Luca Guadagnino often focuses on the theme of love and its addictive nature in his films. His past works, like I Am Love, Call Me by Your Name, and Challengers, show different kinds of love—whether it’s the excitement of new love, the overwhelming feeling of first love, or the kind of love that is hard to let go.
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Queer tells the story of a man obsessed with finding someone, while also dealing with addiction and the complicated nature of love. Guadagnino’s adaptation of this novel fits well with his other work, as he builds on the original story while bringing in his own style and ideas.
What Is Queer About?
In Queer, Daniel Craig plays William Lee, an American man living in Mexico City in the 1950s. Lee spends his days drinking, sweating through the city, and having casual sexual encounters with men. His routine shows his deep loneliness and longing for a real connection.
When he meets Eugene Allerton (played by Drew Starkey), Lee feels a real bond. Unlike his past brief relationships, Lee sees something deeper with Eugene. At one point, Lee says to Eugene, “I want to talk to you without speaking,” which shows his vulnerability and desperation for love.
Lee becomes more attached to Eugene, but it’s clear that Eugene doesn’t feel the same way. Eugene is sometimes interested in Lee, but at other times, he acts distant, treating Lee like a stranger. Lee’s drinking and heroin use make things worse, and his unpredictable behavior pushes Eugene away.
Lee also tells Eugene about a drug called “yage,” which is supposed to give telepathic powers. Lee becomes obsessed with the idea that yage will help him understand what Eugene is thinking, making his pursuit of love even more desperate.
Luca Guadagnino’s Style in Queer
Guadagnino’s adaptation of Queer captures a slow, dreamlike feeling. There are many scenes where we see Craig’s character wandering around Mexico City, intoxicated and stumbling through the streets. The movie uses a soundtrack that doesn’t fit the time, with songs from Nirvana and Prince, even though the film is set in the 1950s.
Still from Queer (Credit: Frenesy Film Company)
These songs match the emotions of the characters, even though they didn’t exist yet. For example, the opening credits feature a cover of Nirvana’s “All Apologies,” which sets the mood for who William Lee is before we even see him.
Guadagnino collaborates with composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, as he did for Challengers. Their music perfectly complements the story’s tone, making even the quieter moments feel engaging. The film’s slow pace allows the audience to feel the heat and tension in the air, even when little is happening on screen.
The Connection to Guadagnino’s Other Work
Guadagnino’s films often deal with love, desire, and obsession, and Queer fits right in with his previous projects. In interviews, Guadagnino has said that a line from his film A Bigger Splash influenced the themes in Queer.
The movie also brings in elements of surrealism and horror, similar to the works of directors like Luis Buñuel and David Lynch. Guadagnino uses shocking, disturbing imagery in Queer, taking these horror elements further than he did in Bones and All or Suspiria.
A particularly interesting comparison can be made to Call Me by Your Name, Guadagnino’s most well-known film about queer love. In Call Me by Your Name, the director chose not to show explicit sex scenes, instead filming a window to give the characters privacy. In Queer, Guadagnino takes a similar approach, but he also shows more intimate moments that feel honest and surprising, especially compared to his past films.
Daniel Craig’s Bold Role in Queer
Daniel Craig has taken on many unique roles since his time as James Bond, and his performance in Queer is another bold choice. Craig’s character, William Lee, is outgoing but filled with sadness.
He is seeking love but doesn’t want to show how much pain he’s in. This role pushes Craig in new directions as an actor, and it highlights his talent for playing complex, layered characters.
Drew Starkey, who plays Eugene, is the opposite of Lee. Eugene is quiet and hard to understand, making Lee feel unsure about how to act.
Eugene’s distant attitude is frustrating for Lee, but it’s clear that Eugene is also struggling with his own issues, especially his reluctance to reveal his true self to the world. This tension between the two characters creates a powerful love story that doesn’t follow the usual path.
Supporting Cast and Guadagnino’s World
Although Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey lead the story, Queer also benefits from strong supporting performances. Jason Schwartzman appears as Joe, one of Lee’s outgoing friends, who adds humor and energy to the film.
Lesley Manville also gives a standout performance as Dr. Cotter, a wild character that’s very different from the prim, proper roles she usually plays. Guadagnino seems to enjoy introducing strange, eccentric characters into the story, adding more depth and variety to the world of Queer.
The Script and the Hunt for Yage
Justin Kuritzkes, who also wrote Challengers, wrote the screenplay for Queer. He expands Burroughs’ original novel, particularly in the section where Lee searches for yage. This part of the film becomes more experimental, with surreal and symbolic imagery.
Still from Queer (Credit: Frenesy Film Company)
Kuritzkes’ script captures Lee’s aimless life as a queer man in the first part of the film, but in the final section, the film takes a strange turn, filled with unsettling images and odd symbolism. This shift in tone may feel disconnected from the rest of the story, but it still holds the audience’s attention with its bold ideas.
A Daring Adaptation
Queer is a daring adaptation of Burroughs’ novel and another remarkable film in Luca Guadagnino’s growing body of work. Daniel Craig gives a memorable performance that shows his range as an actor.
While the film’s wild final act might not appeal to everyone, Guadagnino’s ability to combine all these elements into a unique story shows his talent as one of today’s most important filmmakers.
A lovely white house sits on top of a grassy hill. From the outside, it looks cozy. Inside, though, there’s a clash between the deceased owners and the new living residents. The classic haunted house story got a fresh twist in 1988’s Beetlejuice. In this film, the ghosts are the ones troubled by the living occupants.
