Naked Lunch (1991)
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A man fleeing the consequences of a tragic accident becomes entangled in a hallucinogenic odyssey involving insect-like entities and a narcotics operation.
The story
In 1953, exterminator William Lee discovers his wife Joan is using his insecticide as a recreational drug. Following his arrest and subsequent hallucinations caused by the chemical exposure, Lee begins to believe he is a secret agent. He is tasked by a giant talking beetle to eliminate Joan, an agent of 'Interzone Incorporated.' After a series of bizarre events leading to the accidental death of his wife, Lee flees to the Tangier International Zone in North Africa. There, he begins documenting his experiences, which are eventually compiled into a book, while navigating a surreal landscape of mind-altering substances and strange, shapeshifting entities.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1953, exterminator William Lee finds his wife Joan stealing his insecticide for recreational use. After his arrest and resulting hallucinations, Lee believes he is a secret agent for a giant talking beetle who orders him to kill Joan, an agent of 'Interzone Incorporated.' Lee kills the beetle and later accidentally kills Joan during a botched 'William Tell' stunt. He flees to the Tangier International Zone, where he begins writing reports of his mission. His typewriter, a Clark Nova, transforms into a talking insect and directs him to seduce Joan Frost, a doppelgänger of his dead wife, to find Dr. Benway. Along the way, he encounters Yves Cloquet, who reveals himself as a shapeshifting centipede. Lee discovers that Dr. Benway is actually Fadela, a housekeeper who is masterminding a 'black meat' narcotics operation derived from Brazilian centipedes. After being recruited as a double agent, Lee completes his report and flees to Annexia with Joan Frost. At the border, Lee is forced to prove he is a writer; he performs the William Tell routine again, killing Joan once more. The border guards welcome him to Annexia, where he finally achieves his goal of becoming a writer.
- First release year
- 1991
- Runtime (minutes)
- 115
- Production countries
- Canada; Japan
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Cronenberg
- Writers
- David Cronenberg · writer
- Cast and characters
- Peter Weller · William Lee; Judy Davis · Joan Lee; Ian Holm · Hank; Julian Sands · Yves Cloquet; Roy Scheider · Tom
- Genres
- surrealist; science-fiction; drama
- Themes
- substance abuse; artistic endeavor; identity; hallucination
- Tone and mood
- surreal; maddening; darkly entertaining; visceral
- Setting
- Tangier International Zone, North Africa, in 1953
- Premise and plot tags
- surrealist; science-fiction; drama; hallucinogenic; monster
- Source material / true-story basis
- William S. Burroughs's 1959 novel Naked Lunch
- Content notes
- hallucinogens
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics but was a box office flop due to a limited release. It has since become a cult film, acclaimed for its surrealistic visual and thematic elements.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 73% · review count: 40; Metacritic · score: 67 · scale: 100 · review count: 16
- Awards and nominations
- National Society of Film Critics Award · Best Director · win; Genie Award · Best Motion Picture · win
- Production trivia
- The film was initially backed by Japanese investors who withdrew, leading to financing from Telefilm Canada and the Ontario Film Development Corporation.; The film required 50 bug typewriters for production.; The shooting of Joan Lee is based on the 1951 death of Joan Vollmer, Burroughs's common-law wife.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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