After making waves with his summer blockbuster Challengers, Italian director Luca Guadagnino returned to the big screen for a psychedelic period drama.
Featuring a star-studded cast, Queer is a masterclass in brilliant acting and cinematography. Although the film’s arcane narrative may alienate some casual viewers, Guadagnino’s ability to depict loneliness and human desire makes Queer a must-see for fans of his directorial style.
Adapted from William S. Burroughs’ novella of the same name, the film follows William Lee (Daniel Craig), an openly gay man living in Mexico City. Set in the post-Second World War era, Queer takes a surrealist, dreamy tone both visually and narratively. The audience is treated to neon-lit vignettes of empty cobblestone streets as Lee travels from one bar to another searching for companionship.
Working with cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Guadagnino creates a surreal landscape carrying the urban loneliness of an Edward Hopper painting.
Queer properly begins when Lee meets Eugene Allerton, a brooding American ex-soldier roaming the busy streets of Mexico City. Played by Drew Starkey, Allerton is mysterious yet alluring. As he waltzes on camera to Nirvana’s iconic “Come as You Are,” it’s hard not to fall into Allerton’s orbit. Lee soon develops an intense infatuation with the ex-soldier, leading the pair across South America and into the depths of their psyches.
Guadagnino, a filmmaker known for his moving depictions of relationships and sex, takes a more esoteric route with Queer.
Intimate scenes play like a Stanley Kubrick nightmare sequence. During a scene of Lee and an unnamed musician in a hotel room, close-ups of angular buildings flash on-screen while an industrial-ambient soundtrack drones in the background. The scene feels alien, like an estimate of what intimacy physically entails without any of its characteristic warmth and romance.
Queer is also a highly cerebral movie, through Lee’s series of highly symbolic dreams. At one point, Lee dreams of his openly gay friends and Allerton wearing striped pyjamas—a direct reference to Nazi Germany’s killing of gay men during the Holocaust.
Following the moral panic surrounding the 2SLGBTQ+ community in 1950s North America, it’s unsurprising to see depictions of this deep-seated fear. Seeing this psychological anxiety laid bare on screen is an impressive feat for Guadagnino and a testament to his storytelling ability.
At the heart of Queer is its painfully realistic depiction of human desire and isolation. Although the unfolding of their on-screen chemistry is electric to witness, Allerton and Lee’s relationship is deeply flawed—fear and shame form the building blocks of their relationship. Allerton, young and seemingly uncomfortable with his sexuality, pushes Lee away at every turn. Paradoxically, his emotional distance only makes Lee want him more. The constant push-and-pull between the two leads is agonizing in its realism.
Craig’s performance as Lee is striking, too. Craig embodies Lee with an infectious charisma. Every joke he makes was met with uproarious laughter in the theatre. His ability to convey deep emotions with the mere raise of an eyebrow makes him a force to be reckoned with.
Amid praises for the film, Craig is also welcoming the shift away from his hyper-masculine James Bond persona. Hopefully, the film’s smashing critical response is enough to persuade Craig to continue taking more creatively liberating roles instead of his typical mainstream machismo.
Despite Queer’s praises among critics, the film was met with mixed reception from general audiences. As of Dec. 31, the film grossed a meagre $3 million—less than 10 per cent of its $50 million reported budget. Queer may be too daring for most casual movie-goers, especially those more accustomed to Craig’s performance as 007.
Queer’s limited release may have stifled its momentum, too. In November 2024, Turkey’s government banned the film for unspecified “provocative content,” leading to Mubi’s cancellation of its worldwide premiere in Istanbul. With the film set to hit streaming platforms in the coming weeks, it may receive the necessary boost it needs to save itself from financial failure.
Ultimately, Queer is a gutsy exploration of human desire, shame and loneliness. The film forces us to reckon with our own repressed wants and fears. It asks us to turn toward the darkest parts of our minds and accept ourselves wholly, or live a life of self-betrayal.
Featured image by IMDb.
