A still from the movie Queer, accompanying a review of the movie Queer (CREDIT: Yannis Drakoulidis/A24)

Starring: Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville, Drew Droege, Henrique Zaga, Omar Apollo, Ariel Schulman, David Lowery

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Running Time: 135 Minutes

Rating: R for Explicit Sex and Explicit Drug Use

Release Date: November 27, 2024 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Sharp-dressed 1950s man-about-town William Lee is hanging out in Mexico City, since his status as an opioid addict makes him a criminal back in the United States. True to the title of the movie he’s in (and the William S. Burroughs novella it’s based on), he whiles away his days looking for other men to hook up with (when he’s not otherwise occupied by getting high or downing tequila). One strapping young lad named Eugene Allerton (Drew Stareky) particularly catches his attention. He’s a little different than the other guys in the city’s queer community, but soon enough, he and Lee are inseparable, and then they head down to the jungles of South America to find a doctor who can open up their mind to the possibility of telepathy.

What Made an Impression?: Constant Intoxication: Queer is divided into three chapters and an epilogue; the first is easily the most plotless, though it’s not without its charms. It would have you believe that the Mexico City of 70 years ago was made up entirely of bars that exclusively catered to American gay men, alongside the occasional movie theater. This means that we get to see Daniel Craig attempt a few awkward dances of seduction before fully dropping trou on multiple occasions. The sex scenes are much more explicit (and passionate) than the average theatrically released American movie (regardless of the orientation of the characters), so that’s worth noting if you’re worried that cinema has lost its horny edge. But if you’re like me, you might start to wonder if this is what the entire movie is going to be non-stop for two hours and 15 minutes. Fortunately, some other stuff happens eventually as well.
Vipers and Vegetation: As Lee and Allerton knock on the door of the doctor in the jungle (a barely recognizable Lesley Manville), they’re greeted by an angry snake who nearly rips their heads off. And it’s at precisely this moment that reality becomes more or less fully altered. Lee’s dreams of telepathy aren’t exactly realized, but everything does become about a thousand times more psychedelic. The two traveling companions vomit out what appear to be their own hearts, and Lee later encounters a snake that’s crying while eating its own tail. I don’t know what it all means, but I enjoyed digesting the visual feast! (Perhaps someone more well-versed in the oeuvre of Burroughs can explain the symbolism to me.) All in all, Queer is a heartfelt, playful, and adventurous journey that could open up your heart and head a bit if you’re willing to let it in.

Queer is Recommended If You Like: Snazzy eyeglasses, Orpheus (1950), Sweat-stained faces

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Centipedes