A Lesbian Love Letter to “More Beautiful for Having Been Broken” (2019)
I’m just going to say it upfront: More Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2019) is one of the most quietly devastating and healing lesbian films I’ve ever seen. Yeah, I cried. Multiple times. And if you’re a queer woman who’s ever felt too broken for love, too tired for hope, or too scared to let someone see the real you… girl, this movie is going to wreck you in the softest, most beautiful way.
Let me set the scene for those who haven’t watched it yet (and honestly, stop everything and go find it). Freddie (played by the ridiculously talented Zoë Ventoura) is a high-powered, cocaine-snorting, emotionally closed-off FBI agent in Los Angeles whose life is basically a glossy mess. After her mother dies, she’s forced to go back to the small country town she swore she’d never return to. There, she has to face her estranged mother’s old house, her grief… and her mother’s gorgeous, soft-spoken neighbor, McKenzie (played by Kayla J.), a single mom raising a son with cerebral palsy named Vivian.
And yes, before you ask: McKenzie is very, very gay. And Freddie? Well… she’s about to have the gayest awakening of her life.
This isn’t your typical lesbian romance with grand gestures and dramatic airport chases (though I wouldn’t mind one). This is slow. This is tender. This is two women who have both been broken in completely different ways learning how to hold each other’s pieces without cutting themselves.
The Lesbian Gaze Done Right
Let’s talk about the chemistry, because sweet Jesus. The way McKenzie looks at Freddie—like she sees right through the armor, the sarcasm, the “I don’t need anyone” attitude—had me holding my breath. There’s a scene where they’re just sitting on the porch at night, sharing whiskey, and McKenzie says something like, “You don’t have to be strong all the time.” And Freddie, this woman who’s spent years building walls higher than the Hollywood sign, just… crumbles. Quietly. Beautifully.
There’s no forced “coming out” drama here. No one screams “I’m gay!” at the top of their lungs. It’s just two women who recognize something in each other. That quiet, knowing look between queer women when you realize… oh. You too.
Disability, Motherhood, and Queer Love
One of the things that makes this film stand out in the lesbian movie landscape is how it handles disability. McKenzie’s son has cerebral palsy, and the film never treats him like a tragedy or a prop. He’s a kid—funny, smart, stubborn, and deeply loved. Watching McKenzie be a disabled mom who is also undeniably sexy, capable, and tender? That representation hit me hard. We rarely get to see disabled queer women as romantic leads. Let alone ones who get the girl.
And Freddie? She doesn’t “fix” anyone. She doesn’t swoop in like some able-bodied savior. She learns. She listens. She shows up. That’s the kind of love we deserve.
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The Slow Burn That Healed Me
This isn’t a flashy movie. It’s not Carol-level cinematography (though the countryside shots are stunning). It’s not But I’m a Cheerleader-level camp (though I love that too). It’s quiet. It’s real. It’s the kind of film you watch curled up with tea (or wine, no judgment) and then sit in silence for twenty minutes after because… damn.
There’s a moment near the end where Freddie finally says “I love you” and McKenzie just smiles like she’s been waiting her whole life to hear it. I lost it. Full ugly cry. Because isn’t that what we all want? Someone who sees how broken we’ve been and still thinks we’re more beautiful for it?
Why Every Lesbian Should Watch This
If you’re tired of lesbian films where someone dies, or cheats, or runs away, or the story ends in tragedy because “queer love can’t be happy”… watch this. If you’ve ever felt like your trauma made you unlovable… watch this. If you just want to see two soft, gorgeous women fall gently and deeply in love while healing from their pasts… watch this.
It’s not perfect. The pacing is slow (some might say too slow). A few side characters feel underdeveloped. But the heart of it? The lesbian heart of it? It’s pure.
Final Thoughts
More Beautiful for Having Been Broken isn’t just a movie. It’s a reminder. A soft whisper in the dark that says: You are allowed to be messy. You are allowed to be scared. You are allowed to let someone love you anyway.
And for that, I will always, always love it.
So go watch it. Cry with me. Then come back and tell me your favorite scene in the comments. I need more lesbian friends to scream about this film with.
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