What Is the Story About?
In the 1950s, in Mexico City, American expatriate William Lee spent his days drinking and pursuing younger men. He becomes fixated on Eugene Allerton, a fellow expatriate, and relentlessly tries to win his affection. Though they form a bond, Allerton keeps his distance, insisting he isn’t “queer” like Lee.
Hoping to grow closer, Lee invites Allerton on a journey to South America in search of yagé, a plant believed to grant telepathic abilities. Their trip is strained—Lee’s drug addiction worsens, and Allerton remains emotionally detached.
In Ecuador, a doctor prepares ayahuasca for them, triggering hallucinations where they communicate telepathically and merge into one. Disturbed, Allerton flees, and Lee follows.
Years later, Lee dreams of killing Allerton in a twisted game of William Tell. Waking as an old man, he envisions a youthful Allerton cradling him as he fades away.
Performances?
Daniel Craig delivers a memorable performance as William Lee in Queer, shedding his Bond persona to embody a man on the brink of self-destruction. His portrayal is a masterclass in controlled chaos—his sunken eyes and nicotine-stained fingers betray his desperate longing, while his bravado barely conceals the aching vulnerability beneath. Craig’s performance oscillates between arrogance and abjection, making Lee at once pathetic and captivating.
Opposite him, Drew Starkey plays Eugene Allerton with a cool detachment that perfectly contrasts Craig’s fevered intensity. His Gene is enigmatic, aloof, and dangerously alluring—a man whose passive withholding of affection is as cruel as any overt rejection. Starkey’s restraint makes him the perfect foil, drawing Craig’s Lee further into a spiral of obsession.
Lesley Manville’s late-game appearance as a wild-eyed botanist adds an eerie layer to the film’s final act, bringing a manic, almost unhinged energy that heightens the film’s fever-dream quality. Jason Schwartzman, unrecognizable as Lee’s drinking buddy Joe, adds moments of dark comedy that underline the film’s underlying bleakness.
Together, the cast breathes life into Luca Guadagnino’s vision, turning Queer into a haunting exploration of unrequited desire, power imbalances, and the self-inflicted wounds of obsession.
Analysis
When Queer ends, there is one question,
Did Luca Guadagnino romanticize longing or expose its grotesque depths?
The answer lies somewhere in between.
Adapting William S. Burroughs’ long-suppressed novel, Queer isn’t so much a story as it is a slow burn of obsession. Mexico City becomes a pressure cooker of lust and loneliness, where Daniel Craig’s William Lee spirals into self-destruction over Drew Starkey’s Eugene Allerton—a man too detached to be fully real, yet too intoxicating to ignore.
Craig gives one of his most unrestrained performances, shedding Bond’s polish for a man who is all raw nerve endings. His Lee is equal parts pitiful and pathetic—clinging to a fantasy that was never his to begin with. Meanwhile, Starkey plays Eugene with a calculated indifference, turning their dynamic into a game where Lee always loses.
Guadagnino, ever the sensualist, transforms desire into something tactile: grimy bars, sweaty palms, and neon-lit silhouettes. The film oozes with an uneasy eroticism, making even the smallest touches feel electric.
But Queer doesn’t stop at lust. It drags Lee and Eugene into the jungle, where their power imbalance festers alongside hallucinogenic nightmares. The yagé sequences, set to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ haunting score, are pure fever dreams, both visually stunning and deeply unsettling.
Yet, at its core, Queer is about self-destruction disguised as love. Lee’s addiction isn’t just to heroin; it’s to suffering itself. He chases Eugene not out of hope, but because he doesn’t know how to exist without craving something he can’t have.
Does that make Queer a love story? Not exactly. But it’s a fascinating, unflinching portrait of what happens when desire festers into delusion. And Craig, in all his unraveling glory, makes it impossible to look away.
Music and Other Departments?
Music, as one can expect, is not a pivotal aspect of this film but, in a very subtle way, elevates the film. It matches the tone of the film, which is indeed a positive aspect of the BGM and music. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ music shifts from soft to intense and captures Lee’s emotions. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom’s cinematography paints Mexico City in warm, dreamy colors, making every look and touch feel charged. And it, as an A24 film, did we really expect any sort of great cinematography? Nope.
The casting has been brave, and it paid off. Daniel Craig fully embraces Lee’s desperation, while Drew Starkey’s Allerton stays distant yet irresistible. The only downside of the film is its writing. It fails to go hand in hand with the other aspects of the film. But, Queer is like that love of yours with whom you barely talk but can look…and look…and look at them…and be wowed.
Highlights?
The cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom.
The background score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Daniel Craig’s performance.
A good adaptation of the original material.
Drawbacks?
The script is below average.
The film feels directionless at times.
Supporting characters, or the lack of it.
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes. But at times the film felt dragged.
Will You Recommend It?
Yes. If you like films like these, Queer is a good watch.