A captivating romantic drama that had viewers ‘pondering for hours’ is set to hit the UK next week.
The film, Queer, which made its debut at the Venice Film Festival last September, is the latest offering from James Bond star Daniel Craig.
Set against the backdrop of 1950s Mexico City, it tells the story of William Lee (played by Craig), an American expat who falls head over heels for a much younger man (Drew Starkey).
This R-rated romance is based on the 1985 novella of the same name by William S Burroughs and was directed by Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino.
Cinema-goers will recognise Guadagnino for his 2017 blockbuster Call Me By Your Name, which catapulted Timothee Chalamet to stardom. He also received acclaim for his tennis-themed film Challengers, featuring Zendaya and Josh O’Connor, reports the Mirror.
After making its debut in the USA in November 2024, MUBI has now revealed that viewers in the UK and Ireland can exclusively stream Queer on their platform from January 31.
Despite the A24 feature only having a limited theatrical release in America, it has already garnered immense praise from early viewers.
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 77% rating and lauded Craig in their consensus. “A phantasmagorical distillation of William S. Burroughs’ preoccupations that’s by turns meandering and vital, Queer marks one of Daniel Craig’s most sterling performances yet,” they reviewed.
Audience members were equally impressed with the acclaimed actor’s performance on the big screen, as one viewer remarked: “Daniel Craig delivers his career-best performance in this meandering but intimately shot romantic drama.”
Another film buff took to social media to express their awe: “Wow!! Daniel Craig’s acting….you just feel for him the whole movie. To want someone and love that deep….It was so hard to watch him struggle with his addictions. This movie has me thinking for hours after I watched it. I liked it so much that I might go see it again. It had so much feeling to it. I can’t even describe it.” (sic)
While yet another person shared their thoughts: “Queer is an ambitious film, not only for Luca Guadagnino, but for Daniel Craig himself. It’s equal parts mesmerizing – a brilliant showcase of the sun kissed splendour of Mexico – and deeply stirring and polarizing.”
This latest drama serves as the second time Guadagnino has teamed up with writer Justin Kuritzkes following their work together on Challengers.
Joining the impressive ensemble alongside Daniel Craig are Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, Omar Apollo, Andra Ursuta, Andres Duprat, Ariel Shulman, Drew Droege, Michael Borremans, David Lowery, Lisandro Alonso, and Colin Bates.
Queer will be available to stream on MUBI from January 31.