QUEER (2024)
A gay US expat in Mexico City during the 1940s pursues a young man.
William Lee (Daniel Craig) is an American expat in Mexico City and an avatar for William S. Burroughs himself, whose 1985 novel director Luca Guadagnino’s Queer is based. Set not long after World War II, Lee’s life revolves around getting drunk, getting high and picking up men in one of his many favourite bars.
He hangs around with other queer men, a complicated term in the original book, which was set in the 1940s and published in the 1980s, although the word ‘queer’ has become less controversial following changes to language within the LGBTQ+ community. This group of American expatriates are all sceptical, witty, arty types who see Lee as beneath them. His only real friend in this semi-hidden community is Frank (Jason Schwartzman), a man so trusting of his hook-ups he gets robbed once a week.
Lee becomes obsessed with a young American, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), who seemingly appears straight. Sparks fly from the moment the couple spots each other, catching each other’s eye as Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” plays in the background. Eugene isn’t like the others; he wants something more with the younger man but fears the romance is unrequited. Gene appears more interested in a young redhead woman who he plays chess with.
He convinces Gene to accompany him on a trip to South America. Lee wants to try to locate the hallucinogen yage, or ayahuasca, because he has read it gives the users telepathic powers. He wants to take his lover so he can learn whether he has genuine feelings towards him. The pair hunt through the jungle to find the reclusive, gun-loving, snake-wrangling scientist and yage expert, Doctor Kotter (Lesley Manville, like you’ve never seen her before).
Queer isn’t what many people will expect, considering the director and the title. It starts as an erotic romp on the streets of Mexico, following Lee as he spends his time walking from bar to bar until he finds someone to take to a hotel. This includes a memorable and exposing cameo from Grammy-nominated singer Omar Apollo. It’s easy to see why some audience members may tire of the cyclic nature of the first act. Despite the sensual nature, where you can almost feel how hot those bars are, there is a sad undercurrent of its portrayal of people who just want to belong.
Queer isn’t afraid to show gay sex at its most carnal and needy. It’s a shame there’s so much media focus on the bedroom scenes, which Craig undoubtedly commits to, because they are no more graphic than many heterosexual cinematic scenes of intimacy. Just because it portrays two men doesn’t mean it’s somehow more explicit and grimier. Queer isn’t about hookups or the actual act of sex; it’s about the way people try to solve their loneliness.
Following the psychedelic nature of the source novel, Queer tangents into heroin-addicted Lee’s hallucinations which range from the strange to the funny to the terrifying. The final act challenges viewers in ways that will make many uncomfortable. It’s confrontationally weird and takes a big swing in the last 20 minutes. Viewers expecting a Call Me By Your Name (2017)-style romance may find themselves disappointed in the experimental nature of Queer, which shares more DNA with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) than Bones and All (2022).
There is a beautiful dark poetry to Burroughs’ writing that’s impossible to portray on screen. The closing scene tries to match the emotion of the writing but is more likely to leave the audience confused. On the surface, there may be disappointment that there is a lack of traditional romance in Queer. Under the layers of raw sexuality, lust and drug trips, there is a great exploration of how humans connect and how they seek comfort, even if everyone seeks it differently.
Lee should be a sleazy, neurotic, dislikable kind of guy. Sat at the bar in his white linen suit, eyeing any man near him as he shoots tequila and heroin. But Daniel Craig (No Time to Die) brings such a magnetism to the character that it’s hard not to find Lee, the type of man you’d want to drink with.
Unfortunately, Craig’s star power overshadows Drew Starkey, who can never match the charisma of the British actor. Starkey’s young veteran is a little softer in the adaptation, and more tender than the manipulative character in the novel. There’s no doubting how beautiful Drew looks on the big screen, another young actor about to be catapulted to stardom thanks to Luca. At times, it feels like Gene is just a beautiful piece of scenery rather than a multi-dimensional character.
Considering how much Lee thinks of Gene, Starkey can’t quite deliver the magnetism required of the role. The chemistry between the pair is almost too understated, never quite delivering the red-hot sensuality required for the coupling. Although it could be explained via Gene’s uncertainty and Lee’s egotism, watching their romance play out on-screen never feels entirely believable.
Queer has a dreamlike quality to it, often appearing like just another drug-induced reality by Lee. Beautifully shot by cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom with digitally rendered landscapes and streetscapes, the film often looks like a play. The walls wobble, the plane landing looks like a toy, and the cars are too small on the scaled-down road. At times, it appears like an old film set, and other times a delusion of an ego-centric alcoholic. You never feel like you are watching real life play out in front of you. It is as if someone is retelling a story with missing details and blurred context.
The ending of Queer, with its choreographic drug-induced mating dance, won’t work for everyone, but to some, the unexpected intimacy will feel like a gut punch. The controversial finale leaves the themes of the movie up to interpretation, with the filmmaker allowing people to bring their own theories and emotions to Queer. Unlike his more commercial Challengers (2024), Luca Guadagnino’s Queer demands audiences read between the lines and form their own narrative around the context. It won’t work for everyone, but it’s bold for a director at the top of his game to make a film this gutsy and unexpected.
ITALY • USA | 2024 | 135 MINUTES | COLOUR | ENGLISH
Cast & Crew
director: Luca Guadagnino.
writer: Justin Kuritzkes (based on the novel by William S. Burroughs).
starring: Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, Henry Zaga, Drew Droege, Ariel Schulman & David Lowery.
