Perhaps you can forgive the trailer cliché of the cover song being slowed down and stripped down when presented as part of one of Luca GuadagninoThese are charming and seductive films. Like this rendition of “All Excuses,” the Weird the trailer is full of tenderness and desire painted on something harsher and uglier: the sweat of a man (Daniel Craig) clumsily trying to attract a lover (Drew Starkey); the gray of his face as he detoxes; the surreality of his psychedelic exploration. It’s a tantalizing preview of Guadagnino’s latest film, which hits theaters with a limited opening on November 27.

According to the A24 synopsis for WeirdAdapted from the novel of the same name by William Burroughs, the year is “1950. William Lee (Craig), an American expatriate in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, save for some contact with other members of the small American community. His meeting with Eugene Allerton (Starkey), a former ex-pat soldier newly arrived in the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might finally be possible to establish an intimate connection with someone.

THE Weird The trailer teases Craig and Starkey’s critically acclaimed performances. Lee is a hedonist, even if he doesn’t seem entirely comfortable in his skin. “A wise old queen taught me that I had a duty to live,” he proclaims. “Overcome hatred with knowledge, sincerity and love. The difficulty is convincing someone else that they are truly part of you. Eugene stands aside, seemingly untouchable even when they share the same bed. But as their affair progresses, the unlikely couple opens a door that cannot be closed: “All you can do is look away.” »

Weird premiered at the Venice Film Festival in large part positive reviewswith particular praise for Craig’s performance. (The AV Club gave the film a B-.) Like Guadagnino’s other 2024 film Challengersit features music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross with a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes. The film also stars Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga and Omar Apollo.