Since its release, this Tim Burton classic has become a Halloween favorite. Fans have been waiting for a long time for a sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which brings them back into the world of the original film. But in the 1988 classic, can the living and the dead really get along?
This is the big question in Beetlejuice. Many famous horror films say that ghosts and humans can’t coexist, especially if the ghosts are malevolent and want to disrupt human lives with grim results. But Beetlejuice isn’t a typical haunted house story. The answer it offers is quite surprising.
Fans might remember the “Day-O” dinner scene or be inspired by Winona Ryder’s goth style, but the ending reveals a heartwarming family dynamic at the core of this horror-comedy.
Tim Burton Blends the Absurd and the Normal in Beetlejuice
Danny Elfman’s exciting score opens Beetlejuice as the camera flies over the peaceful town of Winter River, Connecticut, before showing a miniature model of the town. The combination of perfect Americana and dark fantasy creates a unique atmosphere.
The town would seem charming if it weren’t for Elfman’s quirky music. This strange mix of a Norman Rockwell scene and gothic horror sets the tone for the entire film. The model belongs to Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) and his wife Barbara (Geena Davis).
They live a peaceful life in Winter River in that tall white house on the hill. However, their perfect small-town life soon faces a shake-up as non-traditional families become a central theme in Beetlejuice.
Beetlejuice Is All About Non-Traditional Families
Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Winona Ryder, and Glenn Shadix for BeetlejuiceImage Via Warner Bros.
The Maitlands are a loving couple who can’t have children due to possible infertility. Their house seems too big for them, as their overbearing local real estate agent, Jane (Anne McEnroe), points out. Sadly, the Maitlands’ dream of having kids ends when they die in a car accident and become ghosts.
They are stuck in their house with a ghostly “house arrest” and risk entering limbo if they leave. They can’t stop their home from being sold and soon the Deetz family moves in. The Deetz family brings a disconnect between Lydia (Winona Ryder) and her stepmom Delia (Catherine O’Hara), adding to the theme of non-traditional families.
Still from Beetlejuice (Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Maitlands, facing the loss of their beloved home, become frustrated with the differences between them and the Deetzes. This tension between the living and the dead grows in Beetlejuice.
Lydia Deetz Forms a Connection With a Married Ghost Couple
Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz in BeetlejuiceImage Via Warner Bros.
The Maitlands and their town of Winter River seem “sugar and spice.” But the Deetzes bring abstract artwork and Lydia’s goth moodiness. Lydia, dressed all in black, feels her life has been “one big dark room.”
Her parents are too busy to notice her loneliness. Her father wants to enjoy the suburb’s peace, while Delia is disappointed in their new home. Alone, Lydia discovers her new house is haunted by its past owners. Being a bit of a weirdo who likes dark things, she is thrilled to live with ghosts.
Since the Maitlands aren’t very good at scaring people, they accidentally become friends with Lydia. She gets the attention from them that she doesn’t get from her parents. There is a connection between the Maitlands and Lydia, but it isn’t strong yet.
The couple tries to find help when their haunting methods fail. They discover that the afterlife is similar to the living world, with bureaucratic, overworked staff. They don’t get the help they hoped for, and Barbara begins to like having Lydia around, but obstacles remain. Both the living and the dead want something from each other.
Lydia Calls on Beetlejuice to Save Barbara and Adam
The Maitlands’ failure to scare people becomes a bigger issue when Delia, Otho (Glenn Shadix), and the Deetzes’ city friends plan to exploit the haunted house. But in this movie, the biggest threat comes from the troublesome, pervy, bio-exorcist, Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton).
Living in Adam’s model town, Betelgeuse is unpredictable. The Maitlands seek his help, only to quickly realize they’ve made a mistake. He molests Barbara and takes it upon himself to scare the Deetzes in a dangerous way the Maitlands wouldn’t consider.
Otho accidentally starts the process of exorcising the Maitlands, so Lydia reluctantly calls on Betelgeuse, accepting his marriage proposal to save the Maitlands. Lydia’s parents can’t stop Betelgeuse, so the Maitlands have to save the day:
Adam crashes a model car into Betelgeuse’s foot, and Barbara rides a sandworm to eat him. This brings both sides together in their need to protect Lydia. Barbara and Adam accept that they can share the house with the Deetzes, showing that ghosts and humans can coexist on good terms.
Are Adam and Barbara Still Dead at the End of Beetlejuice?
Lydia Deetz floating in the air dancing in front of a staircase in BeetlejuiceImage via Warner Bros.
Delia and Charles are still around, but the Maitlands find the surrogate child they couldn’t have in life with Lydia. This creates an unusual, non-traditional family.
Still from Beetlejuice (Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
The film shows there is no one correct way to define a family. The Maitlands help Lydia become a happier person than she was at the start. The usual haunted house story is turned on its head. At first, the ghosts bothered the living, but in the end, the living and the dead learn to accept each other.
When Lydia floats and sings to a Harry Belafonte song, thanks to Adam’s supernatural powers, it’s more than just a memorable scene. As is typical in Tim Burton’s films, the ordinary and the fantastic blend together.
According to this view, the living and the dead can coexist in Beetlejuice, despite their differences. While Beetlejuice Beetlejuice takes a different direction with three generations of Deetz women, the original film shows that death doesn’t have to be the end and life can be filled with strange and unusual experiences.
