What have you done, Joe?!
Worry not, storied French film auteur Claire Denis didn’t helm a biopic depicting the secret life of Joe Alwyn, the long-time partner of era-defining singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, but instead the romantic thriller Stars at Noon, wherein he and Margaret Qualley try to find emotional sanctuary in a tumultuous Nicaraguan landscape, and which just released its trailer earlier today.
Based on Denis Johnson’s novel The Stars at Noon, Denis’ film stars Qualley as Trish, an American correspondent journalist in COVID-19 era Nicaragua, left stranded by the global travel restrictions in place. When she happens upon the dapper, mysterious Daniel (Alwyn), the two find passionate solace in each other’s minds and bodies; especially each other’s bodies.
But, while both parties seek the other as a sort of escape from their less-than-ideal situations, Daniel seems to be in slightly hotter water than Trish, whose inability to leave Nicaragua pales in comparison to Daniel, who’s being hunted by the CIA for some unknown reason. Torn between her newfound attachment to Daniel, the many unknowns surrounding him, and the involvement of the CIA, Trish finds herself in the predicament of a lifetime.
The film had its premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or, and where it shared the Grand Prix award with Lukas Dhont’s drama film Close. Also starring alongside Qualley and Alwyn are Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick), Benny Safdie (Oppenheimer), and John C. Reilly.
Stars at Noon will release to theaters in the United States on Oct. 14, distributed by A24.