaking of which her crew is also on journeys of their own with Marley (Smith) now out and proud finding a new lady love, Khalil (Bell) chasing personal and professional growth, and Peppermint (Peppermint) seeking her happy ending.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek at the premiere and afterparty celebrations.
NETFLIX
Survival of the Thickest season two is streaming now on Netflix.
Joe Locke and Kit Connor in the LGBTQ+ teen drama 'Heartstopper.'
Netflix
Despite its popularity, beloved queer teen drama Heartstopper isn’t guaranteed a fourth season.
The show’s executive producer Patrick Walters told Deadline that he and the creative team behind the Netflix coming-of-drama are “working hard” on scoring a season four pickup in the face of funding challenges stemming from Heartstopper being a YA project, which are more difficult because they come from “nascent IP or original ideas that are hard to get over the line.”
“I think it’s because the audience is specific, the worry is does it feel niche and is it speaking to a wide enough audience in this specificity?” Walters told the publication. “The best YA nails those young voices and the current mood of a generation in whatever way, and it’s about trying to do that in a way that allows your broadcasting partner to say, ‘Yes, and this will also connect widely.’”
Netflix has yet to make an announcement about whether or not Heartstopper will continue, and although certain plot points have already been wrapped up on the show, there is more story left to tell since it is based on a popular LGBTQ+ YA graphic novel series by Alice Oseman, who has already announced plans for a sixth and final volume.
Walters has no formal update on a fourth season but said that “there are lots of moving parts” and “we are working hard on it.”
As popular as the show has been for the streaming behemoth, viewership was down from the high of the first two seasons. Season 3 ranked #130 among all of Netflix’s programs, amassed 10.9 million views from its October 3 release date until the end of 2024, and peaked at #4 in Netflix’s global Top 10 list. But that’s a 30% season-to-season drop off in viewership compared to season 2.
Walters explained that picky projects that are “risky” means that the future can be more uncertain.
“The challenge is what you need to do in this moment is to pitch something that feels specific and there is not precedent for it and it is moving the conversation on,” he said. “But that is a risk. Often I find you want to gravitate towards risky material and it needs that passion – but that’s a challenge.”
Hopefully, Heartstopper doesn’t meet the same fate as other beloved queer shows that were canceled too soon, like A League of Their Own, Our Flag Means Death, and Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This.
Kit Connor in a promotional image for Heartstopper.Joseph Sinclair/Netflix
Joe Locke in promotional image for Heartstopper.Joseph Sinclair/Netflix
Alice Oseman at a screening for Netflix's Heartstopper.Netflix/Sama Kai
Love on the Spectrum's Pari Kim and Tina Zhu Xi CarusoNetflix
