WATCH: Queer ’90s classic ‘Nowhere’ is back with a new unrated cut, sexier and stranger than ever
Nowhere might be the most quintessentially ’90s movie ever—and we mean that in the best way.From New Queer Cinema trailblazer Gregg Araki, the sci-fi twinged teen dramedy was created as a darker, stranger, gayer riff on youth-centric TV soaps like Dawson’s Creek and 90210, which dominated the airwaves at the time.It’s described as “a day in the lives of a group of Los Angeles high school students and the strange lives they lead,” but don’t let that simple logline fool you—the movie’s got plenty of sex, drugs, alien abductions, anarchy, exploding bodies, apocalyptic omens, and more.
It’s wild.Of course, the filmmaker’s known for transgressive, provocative storytelling, so not even his quote-unquote “teen movie” could make it past the censors unscathed.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) threatened it with an NC-17 rating, and Araki was forced to edit it down; Nowhere was eventually rated R when it his theaters in 1997.Over 25 years later, indie distributor Strand Releasing has collaborated with Araki to deliver the remastered and unrated director’s cut of the film for the first time, which is playing select engagements at theaters across the country.As Araki shared with Queerty last month, the re-release features plenty of new scenes originally deemed too hot to handle, including a handful that focus on characters played by perma-hottie Ryan Philippe and icon Heather Graham—who are “constantly f*cking”But their story is just one part of this sprawling, ensemble piece.
At its center is Araki muse James Duval (Donnie Darko), who also appeared in the filmmaker’s previous projects, Totally F***ed Up and The Doom Generation, comprising his famed “Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy.”The legendary director also shares his hot takes on ‘Barbie,’ ‘Euphoria,’ and “androngynous” stars like Timothée Chalamet and Harry Styles.Nowhere also features *deep breath* The Craft‘s Rachel True, Go‘s Nathan Bexton, Empire Records‘ Debi Mazar, Varsity Blues‘ Scott Caan, American Beauty‘s Mena.
