Everything We Know About the New Queer Movie | TIFF 2024
What is Queer About?
It may feel like Challengers just premiered, but Luca Guadagnino is back with his latest film, Queer. The film lives up to its name in both content and title, as it follows Daniel Craig portraying an American expatriate living in Mexico City. Craig’s character, Lee, drifts through the bar scene, spending time with college students and bartenders, possibly falling in love—or at least becoming infatuated—with a younger man. This younger man, named Allerton, is played by heartthrob Drew Starkey. Both Lee and Allerton are drug users, and the film follows their journey through various drug-fueled and sexual escapades.
Adaptation from a William S. Burroughs Novel
This film is adapted from William S. Burroughs’ novel of the same name, a follow-up to his earlier, somewhat incomplete novel Junkie. Both novels track the character Lee on his quest for drugs and are considered semi-autobiographical, reflecting Burroughs’ own experiences with drug use and sexual exploration. When Queer was first published in 1985, it wasn’t widely embraced, which is understandable given the time and the novel’s content. While today’s popular novels often feature more explicit content, Queer was considered daring for its depiction of relationships between men at the time. Nevertheless, it found its audience, and this film adaptation is not the first attempt. As early as 2000, there was evidence of an adaptation by Steve Buscemi. A screenplay was even written and had a table read in the early 2010s, but the project eventually fell apart.
Who is the Director?
This new adaptation comes from esteemed director Luca Guadagnino. Most people know Guadagnino for his mainstream success with Call Me by Your Name, which also catapulted Timothée Chalamet into stardom. More recently, Guadagnino directed Challengers, but his career began in the 1990s with his debut film The Protagonists, starring Tilda Swinton. Over the years, he has produced numerous short films, documentaries, and television works. Guadagnino’s films often explore themes of queerness and openness to sexuality, and his adaptation of Queer will undoubtedly continue in this vein.
Who is the Writer?
The film’s writer, Justin Kuritzkes, may not be as well-known as Guadagnino, but his star is certainly rising. Kuritzkes is an accomplished playwright at a relatively young age and is married to the talented Celine Song, director of Past Lives. Interestingly, Kuritzkes began his career as the “Potion Seller” on YouTube, a quirky start that led to his journey from internet fame to becoming an accomplished playwright and screenwriter. He wrote Challengers on spec, and although it wasn’t a collaborative writing process, it eventually became attached to Guadagnino. Though I wasn’t a huge fan of Challengers—finding it a bit too showy without enough substance—I’m confident in Kuritzkes’ ability to write, especially since he wrote this script with Guadagnino in mind. Guadagnino approached Kuritzkes during the filming of Challengers, gifting him a copy of Queer and asking if he would adapt it. Kuritzkes quickly accepted, and the two collaborated closely on the project.
Who is in the Cast?
The film stars Daniel Craig in the lead role. While Craig is best known for his portrayal of James Bond and his recent roles in the Knives Out films, he has a diverse career that includes smaller films and intimate stage performances. His co-star, Drew Starkey, is best known for his role in Outer Banks, although neither Craig nor Guadagnino was familiar with his work on that show. Starkey auditioned for the role of Allerton, and both Guadagnino and Craig were impressed with his performance, leading to his casting in the film.
Supporting performances come from Jason Schwartzman, known for his frequent collaborations with director Wes Anderson, Lesley Manville, an acclaimed English actress, and Henrique Zaga, a Brazilian actor known for his roles in Teen Wolf and 13 Reasons Why. Additionally, Grammy-nominated singer Omar Apollo makes his acting debut in this film, alongside David Lowery, director of A Ghost Story and The Green Knight.
What Should You Expect?
As the name suggests, Queer is a queer film that openly embraces the characters’ sexuality. Interestingly, Drew Starkey’s character, Allerton, claims not to be gay, which plays a significant role in the novel’s plot. The film will likely feature some explicit scenes, which shouldn’t be an issue in 2024, although some viewers might take exception. If you found Challengers provocative, Queer will likely push the boundaries further. Guadagnino has described this film as his most personal work, reflecting his own journey and exploration of sexuality, themes present in several of his other projects.
The adaptation process was challenging, as the original story wasn’t necessarily designed for the screen. Interestingly, the first cut of the film was over three hours long, but it has since gone through two major edits, reducing it to approximately two hours and fifteen minutes. However, that three-hour cut exists, and it wouldn’t be surprising if we eventually see a director’s cut.
Premiere and Release
Initially, it seemed that Queer didn’t have a distributor and might not be accessible to the masses. However, just before recording this video, I discovered that A24 has picked up the film. It will be interesting to see how they market it and when they plan to release it to a wider audience. There’s already Oscar buzz surrounding Daniel Craig’s performance. The head of the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera, has spoken about two standout performances from the festival: Joaquin Phoenix in the upcoming Joker sequel and Craig in Queer. Barbera has said he would be shocked if neither actor received an Academy Award nomination—especially notable for Craig, who has never been nominated despite his successful career.
The world premiere of Queer is set for the Venice Film Festival on September 3rd. I’ll be catching it at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9th, so stay tuned for my review. As of now, there’s no wide release date, but with A24 as the distributor, it’s likely the film will be released in early 2025 to qualify for awards season.
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