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Earlier this year, director Luca Guadagnino released Challengers, a surprisingly mainstream-feeling drama about a tennis love triangle. But now that Award Season is here, he’s back to his typical art house style with Queer, an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical novella by William S. Burroughs.
Queer stars Daniel Craig as William Lee, an American living in Mexico City in the early 1950s. Lee spends his days doing drugs and hanging out in the local bars with all of the other American expats and trying to sleep with young men. But when he meets former American soldier Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), he becomes obsessed with the handsome younger man, determined to have a relationship with him—despite the fact that Eugene doesn’t seem especially interested in men. But as their friendship grows, the relationship eventually transforms into something else.
The film follows Lee through his aimless wanderings, strolling through Mexico City, visiting one bar after another, and having long and often pointless conversations with his fellow expats. It’s all quite hazy and almost dreamlike. It’s a stylish film—but one in which not much really happens. There’s a lot of fascinating scenery—streets and bars and cool 1950s parties—but it all feels rather shallow.
Eventually, the story takes an unexpected turn, as Lee travels to Ecuador to investigate a telepathic drug—and it’s here that an aimless film turns all the more bizarre. But unless you know a little bit of about the original story by Burroughs—and a little bit about the author’s life—you’ll most likely get lost in Lee’s strange adventures. And that makes it a frustrating adaptation—more a film for fans than a standalone adaptation.
Really, the most captivating thing about the film is Daniel Craig’s performance. Everything here revolves around this character—his life, his insecurities, his addictions, his obsessions, and his conversations. For the most part, he isn’t exactly a likable character—at times, in fact, he feels like a predator. But Craig brings out all of his quirks. And in a film that generally feels hazy and narratively somewhat out of focus, his performance is the only thing that seems strong and clear.
Queer finds the director back in Award Season form—with a drama that’s far from mainstream. It boasts a strong performance from Daniel Craig—but unless you’re familiar with Burroughs and his work, you’ll most likely find it strange and confusing and pretentious.
You can join Lee’s journey when Queer arrives in select theaters on November 27, 2024 before being released nationwide on December 13.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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