Empowering and warm, 'Saturday Church' tells the story of a teenager's queer awakening through song.

A year ago today, the movie on everybody&#39;s lips was Barry Jenkins&#39; magnum opus, &#39;Moonlight&#39;. Until then, it felt like no film jury had fully recognised art that discussed the queer, black community.

Thankfully, that movie wound up getting the glorious reception it deserved, sweeping awards season&nbsp;and widely being labelled the best &#39;Best Picture&#39; winner of the 21st century. But the glory&nbsp;didn&#39;t&nbsp;all belong to Barry Jenkins.&nbsp;Off the back of Moonlight&#39;s critical and box office success, film distributors are now more willing to take risks on stories about marginalised communities &ndash; and filmmaking is all the better for it.

2017 ushered in the queer renaissance with movies like &#39;Call Me By Your Name&#39;, &#39;Princess Cyd&#39; and &#39;Beach Rats&#39;, and the&nbsp;reign looks set to continue as &#39;Saturday Church&#39; hits cinemas later in the month.

&#39;Saturday Church&#39; tells the story of Ulysses, a New York teenager&nbsp;growing up under the heavy, religious hand of his aunt while he tries to make sense of his own sexuality. One night, after she discovers Ulysses&nbsp;has been wearing women&#39;s clothes and heels, he runs away to Christopher Street pier&nbsp;where he meets a group of trans and queer women who take him under their wing. As they visit &#39;Saturday Church&#39;, a safe space for LGBTQ+ people in New York, Ulysses learns about the beauty of self-expression and is taught that we don&#39;t have to be shaped by those who raise us.

Part LGBT drama and part musical, critics have dubbed the film &quot;&#39;La La Land&#39; meets &#39;Moonlight&#39;&quot;, and have praised its lead star Luka Kain for his powerhouse performance. He&#39;s even won awards for it: last summer when the film played at Outfest in Los Angeles, Luka walked home with the festival&#39;s Grand Jury Prize.

If you&#39;re well overdue a dose of life-affirming queer cinema, look no further. Saturday Church is released in New York, Los Angeles and through Video on Demand platforms on January 12th.

This Queer Musical Will Make Your 2018 Brighter

L'OFFICIEL USA June 2024 - Megan Thee Stallion Cover

L'OFFICIEL USA May 2024 - Jackson Wang Cover

L'OFFICIEL USA May 2024 - Natalie Portman Cover

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES USA April 2024 - Jake Gyllenhaal Cover

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES USA April 2024 - Zayn Malik Cover

L'OFFICIEL USA March 2024 - Dakota Johnson Cover

L'OFFICIEL USA December/January 2024 - Vanessa Kirby Cover

L'OFFICIEL USA November 2023 - Sofia Richie Grainge Cover

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES USA Fall 2023 - Nicholas Galitzine

L'OFFICIEL USA Fall 2023 - Jay Chou Cover

This Queer Musical Will Make Your 2018 Brighter

Recommended posts for you

Pop culture

15 Stunning Photos From the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Fashion

Every Celebrity Spotted at the 2024 Olympic Games Prelude Party

Fashion

Beat The Summer Heat In Style With Streamlined Business Casual Attire

Film & TV

Everything To Know About the 2024 Venice Film Festival

Beauty

Collagen Face Masks Are The Skincare Secret To Maintaining Your Summer Glow

Fashion

Ethel Cain Explores Ethereal Aesthetics Through Her Singular Sartorial Sense

Fashion

Where to Shop for Unique Charms

Fashion

A Deep Dive into Lily Collins' Style Evolution