Review: Queer

20 February, 2025 William Eguizabal 0 Comments 2 categories

Title: Queer
MPA Rating: R
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Daniel Craig, Dean de Wit, Jason Schwartzman
Runtime: 2 hrs 17 mins

What It Is: William Lee (Craig) is an American immigrant living in Mexico in the 1950s. When young American student Karl (de Wit) arrives, it stirs something in him. William, who is gay, is fairly certain that Karl is as well—and he’s eager to find out.

But William is also searching for something else: an experience unlike anything he’s ever known. His growing addiction to drugs, however, may become a problem—one that could fracture not only his relationship with Karl but perhaps even his own psyche.

What We Think: Guadagnino directing a film based on a Burroughs short story feels like a match made in hell—in the best way possible. There’s just enough strangeness here for it to work terribly well.

Daniel Craig is unhinged and phenomenal. This script—and Burroughs’ work in general—demands a certain level of mania to truly shine, and Craig delivers. One of the coolest aspects of the film is what Luca does visually, especially during a certain scene toward the end. There’s a haziness to the film’s overall look that enhances its atmosphere beautifully.

Another standout element is the structure of this journey. Queer stories set in this time period are rare, and even rarer are those set in a place as notoriously homophobic as Latin America. That alone makes this film feel all the more unique and compelling.

Our Grade: B+, Another in a series of great leaps by Luca Guadagnino. One thing to love about this guy is his willingness to make whatever the hell he wants to make. Visually this is one of the most interesting films I’ve seen in 2024. This won’t be for everyone but this was certainly something I enjoyed. An obscure piece that’ sure to hit with those it is made for and be quite divisive with those that it isn’t. Check it out. It’s pretty good.