Streaming Queer: July 2025

July brings all kinds of fun for us to enjoy! We return to the expansive intergalactic drama of "Foundation," the post-apocalyptic car-combat carnage of "Twisted Metal," and the outrageously competitive whirlwind of "Project Runway."

The streaming service recently known as "Max" officially and hilariously returns to their given name, "HBO Max" in July, and they're bringing the record-breaking Ryan Coogler film "Sinners" to our screens in celebration. July is also the month that we'll learn if Lena Dunham's new show "Too Much," which puts queer comedian Meg Stalter in her rightful place as the lead, has the potential to be just as chaotic and iconic as "Girls."

This month's queer streaming offering includes cop drama "The Countdown," in which two queer actors (Violett Beane and Elliot Knight) join Eric Dane in playing special agents that were recruited to solve one murder and end up uncovering a city-wide threat; we emotionally invest in a British household that's dysfunctional to the point of delusion in the mother-daughter sitcom "Such Brave Girls"; and we say farewell to both the cheerful Mexico-set resort comedy "Acapulco" and dreamlike dark fantasy "The Sandman."

In family saga "The Waterfront," a gay bartender (played by out actor Rafael L. Silva) gets caught up in the drug-running underbelly of a small town he just moved to, and Uma Thurman shows up in "The Old Guard 2," with centuries of pent-up rage against our morally-focused gay murderers for hire.

Scroll down and find out which July show's trailer features hot "The White Lotus" actor Will Sharpe spitting in his partner's mouth during sex! Yes, really!

"The Waterfront" Season 1

"The Waterfront" follows the once-wealthy Buckley family as they cling desperately to the cliff's edge of their crumbling empire. They're in so much debt that they're at imminent risk of losing everything they've built; their fishing boats now work double duty, powering their fishery by day and running drugs for a local supplier by night. When competitive drug suppliers confront the Buckleys with tales of the family's past, we learn they're more qualified for this lifestyle than they'd like to admit. At the same time, gay bartender Shawn (out "9-1-1: Lone Star" actor Rafael L. Silva) suddenly appears in their lives. He very clearly has no bartending experience, but he's suspiciously determined to work in the Buckley family restaurant, where he can watch them closely.

When the family figures out why he left law school and his boyfriend to meet them, Shawn's actual skills can shine, unexpectedly proving that he fits in with this chaotic, but fiercely loyal, family. "The Waterfront" is a rollercoaster ride of small-town family drama, with the fun bonus of a truly unhinged Topher Grace guest starring as a rich, young upstart with a "humble little opium start-up" that quickly becomes a threat to the Buckleys' everyday life.

"The Waterfront" is now streaming on Netflix.

"We Were Liars" Season 1

The story starts a year after Cadence was found on the beach after a trauma so heavy that her doctor's believe she's lost memory of the entire summer leading up to it in order to protect herself. But she's a curious, determined girl, so we spend each episode flashing back to previous summers as Cadence gradually pieces together events that led up to the traumatic event. "We Were Liars" explores grief, racism, generational wealth, and class consciousness, all wrapped up in the elite's summer escapades and Cadence's romance with her longtime crush. Johnny's fiercely protective nature, unfailing ability to twist the truth to protect those he loves, and his gay hook-ups all play a big part in unraveling the truth of what happened that night.

"We Were Liars" Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.

"The Royals" Season 1

Hot, charming playboy Prince Aviraaj (Ishaan Khatter, "The Perfect Couple") spends most of this series shirtless, his body gloriously and unabashedly on display for our thirst. He dances in gorgeous Bollywood-inspired scenes and rides horses with an ease and flair designed to evoke all kinds of distracting thoughts. The night Prince Aviraaj meets Sophia (Bhumi Pednekar) there's an immediate spark – a twisted, over-the-top, competitive energy in their assumptions about each other – that translates to sizzling sexual tension. Then they go back to their real lives, where Sophia's start-up has one last chance to prove they can succeed, and Aviraaj learns that when his father died (making him king) he left them in debt so tremendous that they can no longer afford their lifestyle. The cherry on top: Ownership of their properties remains in the family, but Aviraaj's father gave all his money to a man they've never heard of. Sophia arrives at Aviraaj's palace, her Airbnb with a royal family business solving his money woes while the electric energy between them causes new problems.

There's not a hint of homophobia in the queer storylines of "The Royals"; Aviraaj's sister hits it off with Sophia's assistant, and they begin a romantic sapphic affair worthy of their own Bollywood movie. A secret lavender marriage is revealed later in the season, and the arrival of these wise, loving gay men into the royal family's lives shakes everything up. "The Royals" has already been renewed for a second season.

"The Royals" Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.

