Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Queer!Queer writer Justin Kuritzkes has offered a key clue to understanding the movie’s centipede symbol, which appears at a crucial point in the film. The positive reviews for Queer highlight the movie’s strong focus on characters, especially expat William Lee (Daniel Craig) and the GI he falls for, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). The movie is also laced with symbolism that is never directly explained, including the ever-present centipede. The arthropod appears prominently in work by the book’s author, William S. Burroughs, due to his fear of them, and is also symbolic of change in some parts of the LGBTQ+ community.

Speaking with ScreenRant, Kuritzkes offered some clues about Queer’s centipede symbolism, explaining how, while up to viewer interpretation, director Luca Guadagnino thought it important to include due to its prevalence in Burroughs’ novels. The writer also explained how, despite being called centipedes, very rarely do they have exactly 100 legs. This appears to be a small clue about what their constant appearances could mean in the movie. Check out what Kuritzkes had to say below:

I leave that up to the viewer, and as you’ve said, it’s an imagery that’s very present in Burrough’s work. It was certainly something that was really important to Luca [
Guadagnino]
as he was building the visual language of the movie, so I wouldn’t want to give a definitive explanation of what’s going on with the centipede.

Something I found interesting as I was researching centipedes while writing, actually relates to identity: “centipede” is a misnomer. Almost no centipedes actually have a hundred legs. They actually never have a hundred legs, but they’re called centipedes. I feel like you can infer a lot from that in a movie called Queer about this very particular queer life in this very particular setting and time.

What Kuritzkes’ Explanation Says About The Centipede In Queer
The Centipede Reveals Its Importance By The End

Although Kuritzkes says the centipede has different methods of interpretation, the ending of Queer seems to directly identify what it actually stands for in the larger story. Upon realizing Eugene will never truly love him, William has a dream where his lover’s centipede necklace comes to life. The arthropod crawls away, contrasted by a snake eating its own tail and crying, a direct recreation of the ouroboros. This seemingly emphasizes how the protagonist is trapped and cannot move on from their relationship, while his former love is able to freely leave.

Related Luca Guadagnino’s Queer: Whether Allerton Really Loves Lee (Or Is Just Using Him) Addressed By Writer EXCLUSIVE: Justin Kuritzkes unpacks Lee and Allerton’s bond in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, a story of unsynchronized love, agency, and mutual desire.

In this instance, the centipede is a symbol of evolution, with Eugene moving past their relationship as Craig’s character remains stuck in the past. Since William is partially based on Boroughs himself, the fearful realization associated with the centipede symbolism is the perfect juxtaposition between the two main characters’ states of mind. The use of such important symbolism has helped make it one of Guadagnino’s best movies of his career, most especially because of how it connects to the author’s original work.

Our Take On The Centipede Symbolism In Queer
It’s Revelatory For William’s State Of Mind

The state of mind William finds himself in when he sees the centipede is telling, because while it reflects itself as an LGBTQ+ symbol for change, it can’t be applied to him. Instead, Queer twists it into a tragic representation of his inability to move on, rendering him stuck in the past and in heartbreak over Eugene. While it’s still up to interpretation what the centipede really means, its contrast to the ouroboros and Kuritzkes’ words about their biology signal an intentional meaning behind their inclusion.

Queer
is still playing in select theaters.

Your changes have been saved My List My Favorite MoviesMy Watchlist 8/10 Queer An American expat in 1950s Mexico City, struggling with isolation and the remnants of his past, becomes infatuated with a younger man, sparking an intense and obsessive relationship.Release Date October 6, 2024 Runtime 135 Minutes Director Luca Guadagnino Writers William S. Burroughs , Justin Kuritzkes Expand