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So, loves, the Venice Film Festival just turned up the heat, and it’s not just the Italian sun making us sweat.
Last night, our fave director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name) brought his latest masterpiece Queer to the big screen at the glamorous Sala Grande.
And when I say the audience went wild, I mean an 11-minute ovation that had people chanting his name like he’s the Beyoncé of arthouse cinema.
Imagine that energy! Even the stars of the show, including the dreamy Daniel Craig, were overwhelmed, as Guadagnino held their hands up one by one, giving each their moment to bask in the glory.
The applause just kept coming, and we were all living for it.
Now, if you’re wondering, what’s all the buzz about Queer?
Oh, honey, let me tell you. This film, based on the iconic William S. Burroughs novel, brings that deliciously tortured longing and connection between two men to life, set against the sultry backdrop of 1950s Mexico City.
(c) Yannis Drakoulidis/A24
Craig, stepping far away from his James Bond days, plays William Lee, an ex-pat navigating a lonely existence in a mix of college kids and working-class locals.
Then enters Eugene Allerton (played by Outer Banks star Drew Starkey), and suddenly, Lee’s quiet, yearning heart starts to beat again.
It’s raw. It’s romantic. It’s everything we look for in a Guadagnino film.
(c) Yannis Drakoulidis/A24
Now, if the sheer gayness of it all isn’t enough to get you in your feels, picture this: Pedro Almodóvar, queer royalty and Guadagnino’s close friend, sitting front row and center in the audience.
And when the ovation hit its peak, Almodóvar stood up, hugged Guadagnino like a proud mentor and—yes—Daniel Craig too. Oh, to be a fly on the wall of that iconic moment!
+Related: Daniel Craig Dives Deep in ‘Queer,’ A24 Secures U.S. Rights
For those who know Guadagnino’s work (and if you don’t, darling, where have you been?), he’s got a reputation for films that make you feel seen, especially if you’ve ever been that shy, queer kid dreaming of something more.
During the press rounds, Guadagnino shared that he first read Burroughs’ Queer when he was a lonely 17-year-old in Palermo, feeling disconnected from the world but finding solace in Burroughs’ intense prose.
That loneliness turned into the vivid, cinematic worlds he’s known for creating today.
It’s like Luca took those feelings from his teenage self and gave them back to us, in full, messy, wonderful color.
Oh, and we have to talk about Daniel Craig. Filming the steamy scenes?
He and Drew Starkey just laughed their way through it!
Craig said they wanted the intimate moments to be as natural and touching as possible, and judging by the whispers coming out of Venice, they nailed it.
Craig described Starkey as a “fantastic, beautiful actor” to work with, which makes me think their onscreen chemistry is going to be next-level.
Of course, this isn’t Luca’s first time blowing our minds at Venice.
He’s basically a film festival fixture now, with previous films like A Bigger Splash, Suspiria, and Bones and All earning him standing ovations and rapturous praise.
But Queer—with its deeply emotional narrative and stunning performances—feels especially personal for Luca, and that 11-minute, 44-second ovation (yes, we’re counting every last second) proves the audience felt it too.
And here’s the tea: A24, the studio that brought us Moonlight and Everything Everywhere All At Once, has snagged the U.S. rights to Queer, so we’ll be seeing this gorgeous piece of queer cinema stateside soon.
First, it’ll hit TIFF and then take the spotlight at the New York Film Festival.
Keep your eyes peeled—this one’s going to be a major player in awards season, trust.
Luca, darling, you’ve done it again. And Daniel Craig, if you’re reading this, let’s grab a Negroni next time we’re all in Venice, okay?
Queer is about to be the conversation of the year, and trust me, we’re all here for it.
+Related: Omar Apollo Joins Daniel Craig & Drew Starkey in ‘Queer’