What were the Hottest Queer Films at Sundance 2025?

'Sauna'

Set in Copenhagen, writer-director Mathias Broe's first feature, "Sauna," is a thought-provoking, messy, often fearless look at one deeply flawed young gay man and what happens when he finds himself falling in love with a transgender man.

Handsome Johan (a captivating Magnus Juhl Andersen) works as a receptionist at Adonis, a gay sauna, and has a sex-filled, relationship-free lifestyle – although he appears open to more.

One horny night, without bothering to fully read an app profile, he hooks up with William (Nina Rask), a trans man whose world is very different from Johan's. The two form a tender, if fragile, bond, since both exist in diverse and contrasting milieus.

Broe explores both men's realities, one buoyed by desire and the other stymied by political and social limitations. The filmmaker cleverly examines sexual identity and orientation, and where they converge and diverge. Neither character seems to know how to empathize with the other, and in that authentically presented conundrum the audience is able to challenge their own preconceived notions and sympathize with both.

'Two Women'

Quebec filmmaker Chloé Robichaud's fourth feature, "Two Women," is a contemporary retelling of Claude Fournier's 1970 comedy "Two Women in Gold," and it's a true gem. Adapted by Robichaud and Catherine Léger, the film centers on two suburban next-door neighbors, Florence (Karine Gonthier-Hyndman) and Violette (Laurence Leboeuf), both in strained relationships with men and both seeking alternate types of fulfillment, usually involving repairmen! The leads are absolutely wonderful. Félix Moati and Mani Soleymaniou portray the often-useless significant others with pathetic panache.

Robicaud's style is quite sly, as she seamlessly blends hilarious situations with nuanced characterization, keeping the emphasis on female desire and empowerment. The film has a gay sensibility about it, thanks to the two lead diva performances.

"Two Women" won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Writing (Chloé Robichaud and Catherine Léger).