Stars At Noon Trailer: Margaret Qualley Stars In Claire Denis' Erotic Political Thriller

It might surprise you to learn that A24's latest — a steamy romance that evokes old-school political thrillers — comes from acclaimed French director Claire Denis ("High Life," "Beau Travail"). Known for experimental, bleak, and beautiful dramas, Denis has gone from existential dread in space to erotic thriller amidst geopolitical intrigue. Starring Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn, "Stars At Noon" traces the budding relationship between two strangers who cross paths while navigating pressing political danger. A modern adaptation of Denis Johnson's 1986 novel, the film follows a young American journalist, Trish (Qualley) who finds herself stranded in Nicaragua and falling for enigmatic Englishman, Daniel (Alwyn). While she initially assumes him to be her best shot at escape, she soon discovers that he may be in more danger than she is.

"Stars at Noon" has already won critical acclaim and took home the Grand Prix at 2022 Cannes. It's set to screen at the New York Film Festival in the first two weeks of October before debuting in theaters and on Hulu in the same month. Danny Ramirez, Benny Safdie, and John C. Reilly also star in the thriller, which is directed by Denis, who also penned the script alongside Léa Mysius and Andrew Litvack.

At one point, Robert Pattinson was set to reunite with Denis for the film but had to exit the project due to scheduling delays for "The Batman." Now, it's yet another chance to see what Joe Alwyn is capable of after he recently starred in Hulu's "Conversations With Friends," and the Netflix film "The Last Letter From Your Lover." Meanwhile, Margaret Qualley has had an incredible few years, coming off of "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood" and the acclaimed Netflix miniseries "Maid." You can check out the trailer for "Stars At Noon" below.

Nothing ignites a romance quite like dangerous, high-stakes drama, am I right? That's certainly what movies would have us believe, and it doesn't look like Daniela and Trish are the onscreen exception. When "Stars At Noon" premiered at Cannes, Alwyn teased out some further plot details, hinting at the complex dynamic between the couple: "They're both sort of playing a game and sort of pretending to be someone they're not amidst this backdrop of political unrest and turmoil and complete mistrust," he told Deadline. "These two strangers, who themselves don't give a lot away really about what they are at heart, fall for each other and have some strange kind of connection, but then they fall into trouble."

Reception-wise, "Stars at Noon" has been both heralded and criticized, with /Film's Ryan Leston writing that the film "gets off to a promising start, drip-feeding Trish's story to us in between beautifully tense scenes across grimy, war-torn vistas. But the ticking time bomb of Trish and Daniel's relationship soon fizzles out."

All in all, it's always a pleasure to see an auteur at work, so Claire Denis' name is more than enough to spark our interest. "Stars at Noon" will debut in theaters and on-demand on October 14, 2022 before streaming exclusively on Hulu on October 28.

A young American journalist (Margaret Qualley) stranded in present-day Nicaragua falls for an enigmatic Englishman (Joe Alwyn) who seems like her best chance of escape. She soon realizes, though, that he may be in even greater danger than she is. Adapted from Denis Johnson's novel of the same name.