So close to the release of Challengers, Luca Guadagnino is already preparing audiences for his next venture. Queer is making the rounds at the Venice Film Festival and now viewers can see an exclusive sneak peek from the film. Based on the unfinished work of the same name by William S. Burroughs, Guadagnino’s new film follows Daniel Craig’s Lee, the insecure protagonist at the center of the film who was a proxy for Burroughs himself. Living in Mexico City, Lee becomes infatuated with a younger man, Allerton (Drew Starkey) as the two embark on a complicated relationship. Craig’s grasp of the character’s awkwardness is encapsulated in the new sneak peek.
In the scene, Lee strides through the doors of a bar, accepting a shot quickly from the bartender in a 1940s Mexican establishment. Already, he has attracted the attention of some onlookers with whom Lee is familiar. After a few moments, he takes note of someone at the far end of the room. Allerton is drinking at a table by himself and nods to Lee cordially. Taking this as an invitation, Lee drunkenly stands up and gives a flirtatious bow. He soon realizes that this does not have the intended effect. Allerton looks away while the other patrons of the bar snicker. Humiliated, he takes another drink before taking his leave as Allerton starts having an intimate conversation with someone else. Based on the released information about the upcoming film, this is just a flavor of what can be expected in Guadagnino’s new feature.
Romance Will Be At the Center of ‘Queer’
First clip from Luca Guadagnino’s ‘QUEER’ starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey. https://t.co/NNNuQpFocC
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 3, 2024
No matter what story Guadagnino tells in his recent films, romance is always at the center of it. From Call Me By Your Name to Bones and All, the filmmaker focuses on different facets of relationships. Queer promises to follow this trend with particular insight. Giadagnino told Variety that he first read Burroughs‘s short novel when he was 17, and it had ruminated with him ever since. He described the book as a story of people simply looking for love, which is one of the most universal stories that can be told.
Though at first glance Queer could fall into the well-treaded trope of an older man trying to seduce a younger one, the story is much more heartfelt and earnest than that. And in some ways, much simpler. The filmmaker promises that the story is all about people trying to connect with a great love story at the heart of it. Following in the steps of other LGBTQ fare such as Love Lies Bleeding, the film has recently been acquired by A24. Fans can stay tuned to Collider for any updates in the coming months about the film’s upcoming release.
via Collider