Activist Victoria Cruz goes in-depth in the doc chronicling Marsha P. Johnson, suspiciously ruled a suicide and believed by many to have actually been a wrongful murder. Johnson recounts the 1992 death of transgender legend Marsha P. The 2017 Netflix documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Move this LGBT movie to the top of your list. The cinematography is stunning, as is the thoughtfulness of the setup - it’s a quiet film, but one that says so much. This LGBT movie is a meditative look at three periods in a man’s life as he grows up, comes out, and settles into himself. Heartbreaking and lovely, this movie absolutely deserved the 2017 Best Picture Oscar (but not the shenanigans that came along during the award ceremony). It’s an intimate look at a community that has continued to influence our culture in the three decades since its release, most recently in series like FX’s Pose and HBO Max’s Legendary. The joyful explosion of elaborate runway competitions, in which unforgettable contestants show off costuming, choreography, and general fabulousness as only they can, exists alongside the harsh realities of AIDS, racism, poverty, and violence. One of the most beloved documentaries in the queer canon and beyond and one of our favorite LGBT movies of all time, this singular film takes us inside the ballroom culture of late-’80s New York City.
