Stars at Noon is a 2022 romantic thriller directed by Claire Denis, based on the 1986 novel The Stars at Noon by Denis Johnson. The film stars Margaret Qualley as Trish, an American journalist stranded in present-day Nicaragua, and Joe Alwyn as Daniel, the mysterious Englishman she falls for.
Trish came to Nicaragua to write hard-hitting stories about the country’s political turmoil and human rights violations. However, she has been unable to sell any articles and is stuck in the country without a passport. To get by, Trish has resorted to sex work at hotels frequented by foreigners.
One day Trish meets Daniel, who says he is an English oil executive. There is an immediate attraction between them. As Trish spends more time with Daniel, she realizes he is not being entirely truthful about why he is in Nicaragua.
Trish and Daniel attempt to escape to Costa Rica together when Daniel has a run-in with the police. However, their desperate border crossing is beset by violence and tragedy. Trish ultimately betrays Daniel to the authorities to secure her own safe passage back to the United States.
Stars at Noon Ending Explanation
In the end, Trish agrees to sign a document to facilitate Daniel’s capture in exchange for the return of her passport and clearance to leave Nicaragua unharmed.
It is revealed that Daniel was secretly working for a rival organization attempting to influence the Nicaraguan elections. The CIA officer tells Trish that Daniel’s actions were jeopardizing American interests in the country.
By turning Daniel over to the authorities, Trish regains her freedom but loses her chance at love with him. Their passionate but brief romance was doomed by the dangerous political situation they found themselves caught up in.
Stars at Noon concludes with Trish thanking the police officer who helped her throughout her struggles in Nicaragua. She appears relieved to put her troubles in the country behind her but also sad about betraying Daniel in order to save herself.
Denis purposefully leaves many plot details vague and ambiguous, preferring to focus on evoking the atmosphere of Nicaragua and the subjective experiences of Trish and Daniel. Their motivations and backstories remain largely unknown, even as their desire for each other provides momentary escape from the violence surrounding them.
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Ultimately, Denis seems to suggest that the political turmoil of Nicaragua overwhelms and dooms the relationship, leaving the lovers as helpless pawns caught up in events beyond their control. The suspense comes less from the details of the plot than the poetic rendering of their desperate attempts to break free.
