Some urges are too strong to resist, even when they’re leading you toward desperate acts and regrettable predicaments. The films in this powerful collection introduce us to characters whose longings—emotional, physical, spiritual—push them to unexpected places. In Followers, a gay African man in Wales finds himself the object of uncomfortable attention from an elderly church-going lady who sees something remarkable in the bump of his swimsuit. In 1990s Mexico, little Arturo is being bullied as a Fggot for girlish ways he can’t help; his fantasy life helps him connect with his handsome uncle, coping himself with HIV and intolerance. Billy, a disabled gay man battling loneliness and unquenchable desire, has only his home health worker Craig to turn to, in the brave and unforgettable Hole. It’s the 22nd century and a time traveler is assigned against his will to return to 1968 to thwart a nascent virus; his insistent supervisor (Zachary Quinto) has deep personal reasons for sending him back to create The Future Perfect. On an intense desert hike, two buddies get hot and bothered when one of them pushes the friendship to a new level, in Thirst. Finally, Julian’s surly dad thinks he’s at soccer practice, but the teenager is compelled to perform in drag in the gritty and gripping Showboy*.