Select your language
Feb 12, 2025
Sapphic yearning is a cinematic experience. From the stolen glances to the lingering tension to the will-they-won’t-they that keeps us clutching our chests. Who among us hasn’t envisioned the love we pine for as we stare out of the rainy window, picking the perfect song to play over and over in our head like a movie scene? Some moments have been so powerful they’ve practically redefined sapphic storytelling. So, for all the hopeless romantics and lovers of the ache, we’ve collected some of the best sapphic yearning moments from film that have us screaming into the void for a love of our very own.
Source: Cinema from the Spectrum
This film is pretty much the blueprint for longing. Cate Blanchett’s Carol Aird and Rooney Mara’s Therese Belivet take “eye contact that could kill” to another level. Theresel’s “I want to ask you things…. but I’m not sure that you want that…..” is peak gay panic. The soft lighting, the stolen glances, the tension? This movie is basically one long sapphic pining session wrapped in vintage fur coats.
Source: The New York Times
A period drama with achingly slow yearning? Yes, please. Abigail and Tallie’s relationship unfolds with stolen moments, secret touches, and longing that is almost unbearable. The way they navigate their emotions while being trapped in a world that won’t allow them to love freely? Absolutely heartbreaking.
Source: The Opinioness
A coming-of-age sapphic yearning gut punch. Alike’s feelings for Bina are so soft and tender, but also so ridiculously painful because of how fleeting they are. The hesitant touches, the shy smiles, the unspoken words… it’s everything. This film is a must-watch for anyone who’s ever fallen for someone and not been sure if they feel the same.
Messy, intense, and straight-up obsessive (not to mention controversial), Adèle and Emma’s relationship is a masterclass in first love and deep, deep longing. Every look is filled with desire and every small touch is electric. The tension leading up to their first kiss is unreal. It’s passion, heartbreak, and complete devotion all wrapped up into one film.
Source: Film Daze
Forbidden love never hurt so good. Ronit and Esti’s yearning is so intense it practically radiates off the screen. The rain-soaked kiss? The stolen glances in the synagogue? The absolute agony and desperation of wanting someone you can’t have? Devastating. This is the kind of sapphic romance that leaves you emotionally wrecked in the best way.
Source: IMDB
Slow-burn yearning meets historical repression in this beautifully shot period drama. Mary and Charlotte barely say a word, but their lingering stares and subtle touches speak volumes. Their connection builds through small gestures. Brushing against each other, exchanging quiet glances, the way Charlotte lingers just a liiiiiittle too long. The tension simmers under layers of social constraint until it finally explodes into one of the most cathartic and passionate moments in sapphic film. It’s a masterclass in restraint and payoff.
Source: Okezone
This movie’s got deception, power plays, and the kind of slow-burn passion that makes you want to scream into a pillow. Their connection is all about those stolen glances and whispered conversations that make you feel like you’re in on some grand forbidden secret. Their relationship is equal parts love, survival, and straight-up manipulation, keeping you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The cinematography is pure art, and let’s be real…. the bathtub scene? Easily one of the most breathtaking and intimate moments in sapphic film history. If you haven’t watched this one yet, prepare to have your soul wrecked.
Source: IMDB
This film doesn’t just simmer, it burns. Love Lies Bleeding throws us into a neon-soaked fever dream where passion and danger go hand in hand. Lou and Jackie’s chemistry is nothing short of electric. It crackles with that unhinged, reckless kind of love that makes for peak sapphic yearning. Their every interaction is dripping with tension, and the intensity between them is the kind that leaves you wishing for a scoop of that drama in your own life. It’s raw, it’s chaotic, and it’s impossible to look away. This film is easily one of the boldest and most gripping sapphic films in recent years, and here’s to hoping more follow.
Source: Netflix
This film takes “they were roommates” and amplifies it to a ten. The sapphic yearning in this film is real because, well, it’s real! This is based on a true story. Elisa and Marcela’s story is full of longing glances, hidden kisses, and the ultimate defiance of choosing each other in a world that tells them they can’t. Here’s to hoping that we all find someone who would move and shape the world for our love.
Source: The Playlist
Another period drama? Yes please. This film is sapphic yearning art. The way Marianne and Héloïse steal glances, their hands hovering near each other but never touching… It’s a familiar poetic torture that we crave. The final scene? The literal definition of a love so strong it transcends time. This is the sapphic slow burn to end all slow burns.
Source: The Playlist
I know, I know, I know, but hear me out. A literal closet scene? You can’t make this up. When Harper whispers, “I want to be with you,” inside the closet (both literally and metaphorically), the weight of sapphic yearning crashes down. There’s love, fear, and the struggle of coming out all wrapped into one. It’s the kind of yearning that makes your heart ache, and your stomach flip because all you want is to be loved and accepted by the people you love most in the world.
Sapphic yearning is a whole ass genre at this point. Whether it’s historical repression, modern complications, or just two people falling in love in the most dramatic way possible, these moments remind us why we keep coming back for more. We just can’t resist that familiar craving and longing, and, more importantly, the happiness of getting what we want.
What are your favorite sapphic yearning moments in film? Let’s cry about them together.
Chicago-based community manager, content writer, and professional cupid who’s still in her emo era. When she's not hosting HER virtual events, you’ll find her creating oddly specific playlists on Spotify and hitting up way too many concerts with her partner. Catch her where the music’s loud, the food is cheesy, and the eyeliner’s smudged just right!
