Luca Guadagnino’s Queer is a bold and intimate adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ semi-
autobiographical novella. A long-gestating passion project for the director, the film explores
themes of desire, self-destruction, and isolation with an unflinching honesty. Daniel Craig
delivers a striking performance in a role that strips away any remnants of his suave, action-
hero image. Guadagnino’s signature visual style and emotional depth are present throughout,
making Queer a compelling and deeply personal addition to his body of work.
Craig plays William Lee, a fictionalised version of Burroughs—an American expatriate
living in 1950s Mexico City. Addicted to opioids and spending most of his time drinking in
bars, Lee becomes fixated on Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a recently discharged Navy
serviceman. Lee’s attempts to charm Allerton are at times desperate and uncomfortable, but
they reveal a man craving love and validation. Craig’s performance captures both the
intensity of Lee’s desire and his deep insecurities, showing a side of the actor rarely seen
before.
Starkey plays Allerton with a quiet confidence, his cool detachment making him all the more
intriguing. There’s an underlying tension between the two—Lee’s affection appears one-
sided, but Allerton’s actions suggest something more complicated. When the moment of
surrender finally comes, it’s both explosive and intimate.
Beyond its central relationship, Queer is a film about connection—how we crave it, distort it,
and sometimes destroy ourselves in pursuit of it. Guadagnino and cinematographer
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom craft a visual language that mirrors Lee’s fractured state of mind.
Double exposure is used to stunning effect in key moments, blurring the lines between Lee’s
reality and his desires. Other sequences delve into surreal, hallucinatory territory, mirroring
his drug-induced dissociation and emotional unravelling. The result is a film that feels like a
memory unfolding, steeped in longing and regret.
The final act brings Lee and Allerton to a breaking point, where their suppressed emotions
and desires come to the surface. It’s handled with the same mix of restraint and intensity that
defines the film, closing on a note that lingers.
This conclusion is a culmination of both characters’ suppressed emotions, with their
hallucinations and hidden desires colliding in an uninhibited, surreal sequence that feels like a
descent into a shared fever dream. It is both intoxicating and unsettling, a fitting climax to a
film that refuses to conform to traditional narrative expectations.
Queer is not a conventional love story, nor is it a straightforward character study. Guadagnino
approaches the material with care, making a film that is provocative without being excessive.
Craig delivers one of his most daring performances, while Starkey proves himself a strong
counterpart. It’s a film about longing, rejection, and self-exploration, told with a rawness that
sticks with you.
Rating: ★★★★½
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