Queer (2024)
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An outcast American expatriate in 1950s Mexico City becomes obsessed with a younger man, leading them on a journey to the Ecuadorian jungle.
The story
In 1950, William Lee, an American immigrant living in Mexico City, leads a life of bar hopping and seeking connection. His life takes a turn when he becomes obsessed with Eugene Allerton, a young American expatriate. Despite Allerton's emotional distance, Lee pursues him across various locations. The two eventually agree to travel together to South America in search of yagé, a plant rumored to grant telepathic abilities. Their journey takes them from the urban atmosphere of Mexico City into the remote wilderness of the Ecuadorian jungle, where they seek to find a doctor who can help them explore the drug's effects.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1950, William Lee, an American expatriate in Mexico City, becomes obsessed with a younger man named Eugene Allerton. Despite Allerton's emotional distance and insistence that he does not see himself as 'queer,' Lee convinces him to travel to South America to find yagé, a plant believed to grant telepathic abilities. They reach the Ecuadorian jungle and meet Dr. Cotter, who prepares the yagé for them. Under its influence, the men experience vivid hallucinations, and Allerton claims he is 'disembodied.' Two years later, Lee returns to Mexico City to find that Allerton has disappeared after a trip to South America. In a final dream sequence, Lee encounters a youthful Allerton in a hotel room; he shoots Allerton, and both men vanish, leaving Lee as an elderly man alone in his room.
- Original title
- William S. Burroughs' Queer
- First release year
- 2024
- Runtime (minutes)
- 137
- Production countries
- Italy; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Luca Guadagnino
- Writers
- Justin Kuritzkes · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Craig · William Lee; Drew Starkey · Eugene Allerton; Jason Schwartzman; Henry Zaga; Lesley Manville
- Genres
- period romantic drama
- Themes
- obsession; identity; substance abuse
- Tone and mood
- phantasmagorical
- Premise and plot tags
- historical drama; LGBTQ-related; drug-related
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was noted for Daniel Craig's performance.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 72 · scale: 100 · review count: 50
- Awards and nominations
- Best Actor · National Board of Review · 2024 · Win; Golden Globe · Best Actor · 2024 · Nomination; Critics' Choice · Best Actor · 2024 · Nomination; Screen Actors Guild · Best Actor · 2024 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was banned in Turkey.; The score was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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