This film, about the secret hunt for a sadistic serial killer in the 1950s Stalin-controlled USSR, includes a brief subplot about the treatment of gay men at that time. CHILD 44 Widest theatrical release: 510 theaters In a workplace-set film that could easily have left out any hint of a personal life, it is notable that the creators made the choice to include an LGBT character as part of the film’s world. Petey’s orientation is established very organically as just part of his life he receives a text message with a picture of his partner and their dog asking when he is coming home and saying they miss him. Agent Petey Douglas breaks protocol to provide his former boss with weapons to protect herself and sleeper agent Mike, and later disregards direct orders, which would have resulted in many civilian deaths and reports the situation to superiors. In a genre that often only includes LGBT characters as villains or one-note stereotypes, it’s refreshing to see a gay character given substance and the same type of humanizing traits as non- LGBT characters. Interestingly, the stoner-spy thriller American Ultra positioned a gay CIA agent as the film’s moral center. AMERICAN ULTRA Widest theatrical release: 2778 theaters However, the lack of a romantic interest for him in comparison to all the straight central characters was a missed opportunity. Despite falling into the overused “gay assistant” trope, Alvaro is depicted as an integral character, confident in himself, and accepted by the people in his life. In the end, Alvaro leads the film’s climax as he provides Mala an opportunity to apologize and confess her true feelings. His assistant and best friend, Alvaro, is openly gay and is clearly flirtatious with several men throughout the film though he never gets a romance of his own. She eventually comes to fall in love with someone she was hired to test, who ends their relationship after learning her secret. This Spanish-language romantic comedy follows Mala, an actress who works as a seductress for extra cash, hired by women to flirt with their partners in a test of the men’s loyalty. A LA MALA Widest theatrical release: 384 theaters Three of these films passed the Vito Russo Test. In 2015, Lionsgate Entertainment released 24 films, of which 8 included appearances by LGBT people, amounting to 33%.
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