⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Rated R | 2 hours, 15 minutes

“Queer”, the latest film from visionary director Luca Guadagnino is the director’s adaptation of the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs.

I think all gay men at one time or another have run into a person like William Lee (Daniel Craig)… a mature man infatuated with younger men, chasing after them and being generally creepy about it. Even in 1950’s Mexico City, where the story takes place, Lee’s behavior is generally frowned-upon and drives chatter amongst the gay populace of the neighborhood. He’s the guy other gays tell you to avoid… and as we learn, for good reason.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from films this year (like The Brutalist) is that 1950’s men love heroin. I mean they LOVE it. Hard-core needles-in-arms heroin. Ew. Lee is pretty much a junkie and a drunk, fighting his internal demons from being a “queer” when that was far from accepted in America. He flees the States and takes up residence in Mexico City, where being queer isn’t necessarily accepted, but is at least a ‘live-and-let-live’ scenario for most.

During Lee’s many evening outings, a young captivating man catches his eye. This mystery man seems to be fresh meat for Lee. Eugene Allerton (an alluring Drew Starkey from Netflix’s “Outer Banks”), as we learn, is an expert at keeping men at an arms-length. Maybe he’s playing hard to get, or maybe he truly isn’t interested in Lee. That doesn’t stop Lee’s pursuit, however.

At times uncomfortable – because again, most gay men have been in Allerton’s shoes – Daniel Craig strikes a perfect balance of creep/druggie/compassionate man… just enough so that you even might think “Oh, he’s not *that* bad.” That may be why Allerton finally gives in to Lee’s chase.

Let me address the elephant in the room. Yes, there’s gay sex in this film. Lots of it… but no, there is no view of Daniel Craig’s member. I know, I might be dashing the hopes of many who want to see this film. However, you will see frontal nudity from two of his suiters, including Allerton, if that suits your fancy.

The way the sex scenes are handled in the book “Queer” are far more graphic than those in the film, in my opinion. If you’re expecting a direct-to-screen translation, you may feel disappointed. Especially because the director had stated numerous times that he thought viewers would appreciate ‘scandalous’ sex scenes. I’ve seen more scandalous scenes from straight couplings like in “Poor Things.” This adaptative nature of the film, from the mind of Guadagnino, might be where the film loses fans of the source material.

However, Guadagnino’s ethereal view of the story might also be what draws people in… as mentioned, Daniel Craig pours everything he has into this role, to the point where he’s wholly unrecognizable in the way we typically see him in film. It’s easy to see why Guadagnino wanted Craig in this role. He’s got the grit and the sensitive masculinity to pull it off. It’s also easy to see why Guadagnino wanted to make this film as it’s not totally unlike 2017’s groundbreaking “Call Me By Your Name.”

Split into three “Chapters” followed by an Epilogue, “Queer” rounds out it’s cast with a bizarrely entertaining Lesley Manville as a woman Lee and Allerton go to see in the jungle, and a scene-stealing Jason Schwartzman as Joe Guidry, the free-wheeling fun-loving bear of the gayborhood. I truly wish we had more of his character on screen. Joe was a real delight each time we see him.

Now, that actually brings me to my final thought: the ongoing debate about straight actors playing gay in movies. It’s often thought that straight actors cannot possibly bring the life-knowledge of being gay to roles in a gay film. And to that point, this film does feel flat and forced at times, especially with the love making scenes. Jason Schwartzman in particular plays a bear caricature at times… but in a non-offensive way. I think that’s where this film lands among this debate. The men in the film truly do seem to be doing their best to portray gay men trying to find their way through a world that does not accept them, however, they’ll never really know that struggle. Guadagnino may have wanted that awkward and uncomfortable inner voice present on-set. If that’s so, it’s mostly a success. There is quite a lot of discomfort on-screen… and honestly, that might be the whole point of the film. Being queer is often uncomfortable for those who are, and those who are not. It’s a topic that bears exploration and education, even if “Queer” takes a left turn through the seedier side of being gay.

“Queer” opened in limited release on November 27, 2024.