Birds of Paradise (2021): The Slow-Burn Lesbian Ballet Movie That Lives Rent-Free in My Head
Okay, let’s be real — if you’re a lesbian with a pulse and you haven’t watched Birds of Paradise yet, drop everything and go stream it on Amazon Prime right now. I’m not kidding. This movie came out in 2021 and somehow flew completely under the radar, but for those of us who live for intense, sweaty, emotionally messy wlw chemistry… this is pure catnip.
The film follows Kate (Diana Silvers) and Marine (Kristine Froseth), two ballerinas competing for the one coveted spot at the Paris Opera Ballet. Kate is the rich American girl on scholarship, Marine is the French prodigy who just lost her twin brother to suicide. They’re forced to room together, train together, and basically breathe the same air 24/7. You already know where this is going: rivalry → obsession → “is this hate or do I want to kiss you?” energy that never lets up.
From a lesbian perspective, this movie is basically 90 minutes of prolonged eye contact, heavy breathing, and hands lingering way too long during partner stretches. The sexual tension is so thick you could cut it with a pointe shoe ribbon. There’s a scene where they’re practicing lifts in an empty studio at night and Marine is literally straddling Kate while whispering criticism in her ear… ma’am, I had to pause and stare at the ceiling for five full minutes.
Diana Silvers and Kristine Froseth have insane chemistry. Like, unfair levels of chemistry. Diana plays Kate with this cocky, slightly bitchy American swagger that makes you want to both fight her and make out with her, while Kristine’s Marine is all fragile ice-queen energy hiding massive trauma. The push-pull between them is delicious. Every time they touch during a pas de deux, you can feel the director screaming “make it gay!” behind the camera — and baby, they delivered.
And let’s talk about the infamous bathroom scene. I won’t spoil it completely, but just know that when Marine helps Kate with her leotard snaps and their faces end up inches apart… yeah. That moment single-handedly awakened something in half the lesbian internet when the movie dropped. TikTok was flooded with thirsty edits set to Ethel Cain and Phoebe Bridgers for months.
What I love most is how the film never feels like it’s pandering. It’s not “look, gay people!” — it’s just two girls slowly realizing their hatred is actually desire and doing a terrible job at hiding it. The queer subtext isn’t subtext; it’s basically main text wearing a thin veil for plausible deniability. Sarah Adina Smith (the director) clearly knew exactly what she was doing, and I respect the hell out of her for it.
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The ballet itself is also stunning. These actresses actually trained for months, and it shows. The dancing is brutal and beautiful and erotic in that very specific way only ballet can be. Bodies pushed to breaking point, toes bleeding, eating disorders casually mentioned — it’s dark, but the intimacy of it all feeds directly into the lesbian gaze. Watching two women hold each other up (literally) while destroying themselves for art? Yeah, that hits different when you’re gay.
Is the movie perfect? No. The ending is a little divisive (some lesbians love it, some hate it — I’m team “it’s tragic in the hottest way possible”), and there are moments where the script gets a bit heavy-handed with the dead-brother trauma. But honestly? The vibes are so good I don’t even care. I’ve rewatched this film an embarrassing number of times and it still makes my gay little heart race.
If you’re into slow-burn sapphic tension like Portrait of a Lady on Fire, The Handmaiden, or Carol — but wish they had more sweaty dance studio makeout energy — Birds of Paradise is going to ruin you in the best way.
Final verdict from your resident obsessed lesbian: 10/10, would let Marine Durand step on me again. Go watch it. Then come back and scream with me in the comments about how Diana Silvers in that black leotard altered your brain chemistry permanently.
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