Calling all girls, gays, theys, and film enthusiasts: if you’re queer and a movie lover, then you’re in luck. Friday, June 19, marks the double release of two films with queer-centric plotlines: Girls Like Girls and Leviticus. Basically, it’s just Barbenheimer for the gays — and the internet is obsessed.
In case it’s been a while for you and Barbenheimer sounds unfamiliar, I’ll catch you up to speed. The term was coined in 2023 when Barbie and Oppenheimer were released on the same day, which became a meme due to their opposing aesthetics. The internet tried to make the phenomenon happen again with Gladiator II and Wicked in 2024, but it didn’t have the same enthusiasm that Barbenheimer did. It felt like nothing could top it. That is, until the Girls Like Girls and Leviticus double-feature came into the picture.
Girls Like Girls is a sweet, lighthearted, relatable coming-of-age film that touches on themes of figuring out that you’re queer, sapphic yearning, and first love. The story follows Coley, and how she falls for a charming girl named Sonya after she moves to Oregon to stay with her estranged father. The film is named after singer Hayley Kiyoko’s most popular song and marks her directorial debut.
But, on the flip side, there’s Leviticus — a dark, gut-wrenching, supernatural horror film. Written and directed by Adrian Chiarella, Leviticus focuses on two queer boys, Naim and Ryan, and what happens after their small, conservative Australian town finds out about their relationship. Upon discovering that Naim and Ryan are queer, the homophobic, religious community the boys are from summons a supernatural entity that torments them. But the scariest part? The entity takes the form of each other.
Two queer movies with vastly different vibes? Who else is down for a double-feature?
Many users have taken to X/Twitter to express their thoughts and feelings about this double release — with some even dubbing it 2026’s Barbenheimer… only, you know, gayer. Needless to say, they’re sat.
So, whether you’re a fan of a sickeningly sweet sapphic love story or a thrilling horror film, there’s a show for you to catch! Or, if you’re up for it, you can even make time for both.