The Beat Movement was a literary alliance started by a group of authors in the 1950s which included William S. Burroughs (Naked Lunch), Allen Ginsberg (Howl), and Jack Kerouac (On the Road). The Beat subculture focused on dismissal of standard narrative values, rejection of economic materialism, unreserved portrayals of the human condition, and experimentation with psychedelic drugs. William S. Burroughs was a postmodern author and visual artist who had a huge influence on pop culture and literature through his 18 novels and novellas, six collections of short stories, and four collections of essays. Filmmaker Luca Guadagnino was so inspired by Burroughs’s 1985 novella Queer, which he wanted to make a film version of for more than 40 years. Written by Justin Kuritzkes and directed by Luca Guadagnino, Queer premiered at Venice Film Festival in 2024, and was released in the U.S. later the same year. Now Queer arrives on home video with some sensational special features, including interviews with director, cast, and crew, as well as a behind-the-scenes making of the semi-autobiographical film.
L-R: Daniel Craig as William Lee and Drew Starkey as Eugene Allerton in QUEER. Photo courtesy of A24.
Set in the 1950s, Queer follows a fictionalized version of Burroughs, William Lee, in a fantastical performance from Daniel Craig (Knives Out; No Time to Die), an outcast expat writer with a drug habit, who becomes infatuated with a much younger man. Told from Lee’s perspective in his drug-fueled state, driven by a constant inner dialogue with himself, the film utilizes mind-bending visuals, including some horror-themed sequences, to highlight his realization that unconditional love might be possible on his hallucinogenic journey of self-discovery. Besides Craig’s marvelous performance, the other standout star of Queer is the modern score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross which adds to the surrealistic nature of the film.
QUEER digipak interior packshot. Photo courtesy of A24.
Lee lives a solitary life in Mexico City, spending his days and nights drinking, shooting up heroin, having sex with younger men, or hanging out with his small circle of gay friends. One of his close friends is the colorful Joe Guidry, a character based on Allen Ginsberg, flamboyantly portrayed by Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore; Asteroid City), who is much more comfortable with his homosexuality than Lee. After Lee encounters a young GI named Eugene Allerton, played demurely by Drew Starkey (The Devil All the Time; Hellraiser), he quickly becomes obsessed with him, until the two finally meet and get to know each other over drinks. Allerton is wearing a necklace with a large centipede on it which comes to life later in the film, symbolizing repression and the inner struggles with sexuality both Lee and Allerton experience. In the first of several similar scenes, Lee’s arm is transposed over the two of them as he imagines caressing Allerton’s face. As they sit in the bar, Nirvana’s “Marigold” can be heard playing on a jukebox, just one of many unexpectedly modern needle drops in the film. Several Nirvana songs are used in Queer as Burroughs, in real life, took an interest in Kurt Cobain, even reportedly searching the liner notes of In Utero after Cobain’s suicide, looking for clues.
L-R: Daniel Craig as William Lee and Drew Starkey as Eugene Allerton in QUEER. Photo courtesy of A24.
Despite Allerton explaining to Lee that he does not see himself as queer in the same way Lee sees himself, they end up back in Lee’s hotel room making love. Queer does not shy away from full frontal nudity or explicit sex scenes, but none of it is gratuitous; there is an undeniable tenderness in their lovemaking, highlighted by the gorgeous cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Challengers; Trap). Surprisingly, Queer was shot almost entirely on the famous Cinecittà soundstages in Rome, Italy. Guadagnino has said that the cinematography and decision to hire architect Stefano Baisi (After the Hunt) for the superb production design was to “capture the complex and unspoken emotions” between Lee and Allerton. Everything from the lighting and the atmosphere it creates to the close-up shots and camera angles create a sense of sentimentality, which works very much in the film’s favor.
QUEER digipak reverse-interior packshot. Photo courtesy of A24.
After getting drunk at a party and passing out, Lee has strange dreams, including a Cronenberg-esque sequence in which he is shooting up heroin with a naked woman with no legs who asks him if he’s queer. He responds, “I’m not queer. I’m disembodied,” representing Lee’s discomfort with and attempt to dissociate from his own sexuality. Just as we see centipedes throughout the film, suggesting inhibition, later Allerton repeats the line about being disembodied, expressing his own struggle with his identity and sexuality. Though the two have formed a relationship, Allerton maintains an emotional distance from Lee, despite being aware that Lee longs for a deeper connection with him.
L-R: Daniel Craig as William Lee, Drew Starkey as Eugene Allerton, and Lesly Manville as Doctor Cotter in QUEER. Photo courtesy of A24.
Lee, who is fascinated with telepathy, invites Allerton to accompany him to Ecuador to find a doctor who has been researching yagé, or ayahuasca, to achieve telepathic abilities. Their arrival is accentuated by another fabulous needle drop, “Musicology” by Prince. They locate Dr. Cotter, in an enrapturing performance from an unrecognizable Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread; Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris), who brews ayahuasca for them in the jungle. Lee and Allerton experience powerful hallucinations from the drug, including a vivid sequence of horrific imagery where the two of them blow large, bloody bubbles that burst when they hit the ground, revealing their beating hearts inside. They literally vomit their own hearts, which could be interpreted as another attempt at a more intimate connection, but Allerton is so unnerved by the whole experience that when Dr. Cotter asks them to stay and experiment more with the drug, he immediately wants to leave.
L-R: Daniel Craig as William Lee and Drew Starkey as Eugene Allerton in QUEER. Photo courtesy of A24.
Queer is a phantasmagoric exploration of Lee’s desperate quest for human connection and inner struggles with addiction and sexual identity anchored by a phenomenal performance from Daniel Craig, as well as remarkable performances from Starkey and Manville. Imaginative storytelling is enhanced by dreamlike, sometimes nightmarish, visuals, spectacular production design, and an outstanding score. Disappointingly, with the exception of a few critic’s groups, Queer was largely overlooked by awards bodies in favor of Guadagnino’s Challengers, which was also released in 2024 and also features a score from Reznor and Ross, but this beautiful film deserves just as much, if not more, praise.
Queer Special Features:
- Commentary with Director Luca Guadagnino, Costume Designer Jonathan W. Anderson, Writer Justin Kuritzkes, Editor Marco Costa, and Production Designer Stefano Baisi
- “Diverso: The Making of Queer” Featurette
- Scene Breakdown
- VFX Breakdown
- Miniatures BTS
- “Te Maldigo” Music Video
Available on Blu-ray May 27th, 2025.
For more information and to purchase, head to the official A24 Queer webpage.
Share this:
Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
Leave a Reply