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William Lee (Daniel Craig), an American immigrant in Mexico City, spends his days with a small American community and his nights trawling bars for attractive young men to sleep with. Not looking for anything other than fleeting pleasure, William has his head turned by the arrival of expat former soldier Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). The handsome young man, who is deliberately vague about his own sexuality, becomes friendly with William and their relationship soon blossoms. As William starts to imagine a real life with Eugene, Eugene becomes distant and the two men try to navigate their connection.
‘Queer’ is based on William S. Burroughs’ novel of the same name which was written in the early 50s but not published until 1985. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (‘Call Me By Your Name’), the film is a slow-moving but beautifully stylistic piece of cinema, that draws inspiration from the paintings of Edward Hopper to provide the striking backdrops. Split into chapters, the film begins with William picking up a handsome young man in a bar and taking him to a hotel room so they can have sex. It’s established quickly that William isn’t shy about his sexuality, despite being a gay man in Mexico City in the 50s.
Credit: MUBI
When William first sets his sights on Eugene, his curiosity soon transforms into full-on obsession. There are scenes of the two men spending time together where the viewer sees William reaching out to touch and caress Eugene, only what we’re seeing is William’s wants and desires rather than his actual actions. A night of heavy drinking leads the two men back to William’s home, and that is the catalyst for a rocky relationship that soon takes them both on an unexpected journey. While William is hankering after Eugene, he’s also harbouring a worrying drug addiction that is addictive to him as his feelings for Eugene.
For the first 80 minutes of the film’s run-time, ‘Queer’ is a slow-paced character-driven story of love and desire. The remaining hour switches gears, transforming the film into a quest for an illicit drug in South America. William and Eugene travel together but their experience of the same situation is vastly different. Guadagnino captures the disorienting nature of the source material, as the two men get high and their behaviour becomes uninhibited. This part of the film won’t be for everyone, and it may come as a surprise. It’s certainly not as accessible as what comes before, moving more towards David Lynch territory than you’ll likely be expecting.
Credit: MUBI
Daniel Craig succeeds in distancing himself from James Bond as William. His performance is unlike anything we’ve seen from him before and he’s surprisingly bold. Craig throws himself into the film’s unflinching sex scenes, and he utterly convinces as a man driven by his desires rather than his brain. In Drew Starkey he has a willing partner who commits to the material and marks himself out as an actor to keep an eye on. Starkey adds complexity to the character of Eugene that a lesser actor wouldn’t be capable of, and he’s as bold as Craig throughout the film. Scene-stealing turns from Jason Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are highlights along
‘Queer’ is an unusual film. It looks beautiful, it features stunning performances and it’s challenging at times, but it’s not going to be for everyone. Guadagnino perfectly captures Burroughs’ book and that will mean that the material may prove too challenging for some viewers. Part-drama, part art-house, ‘Queer’ is a film that requires you to fully engage and it’ll leave you with plenty of questions. As the film moves into abstract, it may lose some viewers but for those that like to be challenged, there’ll be more than enough to keep you thinking long after the film finishes.
Cast: Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville, Omar Apollo Director: Luca Guadagnino Writers: Justin Kuritzkes (screenplay), William S. Burroughs (novel) Certificate: 18 Duration: 137 mins Released by: MUBI Release date: 31st January 2025
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