By Hans Pedersen, May 2017 Issue.
Power Rangers
Now playing in theaters | PG-13 | 124 minutes | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
From Beauty and the Beast to Star Trek, LGBTQ characters are making small in-roads into big-screen franchises, including this reboot of the 1990s live-action kids TV series. In the revamped Power Rangers, Yellow Ranger Trini (Becky G) is one of the first LGBTQ characters to appear in a big-budget blockbuster. When Trini is asked if she’s struggling with boyfriend trouble, it becomes clear she’s actually having girlfriend problems. As Trini questions her sexuality, her moments of self-realization help propel the action forward as this group of high schoolers with impressive superpowers tries to save humanity.
Taekwondo
Available on DVD April 18 | 105 minutes | Comedy, Drama
You may have to hunt for gay content in this gentle, homoerotic tale, but there is a payoff. In this tender drama from Argentina, directed by Martin Farina and Marco Berger, Fernando gathers a bunch of buddies for a summer vacation at his country home, and the muscled, shirtless dudes sit by the pool, boasting of sleeping with women. But Fernando also brings along Germán, a new friend from his martial arts class who doesn’t tell the other guys he’s gay. Soon personal boundaries between Fernando and Germán dissipate as their passions rise to the surface.
I Am Not Your Negro
Available on DVD May 2 | PG-13 | 93 minutes | Documentary
An incredible and essential Oscar-nominated film centered around late gay novelist James Baldwin (Giovanni’s Room) and his incisive commentary on race relations in our country. In this revealing documentary, narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, director Raoul Peck tries to complete Baldwin’s unfinished project about the lives of civil rights activists Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Using archival footage and Baldwin’s writings and authoritative interviews, Peck has crafted a powerful chronicle about contemporary black history that nobody should miss.
Lovesong
Available on DVD May 16 | 84 minutes | Drama
Sarah (American Honey’s Riley Keough) and her best friend, Mindy (Donnie Darko’s Jena Malone,) take a road trip together in this memorable Sundance indie directed by So Yong Kim. The two women hit the road and end up exploring their close friendship and forging an even deeper connection. But once one of them prepares to get married, the other tries to rekindle the romance with mixed results. Nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 2017 Independent Spirit Awards, Lovesong is a uniquely sophisticated tearjerker.