"The Countdown" Season 1

"When an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) is recruited to a secret task force, alongside undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement." These agents include cyber-crimes expert Special Agent Evan Shepherd (queer actor Violett Beane, "Death and Other Details"), the FBI's terrorist threats specialist Special Agent Keyonte Bell (out actor Elliot Knight, who played Frenchie's boyfriend in "The Boys"), and Eric Dane ("Euphoria") as Special Agent Nathan Blythe, who leads the task force. They've been tasked with investigating the motive behind the officer's murder and finding the killer, but the team "soon uncovers a plot far more sinister than anyone could have imagined, kicking off a race against time to save a city of millions."

"The Countdown" Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.

"The Old Guard 2"

"The Old Guard 2" is a sequel to the action-packed adventure following a found-family team of immortal beings who are murder-for-hire, but only for a good cause! This movie dives deeper into their mysterious immortality and delivers queer drama: Remember Quynh? She's the immortal woman who has been repeatedly drowning and waking up inside a locked coffin sunk to the ocean floor for the past 500 years, and to whom Charlize Theron's Andy proclaimed her eternal love and loyalty, yet stopped searching the oceans to find her after a few years. Yeah, she's been discovered and rescued by fishermen, and she's coming to find Andy. The happier reunion in this film is the one between us and gay couple Joe and Nicky, whose profound love could conquer death even if they weren't immortal. In addition to powerful queer emotion, "The Old Guard 2" has Henry Golding as the key to "unlocking the mystery behind immortal existence," and Uma Thurman as an all-knowing original immortal with centuries of rage against our crew, and a determination to destroy them.

"The Old Guard 2" is now streaming on Netflix.

"The Sandman" Season 2

Netflix invites us to "join Morpheus (a.k.a. Dream, played by Tom Sturridge) on one more phantasmagorical journey" as "The Sandman" returns for a second and final season of the dark, deeply imaginative fantasy. Between seasons, it must be noted, "The Sandman" was among the growing list of Neil Gaiman productions that were cut short when multiple allegations of the author's coercive behavior and sexual assault were publicized. Showrunner Allan Heinberg and co-creator David S. Goyer have been vague and inconsistent about Gaiman's input in this season, seemingly downplaying his involvement but never clearly confirming it.

"The Sandman" is brimming with LGBTQ+ characters, its surreal storylines overflowing with queerness, quenching our thirst for stories where we are magical, mysterious, and multidimensional – and portrayed by a genuinely diverse slate of queer actors. We so enjoy this show's iridescent, dreamlike depiction of gender, and love that there are more queer storylines, scenes, and actors than we could mention all at once here. Queer actor Indya Moore ("Pose," "Ponyboi") joins the cast this season; so does Esmé Creed-Miles ("Hanna," "Silver Haze") as Delirium. Queer actor Mason Alexander Park returns as Desire; so does out actor Stephen Fry as Gilbert, protector of the brave and brilliant queer-coded Rose Walker.

"The Sandman" Season 2 premieres July 3 on Netflix.

"Sinners"

"You keep dancing with the devil... One day he's gonna follow you home." "Sinners" is Ryan Coogler's record-breaking vampire thriller that has everyone talking! This streaming release is making history, too: "Sinners" will be the first feature film available in Black American Sign Language. Groundbreaking visionary director Coogler worked with his "Black Panther" and "Creed" star Michael B. Jordan for the fifth time in this movie, the actor playing twin brothers in 1930s Mississippi whose plan to move home is rocked by a supernatural force. "Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back." "Sinners" is twisted and transcendent, suspenseful and stunning; it's a dazzling dance with the devil, and we can't wait to watch it again!

"Sinners" premieres July 4 on HBO Max.

"Such Brave Girls" Season 2

The line "I'm fine now, so if you don't love me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my medicated best!" from the trailer sums up the "Such Brave Girls" vibe: This Best Comedy BAFTA-winning mother-daughter comedy from queer creator and lead actor (playing a queer character) Kat Sadler follows three women whose lives are an unmistakable mess, but they're climbing their way through it – however haphazardly, and hilariously for the audience – and they know what they want. The official description tells us, "Josie (Sadler) is on a never-ending quest for meaning, Billie's (Lizzie Davidson) is chasing a fairytale romance, and Deb (Louise Brealey) is hoping for a financial miracle. Expect bigger disasters, terrible choices, and more harrowing love stories as this family continues their impossible journey for a better life." This British sitcom tackles mental illness, family dysfunction, financial struggles, and identity crises with equal heart and humor. Sadler has described "Such Brave Girls" as "a family sitcom about trauma, but it's more about us being narcissistic losers who are pathetically obsessed with what people think about us." Representation matters!!

