If you tore through the romance and passion of Heated Rivalry, you’re likely looking for more stories featuring intense M/M chemistry, compelling relationship dynamics, and a dose of steamy heat. We’ve compiled a list of movies and TV shows that hit similar notes, from raw, acclaimed dramas to feel-good queer romances across the globe, along with where you can stream them!

Asian Picks

• The Eighth Sense (Korea). A tender campus romance about 2 students drawn to each other while navigating trauma, identity, and desire.
• Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island (China). A soft slow burn about friendship turning into something deeper amid secrets and summer vibes.
• Caged Again (Thailand). A fluffy feel good BL series with zero angst and 100 percent charm.
• To My Star S1+2 (Korea). A quiet love story about an actor and a chef finding their rhythm through conflict, longing, and real intimacy.
• Life: Love on the Line (Japan). A simple and powerful coming of age romance following 2 boys from their teens into adulthood.
• Choco Milkshake (Korea). Pure comfort TV about a guy whose pets turn into cute men and create unexpected emotional warmth.
• Semantic Error (Korea). One of Korea’s most polished BL dramas. A grumpy coder and a campus golden boy collide with instant enemies to lovers energy.

• Cherry Magic! (Japan). A wholesome magical rom-com where a shy 30-year-old gains the ability to read minds and discovers his coworker has a huge crush on him.
• The Untamed (China). A global phenomenon. Epic fantasy, soulmates, sword fights, devotion that transcends lifetimes. Based on the hit novel Mo Dao Zu Shi.

The Heated Rivalry Rebellion: How Gay Romance Became a Political Act for Women

Sports Vibes

• Olympo (Brazil, Netflix). Two rugby players fall for each other while navigating a chaotic, dramatic plot that is messy but addictive.
• SKAM S3 (Norway and remakes). One of the most influential queer teen romances. Raw, real, and deeply emotional.

Movies With Heat and Heart

• Paris 05:59: Théo & Hugo (France, 2016). A bold real time film about two men who meet in a sex club and spend the night navigating desire, fear, and connection. Intimate and unforgettable.
• Keep the Lights On (USA). A decade long love story inspired by real events, exploring passion, addiction, and the impossible pull between 2 men.
• Passages (France/Germany). Ben Whishaw stars in a turbulent bisexual love triangle that’s messy, erotic, and brutally honest.
• Sauvage / Wild (France). A raw portrait of a homeless sex worker searching for love in all the wrong places. Gritty, emotional, anchored by a stunning performance.
• The Acrobat (Canada). A dark, atmospheric BDSM romance between 2 men whose emotional lives are as heavy as their scenes. Explicit, slow, haunting.
• Stranger by the Lake (France). A modern classic of queer cinema. Erotic, suspenseful, and genuinely Hitchcock level in tension. Not for the faint of heart.

TV Shows With Chemistry, Romance, or Queer Vibes

• Young Royals (Sweden). A prince. A sweet choir boy. Forbidden romance done right.
• Schitt’s Creek (Canada). A wholesome slow burn love story between David and Patrick that became a cultural touchstone.
• Interview with the Vampire (USA). High drama. High homoeroticism. High stakes. A lush reinvention of the classic.
• Fellow Travelers (USA). Sexy, devastating, and political. A sweeping queer romance across several decades.
• The English Teacher (USA). High school teacher, an openly gay man, navigates the collision of his professional, political, and personal life at work.
• Heartstopper (UK). Soft, warm, affirming. Perfect after something as intense as Heated Rivalry.
• Sex Education (UK). A diverse ensemble comedy with strong queer storylines and a huge heart.
• Sense8 (International). A global sci fi epic with some of the best queer relationships on screen.
• Red, White & Royal Blue (USA). Enemies to lovers with royal sparkle and charming banter.

Extra Recommendations

• Boots / Overcompensating / Big Boys. Funny, heartfelt shows centered on queer identity and self-discovery.
• Killing Eve. Toxic. Chaotic. Magnetic. A queer cat-and-mouse obsession that defined a TV era.
• The Sex Lives of College Girls. Smart comedy with great queer characters and campus drama.