Following immense commercial success and virality with “Challengers,” director Luca Guadagnino tackles William S. Burroughs’ 1985 novella “Queer” in his second film of the year. Rather than attempting to remain entirely faithful to the source, Guadagnino pieces together aspects of Burroughs’ life and his novella to create a pseudo-biography, placing the author at the heart of his own story. The result is a deeply immersive, emotionally resonant, and surreal cinematic journey.
The film, after premiering at Venice International Film Festival earlier this year, received a much-anticipated limited theatrical release on Nov. 27. It will premiere nationwide on Dec. 13.
Set primarily in Mexico City during the 1950s, “Queer” follows William Lee (Daniel Craig), an American expat and opioid addict, who becomes captivated by the distant and mysterious Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). The narrative offers a raw and intimate exploration of infatuation, alienation and the obsessive nature of desire.
Rather than attempting to remain entirely faithful to the source, Guadagnino pieces together aspects of Burroughs’ life and his novella to create a pseudo-biography, placing the author at the heart of his own story.
In a fresh film role since closing his chapter as James Bond, Craig delivers a raw, transformative performance as Lee, shedding his 007 machismo to inhabit a character defined by his vulnerability and longing. Craig’s embodiment of Lee’s unreciprocated longing for Allerton is excruciating in its tenderness and raw honesty, showcasing the aching emptiness of unfulfilled desire. Opposite him, Starkey delivers a breakout performance, bringing a quiet, enigmatic intensity to Allerton that captures his elusive nature towards Lee.
During the post-screening Q&A at the 62nd New York Film Festival, screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes mentioned Guadagnino gifting him a copy of the novella while filming “Challengers.” Guadagnino spoke about his desire to take on the novel, saying the adaptation “was really a no-brainer” for him.
Filming for “Challengers” had not yet wrapped before Kuritzkes started writing the “Queer” script. In addition to screenwriter Kuritzkes, Guadagnino carried over many other key talents from his previous works, including costume designer J.W. Anderson, editor Marco Costa, cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, and composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. This consistent creative team brings a refined sensibility to the film, blending visual, auditory, and emotional elements, enhancing Guadagnino’s bold narrative vision.
The original score by Reznor and Ross haunts the film, adding a layer of hollowness and solemnity to it. However, the use of certain modern music in the soundtrack felt jarring in certain scenes. One of the introductory scenes invokes Nirvana’s “Come As You Are,” which, although likely a nod to the 1993 collaboration between Kurt Cobain and Burroughs, interrupted the 1950s atmosphere the audience has only just begun to settle into. Sinead O’Connor’s “All Apologies” cover offers a moving counterpoint later in the film, its stripped-down vulnerability mirroring Lee’s raw emotional state.
This tension between the score and the soundtrack reflects the film’s broader exploration of disconnection, though not without moments of dissonance that risk pulling the audience out of the story.
Anderson, the film’s costume designer and current creative director at Loewe, relied on muted tones and classic structures, grounding the film in its historical context while retaining a modern edge. Allerton’s clean-cut styling serves as a stark contrast to Lee’s ill-fitted, wrinkled suits, highlighting the divide between Allerton’s controlled, enigmatic nature and Lee’s vulnerable state.
While not his most widely accessible work, Guadagnino excels in the absurd, leaning into the surrealist landscape he builds with the help of his longtime collaborators.
The most compelling technical aspect of the film, however, is Sayombhu Mukdeeprom’s cinematography. Mukdeeprom and Guadagnino have collaborated on four out of five of Guadagnino’s films since “Call Me By Your Name.” Mukdeeprom demonstrates a masterful ability to evoke emotion through his framing of the human form, capturing both vulnerability and intimacy. Each shot is its own masterpiece — mesmerizing, hypnotic and permeated by a still life-like quality that heightens the film’s emotional resonance.
While not his most widely accessible work, Guadagnino excels in the absurd, leaning into the surrealist landscape he builds with the help of his longtime collaborators. The linear love story is woven together with kaleidoscopic dream sequences that, without the proper context, may alienate casual moviegoers. As with his 2022 film “Bones and All,” “Queer” will likely garner polarizing opinions from audiences and critics alike, as the surrealist second and third acts may shock fans of “Challengers,” “James Bond” and “Outer Banks” who are drawn to the film solely for the main cast and crew.
“Queer” is both a tribute to Burroughs’ literary legacy and a deep exploration of human fragility, solidifying Guadagnino’s position as one of the most poetic and subversive modern filmmakers.