And sometimes we see someone who strikes us as someone truly special. Someone we cannot look away from. Mesmerizing. Beautiful. And we have the urge to call them all mine. That is the overall atmosphere I can describe when thinking back to luca guadagninos queer.
Okay, I may be biased. Luca Guadagnino is, after all, my all-time favorite director. But Queer might just be his best film yet. From the surrealistic elements to its charming, vulnerable protagonist Lee (played by Daniel Craig), it is a film that leaves you yearning, much like its characters.
Let’s talk Synopsis:
Based on the novel by William S. burroughs the film follows American outcast Lee (Daniel craig) who becomes mesmerized by a younger man (Drew Starkey). Lee fled from a drug bust in new orleans, wanders around cities and clubs until he becomes infatuated by allerton.
The film marks another collaboration between Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, the duo who brought us Challengers earlier this year. With Queer, they breathe life into William Burroughs’ complex, fragmented novel, transforming it into something surreal, haunting, and beautiful.
A Mubi and A24 production, Queer premiered at the Venice Film Festival to well-deserved anticipation.
Luca guadagnino and his approach to capture intimacy:
Guadagnino’s craftsmanship is unmatched when it comes to capturing intimacy. He does so with care and astonishing detail. In Queer, we see Lee yearn for a love he can never truly hold. We watch him compensate for his longing with addiction, but at the same time, we feel his desire, his lust. Guadagnino externalizes this raw emotional turmoil through surrealistic visuals—melting bodies, beating hearts, and dreamlike sequences that blur the line between ecstasy and nightmare. These metaphors seep into the fabric of the film, drawing us deeper into Lee’s fractured world. We see that very clearly in the beginning when he gets to know Eugene and is incredibly fascinated by him. they sit next to one another in the theatre. lee yearns to touch him but simply can’t. the spectators therefore see what lee would love to do. a visualized wish. an out of body experience. the film used dream sequences as recurring motives and it fits perfectly to the overall atmosphere.
The visual aesthetic is classic Guadagnino: lush and tactile. There’s a contrast between shadowy interiors and the hazy light of the streets lee wanders, as if the world he inhabits is caught between reality and hallucination. It recalls the sun-drenched melancholy of ‘Call Me By Your Name’, while pushing the boundaries of the grotesque and surreal seen in ‘Suspiria’.
“I am not queer, I am disembodied,” Lee says, and it’s a line that lingers. What does it mean to feel disembodied? To yearn so profoundly that you feel disconnected from yourself? Guadagnino doesn’t hand his audience any answers but instead invites them to interpret these moments.
The surrealism perfectly underscores Lee’s state of being: his yearning, his alienation, and his relentless pursuit of something unattainable.
Thoughts:
Queer is a film full of yearning. unrelenting, messy, and deeply human.
Guadagnino takes a complicated novel and transforms it into something ethereal. It feels like the culmination of his work so far, borrowing the tones of ‘Suspiria’ (2018) and the longing of ‘Call Me By Your Name‘ (2017) and ‘Bones and All’ (2022). He morphs these elements into something uniquely Queer.
Daniel Craig is amazing as Lee. With subtle gestures,awkward giggles, longing glances and moments of aching vulnerability. he embodies a man consumed by desire. There’s this fragility to Craig’s performance that balances the brashness we’ve often seen from him in other roles. Watching him unravel as his obsession grows feels like witnessing a man caught in a fever dream.
Meanwhile, Drew Starkey brings a quiet magnetism to Eugene allerton. His portrayal leaves us guessing: is he aware of the power he holds over Lee, or is he simply oblivious? Starkey’s performance operates in shades of ambiguity, making him the perfect counterbalance to Craig’s rawness.
The sound design also deserves mention. A pulsing, eerie score underscores the most surreal moments, while silences linger just long enough to feel deafening. It’s a film that immerses you not just visually. ensuring the atmosphere clings to you long after the credits roll.
Queer feels both palpable and just out of reach, like a dream you can’t quite hold onto. It’s a film made for those who love cinema that is bold, emotional, and dares to be unapologetically raw. For fans of Guadagnino’s work, it’s a must-watch. For everyone else, it’s an invitation into a world where desire is both beautiful and devastating.