Stars at Noon
A journalist stranded in Nicaragua falls for an Englishman who seems like her best chance of escape, but soon realizes he may be in greater danger.
In Claire Denis’ latest, a journalist (Margaret Qualley) stranded in Nicaragua falls for an Englishman (Joe Alwyn) who seems like her best chance of escape, but soon realizes he may be in even greater danger than she is.
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The latest feature from auteur Claire Denis (High Life, Beau travail) swaps out the original Sandinista-era setting of its 1986 source novel by Denis Johnson for a contemporary Nicaragua buckling under the COVID-19 pandemic.
US journalist Trish (Margaret Qualley) is stuck in the Central American country, struggling to make ends meet as her stories mostly hit dead ends. After taking up sex work at luxury hotels in exchange for US currency, Trish is hired by a mysterious Englishman named Daniel (Joe Alwyn) who claims he works in the energy industry. They quickly realize how drawn they are to each other, and how dangerous their situation is ― Trish must get her passport back from the corrupt Nicaraguan authorities in order to return home, and Daniel appears to be tailed by both a Costa Rican cop and the CIA.
Part romance, part political intrigue, Stars at Noon is as atmospheric as it is adventurous, featuring cinematography and score from longtime Denis collaborators Eric Gautier and Tindersticks, respectively.