"Such Brave Girls" Season 2 premieres July 7 on Hulu.

"Too Much" Season 1

"Change your life. Go to London." Will Sharpe spits in Meg Stalter's mouth in this trailer! It's worth a watch for that alone. But here's what the show is about: Queer comedian Meg Stalter (of "Hi Gays" virality and "Hacks" fame) is a heartbroken New Yorker who moves to London after a devastating breakup, hoping for a love story right out of her favorite rom-coms. But life is not a movie, and London's nothing like she's seen it on screen.

While she plans to "live a solitary life like the Brontë sisters," everything changes when she falls for walking red flag and "sleep-until-noon musician" Felix (Will Sharpe, "The White Lotus") who is described as "less Hugh Grant in "Notting Hill' and more Hugh Grant's drunken roommate." Jessica and Felix's connection, though impossible for them to ignore, creates more problems than it fixes, which – between Dunham's writing, and Stalter's performances – will for sure get hilariously unhinged. "Too Much" has tons of cameos and guest appearances, including out actors Stephen Fry, Leo Reich, Andrew Scott, Rita Ora, and, of course, longtime Lena Dunham co-star Andrew Rannells.

"Too Much" Season 1 premieres July 10 on Netflix.

"Foundation" Season 3

"This is where everything is headed." Based on Isaac Asimov's award-winning stories, and led by Emmy-nominated actors (out gay actor Lee Pace among them), "Foundation" captivates its audience with expansive, yet intricate, worldbuilding and stunning visuals. Set 152 years after Season 2, "the epic chronicle of a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire" continues in Season 3.

The official logline describes the events of Season 3 as a "potentially deadly game of intergalactic chess," setting the scene like this: "The Foundation has become increasingly established far beyond its humble beginnings while the Cleonic Dynasty's Empire has dwindled. As both of these galactic powers forge an uneasy alliance, a threat to the entire galaxy appears in the fearsome form of a warlord known as 'The Mule,' whose sights are set on ruling the universe by use of physical and military force as well as mind control." Lee Pace, who has grown out his hair and beard for this season, told Esquire that his character "harbors deep cynicism and resentment toward his position of power" as his storyline explores the question, "What if an emperor was bored?"

"Foundation" Season 3 premieres July 11 on AppleTV+.

"Acapulco" Season 4

"Máximo is checking back into Las Colinas for one last season!" The fourth season of this delightful, magnetic comedy series will be the final one, so we're expecting even more heartwarming joy than usual. In season four, present-day Máximo (the suave Eugenio Derbez) is working to restore Las Colinas to its former glory before the grand reopening. In the 1986 storyline, a competitor resort claimed the number one spot in the annual ranking of Acapulco's Best Hotels, so young Máximo (the gorgeous Enrique Arrizon) is focused on doing "whatever it takes to get back on top and secure Las Colinas's future," with the help of his longtime friend and frequent co-star Memo (out gay actor Fernando Carsa) of course!

"Acapulco" Season 4 premieres July 23 on AppleTV+.

"Project Runway" Season 21

"Project Runway" is back, and so is Heidi Klum. We're "in a new home, with new rules," but the story is the same: They're pushing these ambitious designers to their limits, with daring challenges, competitive time crunches, and literal fire on the runway. Elle Editor-in-Chief Nina García and fashion icon Law Roach join Klum as judges for Season 21, and wildly adored fashion designer Christian Siriano (whose star began to rise when he won "Project Runway" Season 4) returns to mentor the young designers. "Utica Queen," a.k.a. Ethan Mundt ("RuPaul's Drag Race"), is one of this season's talented contestants.

"Project Runway" Season 21 premieres July 31 on Disney+, Freeform, and Hulu.

"Twisted Metal" Season 2

"The joyride is over. The tournament is here." After an explosive, chaotic first season – and the revelations in the finale – John Doe (Anthony Mackie) and Quiet (bisexual actor Stephanie Beatriz) find themselves entering a deadly, no-rules demolition derby hosted by a mysterious man named Calypso, who has invited vigilantes from all over their post-apocalyptic world to compete in his Twisted Metal tournament. Showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith says this season is "packed with fast-paced action, hysterical moments, and thrilling twists, all anchored by unforgettable characters."

Per Beatriz's interview with Inverse, they've also packed bisexuality: "In the period between seasons, Quiet has really come into her own, including romantic liaisons with some of the other women in [John's long-lost sibling] Dollface's group." Beatriz shared that she was involved in developing Quiet's bisexuality, and has been dropping gay crumbs since Season One to let queer viewers know that her time is coming.

"Twisted Metal" Season 2 premieres July 31 on Peacock.