Queer, a new subdivision of the horror genre, continues to emerge in director Adrian Chiarella’s impressive debut, Leviticus, which he also scripts. Awkward teen Niam (Joe Bird) has just moved to a small town in Victoria, Australia, with his mother (Mia Wasikowska), and he hasn’t made any friends, except for Ryan (Stacy Clausen). The two are in a romantic relationship that Ryan demands be kept secret. However, when a misunderstanding occurs between the two and they are outed, both boys are punished with something similar to an exorcism.
The procedure doesn’t cleanse your soul; instead, those subjected to this ritual are pursued and brutally attacked by a demon that mimics their most recent lover—an evil ploy designed to turn LGBTQIA+ people against one another. Not knowing whom to trust, Niam and Ryan find themselves fighting for their life and sanity.
Initially, walking into Leviticus, I was reminded of the 2014 film It Follows and, to a lesser extent, the early eighties classic The Entity. At its core, the film does follow the template established in those films. However, the true strength lies in Chiarella’s handling of the material. He opens the movie with a female victim meeting an untimely demise; however, the audience doesn’t know if she was in a same sex relationship.
Sitting in the theater, I instantly realized that Chiarella was tapping into the themes of the Book of Leviticus, which focus on sacrifice, purity, holiness, and worship. The cast fully engages with this angle. As our lead, Joe Bird gives a breakout performance, tapping into honest teen angst as someone trying to find themselves.
Stacy Clausen, on the other hand, elevates the high school jock or bully trope into something audience members can also relate to. Leviticus is guided by these two, and I was invested in both of their storylines. The adults in the film, sans Mia Wasikowska, are background players, which is perfect for a movie like this. As a parent, I had to roll my eyes at some of her choices, especially one in particular during the third act, which will be discussed amongst horror fans long after the credits roll.
Kudos as well to Jed Kurzel for his eerie score and to the director for keeping the run time short. While it borrows from other films, Leviticus offers an impressive debut that underscores the dangers of conversion therapy.
