Queer

Review by Mark Woodring

Man, Luca Guadagnino sure can make put together a good-looking movie, can’t he?

He started 2024 with Challengers, and now he’s finishing it up with Queer. Both are getting a LOT of awards season buzz.

Heck, in 2022 he gave us Bones and All, which we had some thoughts on, lol…

**NOTE: this post may be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it (or when Mark CAN talk again). Until then, you can read Mark’s review below. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**

Queer - Review
Queer (A24)

136 Minutes, Rated R
Written by Justin Kuritzkes, William S. Burroughs
Directed by Luca Guadagnino

Synopsis:

In 1950s Mexico City, an American ex-pat in his late forties leads a solitary life amidst a small American community. However, the arrival of a young student stirs the man into finally establishing a meaningful connection with someone.

[TAGS: movies, movie review, Justin Kuritzkes, William S Burroughs, Luca Guadagnino, queer, A24,Daniel Craig, Daan de Wit, Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, Colin Bates, Drew Starkey, Andra Ursuta]

This is your reminder that I didn’t much care for Challengers. You can read and listen to those thoughts, so I won’t regurgitate them here.

Queer, to put it bluntly, isn’t made for me. Or rather, I am not the target audience for this one.

Let’s not even get into the fact this is based on a William S. Burroughs novel, so it’s going to be… challenging.

But subject matter aside, let’s talk about the film. First, Daniel Craig is outstanding. I mean, he wasn’t “Daniel Craig” before he became James Bond, and that role can carry with it a ton of baggage as actors move on to other things, but Craig continues to pick roles which are decidedly NOT James Bond, lol. Whether it’s Benoit Blanc in the Knives Out franchise or William Lee here, Craig is nailing it.

And, objectively speaking, Queer is a really good film. It is shot wonderfully, the performances, led by Craig, are superior, including a crazy turn from Jason Schwartzman, and the period feel of the piece really lends itself to being able to immerse oneself in the overall aesthetic.

So Queer is a great choice for an audience not uncomfortable with the subject matter, as well as the graphic way in which some of it is depicted. Perhaps my only objective gripe isn’t so much a gripe as it is with what I can only assume is an artifact of Burrough’s original work, and that is climax of the third act, which involves an Ayahuasca-fueled psychedelic trip for Lee and the object of his obsession, followed by what I could only equate to a 2001: A Space Odyssey ending, in which we see Lee throughout time, perhaps (likely) a result of either the Ayahuasca or maybe his sense of regret.

Probably both.

Not for everyone, but if you’re looking for a challenging trip to the theater, Queer will certainly fit the bill.

Queer is in theaters now and stars Daniel Craig, Daan de Wit, Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, Colin Bates, Drew Starkey, and Andra Ursuta.

And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.

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