Luca Guadagnino

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Lore & Background

Guadagnino described Queer as his most personal film and a tribute to the films of Powell and Pressburger, specifically citing The Red Shoes (1948). He noted that he believes they would appreciate the numerous and scandalous sex scenes in the project. To adapt the unfinished novella, Guadagnino and Kuritzkes consulted Burroughs' scholar Oliver Harris to craft a fitting ending while maintaining the author's vision. The film follows an outcast American expatriate named William Lee who becomes infatuated with a younger man, Eugene Allerton. Their journey takes them from Mexico City to the Ecuadorian jungle in search of yagé, a plant said to offer telepathic abilities. Along the way, Lee struggles with drug dependency and Allerton maintains an emotional distance, claiming he is 'disembodied' rather than queer.

In Their Own Story

Set in 1950s Mexico City, William Lee spends his time bar hopping and pursuing Eugene Allerton, a young GI. After establishing a relationship, the pair travels to South America to find yagé with a doctor named Cotter. In the Ecuadorian jungle, they brew the plant and experience vivid hallucinations where they vomit their hearts and meld their bodies together. Despite these intense moments, Allerton insists on leaving, and Lee follows him back. Two years later, Lee returns to Mexico City alone, learning that Allerton vanished while guiding an army colonel in South America. In a final dream sequence, Lee encounters Allerton in an adjacent hotel room. Allerton places a glass on his head for a game of William Tell; Lee shoots him, holds the vanishing body, and then finds himself as an elderly man imagining a youthful Allerton joining him.

Reader's Guide

The original cut submitted to the Venice Film Festival ran between 185 to 200 minutes before Guadagnino reduced it to a final length of 135 minutes. Costume design was handled by Jonathan Anderson, marking his second collaboration with the director after Challengers. The score was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, their third partnership with Guadagnino following Bones and All (2022) and Challengers (2024). The soundtrack features tracks by Nirvana, Prince, New Order, and jazz musicians like Charlie Parker. A24 acquired US distribution rights in September 2024, releasing the film on November 27 with a nationwide rollout on December 13. Mubi secured rights for multiple regions but faced challenges when Turkey banned the film, forcing them to cancel a festival opening. The film earned $7,020,863 worldwide against a budget of €48 million.

Did You Know?

• Guadagnino first read the source novella when he was 17 years old.
• Drew Starkey was cast by director Luca Guadagnino and the casting directors after an audition for Queer.
• The film's original cut was 185 to 200 minutes long before being trimmed to 135 minutes.
• Director John Waters ranked Queer second on his list of favorite movies of 2024.
• The soundtrack includes a track featuring lyrics from Burroughs' final diary entry.