We know that gritty and hyper-realistic crime blockbusters or grey-toned super-hero flicks are all the rage (and have been for yonks, might we add) for a while now, but really? Would it kill for today’s movies to have more colour, more fun and – dare we say it – more campness?

Diamonds in the rough such as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie might indicate that we are slowly heading back to the magical world of a Technicolor-esque era filled with kaleidoscopic hues, but there are heaps of other movies with the same level of campy goodness that did not receive the love they rightfully deserve. If you’re like us and are craving a touch more whimsy in your theatrical selection then you’re in luck, since we’ve jotted down a couple of films that have the sugary-sweet, bubblegum-pop and extravagant loveliness you’re after.

BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER Did you know that RuPaul and Natasha Lyonne starred in a late-90s romp comedy about a closeted highschooler going through conversion therapy? The movie follows protagonist Megan, (played by Lyonne) as she grapples with the fact that her parents – to her shock – whisk her away to conversion therapy to “cure” her lesbianism, as she slowly comes to term with her own sexuality. There, she meets out-lesbian Grahram (Clea DuVall) and the two begin developing feelings for each other, while draped in super-saturated pinks with their male counterparts (including a very young Dante Basco) wearing equally bright blue wares. Oh, and RuPaul is one of the counsellors who plays a repressed-macho-ex-gay man remarkably well. If you haven’t yet seen the genius that is But I’m a Cheerleader then we recommend fixing that, ASAP.

D.E.B.S If you thought the the early-2000s version of Charlie’s Angels starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Lui was camp, then this 2004 comedy is an absolute doozy. Directed by Angela Robinson, this movie stars supermodel Devon Aoki, Sara Foster, Jordana Brewster and Meagan Good as plaid-skirt-wearing spies known as the ‘D.E.B.S’ which stands for ‘Discipline, Energy, Beauty and Strength’ – basically, a queer and live-action version of Totally Spies. This movie did not receive the love it deserves due to the fact that this flick committed one of the most cardinal sins in cinematic history: catering to a queer and female audience instead of the heterosexual men who only want to oogle at explicit shots beautiful women. Give it a chance, if you haven’t already, since we can guarantee you’ll have a good time.

GLITTER This movie stars Mariah Carey in the main role, so just by that one fact alone it’s already one of the campiest flicks to ever exist. This movie follows Mariah (OK, she plays a character called Billie, but it’s freaking Mariah Carey for goodness’ sake) starting as a nightclub singer in the ‘70s to a global superstar, featuring a soundtrack made by Ms. Carey herself. This movie might not have gotten the attention it deserved because it’s probably a bit too ahead of its time, but a more accurate reading is that the reason it bombed is due to the fact it was released ten days after 9/11...oof. Terrible timing aside, Glitter is a romantic musical drama that should still be something to check out.

JAWBREAKER Made before Mean Girls and after Heathers, this 1999 teen black-comedy crime flick stars Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart and Julie Benz as a popular clique of bright-pastel wearing fashionable girls who get wrapped up in a sordid misadventure of murder. It has the same playful energy of the two aforementioned movies that we’ve come to love, so it’s a bit surprising that this flick didn’t receive the same level of adoration as the two, so we recommend giving this hilarious and dark teen comedy a watch, if you haven’t already.

JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS Guess what? This movie also happened to come out in the early 2000s, starred a majority female cast and was widely panned despite developing a cult fandom and newly-discovered appreciation in the decades since – who woulda thunk? Based on the vintage Archie comic series and Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the same name, Josie and The Pussycats is live-action satirical musical-comedy that gave a scathing review of the over-commercialisation in the American music industry – although perhaps too well, making us ponder if that’s the reason it was so panned when it first came out. It also happens to star Rosario Dawson, Tara Reid, Rachael Lee Cook, Alan Cumming, Parker Posey, Eugene Levy and Seth Green, so why the hell is this still so under the radar? Give it a watch, we promise you won’t regret it.