‘Queer’, Luca Guadagnino’s film starring Daniel Craig and Omar Apollo, arrives on streaming this month

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Translated by Fefo Campos

MUBI, the global over-the-top service streaming platform, officially announced that “Queer”, the new film by Luca Guadagnino, will be exclusively available starting January 31. Starring Daniel Craig, Omar Apollo, and Drew Starkey, the film is an adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ first novel, exploring themes of loneliness, the complexity of desires, and the search for human connections in a backdrop filled with social and emotional tensions.

Watch the trailer:

1950: Loneliness and Desire in Post-War Mexico

The plot of Queer is set in Mexico City in the early 1950s, a period of great cultural and political instability for both the United States and Mexico. The protagonist, William Lee (Daniel Craig), is an American expatriate living a life marked by isolation, immersed in a purposeless daily routine. His interactions are limited to the small community of foreigners in the city, while he tries to cope with a past that haunts him.

Everything changes with the arrival of Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a former soldier and fellow expatriate. Allerton represents for Lee the possibility of forming a genuine emotional bond, something that has seemed unattainable in his life until now. The relationship between the two unfolds amidst urban landscapes marked by the contrast between Mexico’s rich culture and the alienation experienced by foreigners seeking refuge there.

Burroughs’ Adaptation by Guadagnino

With Queer, Luca Guadagnino offers a cinematic interpretation of one of William S. Burroughs’ most personal texts, originally published posthumously in 1985. The literary work reflects the author’s real-life experiences during his stay in Mexico, exploring themes such as marginality, sexual repression, and the search for a sense of belonging. Guadagnino, who has already delved into complex relationships in films like Call Me by Your Name and Suspiria, dives into the psychological nuances of Lee, crafting a narrative that transcends time and resonates with contemporary issues.

Creative Team and Diverse Cast

The film features a diverse cast, including not only Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, but also singer and actor Omar Apollo, known for his artistic versatility, and Oscar-nominated Lesley Manville. Among the technical highlights are the cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, a longtime collaborator of Guadagnino, and the soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, whose compositions have set the tone for acclaimed works such as The Social Network and Bones and All.

The costumes by J.W. Anderson bring authenticity to the period, while also revealing layers of the characters through their aesthetics. The screenplay is by Justin Kuritzkes, who collaborated with Guadagnino on Rivals.

Festival Screenings and Critical Reception

Queer premiered worldwide at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival, and was later showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival, where it was praised by critics for Guadagnino’s sensitive approach and Daniel Craig’s restrained performance, delivering a deeply introspective portrayal of William Lee.

Publications such as The Telegraph (“Exuberant and allusive… Daniel Craig is sensational in a role of great psychological complexity”), IndieWire (“It will blow your mind and break your heart”), and Time (“The most sincere film by Luca Guadagnino“) highlighted the psychological complexity of the protagonist and the director’s ability to capture the nuances of human relationships in settings of high emotional tension.

The film will be exclusively available on MUBI, a platform known for its curated selection of auteur and independent films. With access available on browsers, Smart TVs, mobile devices (iOS and Android), as well as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple Vision Pro, users can explore the platform with a 7-day free trial.

Queer premieres on January 31 and can be found in the platform’s new releases section. For more information, visit MUBI’s official website (mubi.com).

Omar Apollo compartilha cena 18+ de ‘Queer’ nas redes sociais