Daniel Craig Shines in ‘Queer,’ But the Stakes Were Higher for His Co-Star

For his compelling performance as William Lee in Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’, Daniel Craig has received a lot of accolades and been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor. But in a completely different manner, his co-star Drew Starkey also gives an outstanding performance. In contrast to his roles as Rafe Cameron in ‘Outer Banks’, ‘Love, Simon’, and ‘The Hate U Give’, Starkey portrays Eugene Allerton. In stark contrast to Craig’s passionate William Lee, his performance is characterized by emotional depth and restraint, offering a multidimensional character.

The film ‘Queer’ examines the difficulties of communication through the relationship between Lee and Allerton, played by Starkey. While Allerton is stern and doesn’t say anything in return, Lee is talkative and frequently talks about nothing in particular. With Lee talking nonstop and Allerton listening carefully but maintaining his emotional distance—often with a subtle smirk that implies he finds Lee’s digressions boring—their relationship produces an intriguing on-screen tension. A figure that is both enraged and captivating, emotionally aloof and difficult to understand yet unquestionably fascinating, is expertly portrayed by Starkey.

Image Courtesy: People

In scenes where Allerton’s emotional boundaries are visible, especially when his response to Lee’s incisive inquiries regarding his sexuality is rendered unreadable, Starkey’s portrayal of Allerton stands out. Starkey gives his character moments of honesty despite his harshness, particularly in the more private sequences in the movie. The scene where Allerton throws up just before he and Lee get intimate is noteworthy because it suggests that he is vulnerable below his façade.

Starkey’s portrayal changes throughout the movie, particularly in a sequence where Allerton and Lee use ayahuasca. At this point, Allerton’s barriers start to come down, exposing more profound emotional levels. Throughout the movie, Starkey’s reserved, nuanced facial expressions captivate audiences and captivate them with Allerton’s mysterious character. Starkey seemed destined for a successful Hollywood career with his riveting performance, akin to Timothée Chalamet’s ascent after Guadagnino’s ‘Call Me by Your Name’ in 2017.

–Farheen Ali