Better Man

Widest Release: 1,291 theaters

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

Better Man depicts the life story of Take That band member turned solo artist Robbie Williams, played by an anthropomorphized monkey in the film. Throughout his career, there has been speculation about Williams’ sexuality, and that is not shied away from in this film, though there is no confirmation that Williams is anything other than straight. There is a section of the film where Take That performs in multiple gay clubs and Williams says he had “found his people” and “the promised land” there. In a voiceover, he briefly discusses the rumors about his sexuality, particularly one that insinuated he had slept with all his gay friends. The real Robbie Williams, however, sued a magazine for libel in 2005 over stories alleging that he was closeted. Nigel Martin-Smith, Take That’s manager, is gay in real life but his orientation is never mentioned or explored in the film. Ultimately, queer representation in this film is limited to fans attending the concerts at gay clubs and one character that expresses sexual attraction to a man auditioning for Take That.

Gladiator II

Widest Release: 3,580 theaters

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

Gladiator II sees Hanno, the son of Maximus and Lucilla from the original 2001 film, return to Rome as a prisoner of war to fight in the Colosseum. Macrinus, who is the main antagonist of the film, makes a number of comments that could imply a queer identity, including a comment to another upperclassman, Thraex, about “men like [them]” who have “tasted” everything in Rome. There is also a moment where Macrinus says there are some days where he is not interested in women, but it is unclear if that is a reference to his sexuality or if it is a joke about not finding women interesting or worthwhile company, especially given that he is lecherously eyeing a woman while he makes this comment.

At one point in the film, there is an implication that Thraex was caught with both a man and a woman in the night, but it is again not made clear what the man and woman are doing in Thraex’s house. Finally, Emperor Caracalla is seen lounging on a throne with men next to him at one point in the film while his twin lounges with women in the same position, which could obliquely signal that Caracalla is interested in men, but there is no other indication of Caracalla’s sexuality which takes it beyond vague implication and subtext that an audience could choose to believe or ignore. It is worth noting that all three of the men with potential to be queer are power-hungry villains. Denzel Washington, who played Macrinus, told the press that a gay kiss was cut from Gladiator II, although director Ridley Scott denies that the kiss ever took place. Ultimately, GLAAD did not include any characters in its final tally.

Mean Girls

Widest Release: 3,826 theaters

Vito Russo Test: PASS

Mean Girls is an adaptation of the 2017 Broadway musical adaptation of the 2004 teen comedy film of the same name. The musical follows protagonist Cady as she adapts to a new school environment and has to navigate the social landmines that come with high school after a life of home school in remote areas. When she first arrives, she meets Janis and Damien, two outsiders that take her under their wing. Damien is gay, as he was in both the 2004 film and the stage show, and Janis is a lesbian in this adaptation, something which was only hinted at in previous adaptations, most often as a joke. These two queer characters, notably both people of color, guide Cady on her journey through this new school. Janis and Damien are also the first characters on the screen, set up as the central storytellers of the film. They are key characters that are afforded the same character development and relationships as their straight counterparts in the film; both of them headline multiple songs, go to a dance with dates of the same gender, and it is their conflict with Cady that leads to the climax of the film. In the original film, Janis’s falling out with lead mean girl Regina is traced back to Regina thinking Janis is a lesbian and obsessed with her, even though Janis ends up with a male love interest. In this version, Janis is actually a lesbian and Regina’s bullying of her stems from a plethora of other reasons. Having Janis be an out and proud lesbian in this adaptation and also singing a climactic number about self-love is an exciting choice and update to this franchise to make it more relevant to a modern audience. There are also a number of queer characters that fill out the wider ensemble of the film, like Janice and Damien’s dates and background characters during musical numbers.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Widest Release: 3,769 theaters

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

For a portion of this film, Sonic is allied with Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the villain of the first two films. Sonic asks Dr. Robotnik if he ever would have a family and Dr. Robotnik says that something seems to make him “undesirable to all possible genders.” While some have interpreted this as an indication that Ivo is bisexual+, this one passing comment is not enough to confirm his sexuality without any other indication in the film or any clarity that he actually would be open to “all genders” if someone were interested. While Dr. Robotnik does turn on Sonic partway through the film, he flips again and ends up with a redemption arc in the final moments, sacrificing himself to save the world and stop his grandfather. If he is somehow brought back in future Sonic films, it would be simple to confirm and clarify his sexual orientation. This would be a welcome step, especially as it seems there was an interest in giving him a life beyond villainy and fighting.