"I'm not queer, I'm disembodied."
Director Luca Guadagnino's film "Queer" is a take on the novel by William S. Burroughs, an American writer and visual artist. The A24 movie follows Lee, an American who lives in Mexico City, played by Daniel Craig. He pursues a younger man named Eugene, a service member played by Drew Starkey.
The movie explores themes of isolation and addiction through Lee's quest to understand both his evolving relationship with Eugene and his own self-identity. Craig drops his cool, Bond-like persona and unveils more of a vulnerable, unsure side of himself.
Starkey, who is 25 years younger than Craig, plays an enigmatic character who torments Lee's psyche and brings about an almost comical level of pining, as Lee imagines himself reaching out and touching Eugene's face or just outright embarrassing himself in an effort to be noticed by the mysterious Eugene.
The film's cinematography is beautiful and eye-catching, in a way that's more similar to a Frida Kahlo painting than any other movie. Its many dream sequences are surreallist, featuring floating people with severed body parts and giant eyeballs looking into hallways painted in red.
"Queer" takes place in the 1950s and is a perfect representation of the surrealist art movement of the time – the film might as well have melted clocks laid throughout, or include a depiction of a man with a green apple for a face.
Despite its nightmarish imagery, the movie feels melancholic rather than scary. In a scene where the two main characters are literally regurgitating their own hearts and climbing inside each other's skin, although visually disturbing, it serves as a way to understand the true feelings behind love and loneliness.
This is a theme Guadagnino is familiar with, especially in his 2017 film "Call Me by Your Name," which feels like a distant relative to "Queer." While both explore an ultimately unrequited love, self-acceptance and isolation, "Queer" does so in a much more experimental way.
The soundtrack, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, also includes three different Nirvana songs. Despite being set in the 1950s, these song choices add to the surreal, time-warping sequence. Kurt Cobain and Burroughs met in 1993, which may have led to the addition of Cobain’s songs in the film.
Addiction is prevalent throughout the movie, not only through substance misuse but also between people. The film portrays the life of someone who is tortured by his own identity and turns to drugs, alcohol and other people to suppress his feelings.
Each actor does a fantastic job handling their character, including well-known names like Jason Schwartzman and Omar Apollo. The dialogue is also unique and is reminiscent of Woody Allen's style and pace of communication.
Ultimately, the film is beautiful and raw, and unlike anything audiences have seen from Guadagnino before. It perfectly encapsulates how it feels to be "disembodied." While the film may not be for everyone with its offbeat nature, it's a perfect adaption to Burroughs' book and isn't afraid to go there.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Editor's note: The opinions presented in this review are the author's and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Edited by Tiya Talwar, Andrew Dirst, Sophia Ramirez and Alexis Heichman.
Reach the reporter at njarret1@asu.edu and follow @nataliajarrett on X and @nattyice666 on Letterboxd.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
Natalia is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication. This is her third semester with The State Press. She has also worked as a politics reporter.
