The dangers of conversion therapy are well-documented, and yet this horrible practice continues in communities everywhere, especially in places where religious extremes and homophobia run rampant. Can love truly exist in such an environment? Or will evil always win out? Those are just some of the questions posed in Leviticus, the Sundance horror favorite that had everyone calling this “queer It Follows” the introduction of Adrian Chiarella as a brand new voice in horror cinema.
Opening this summer from NEON, Leviticus stars Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen as two gay teens in an isolated religious community in Australia who are stalked by an evil entity that takes the form of the person they desire most: each other.
The film beautifully and tragically captures the excitement of young love, but also the fear, isolation, and hopelessness of being trapped in a place where that love can’t be expressed.
Leviticus features a standout cast, as well. Bird had a role in the recent hit horror, Talk to Me, while Clausen can be seen right now in Netflix’s shark thriller, Thrash. Also in the cast is Mia Wasikowska as a mother who takes drastic steps to “cure” her son of his homosexuality.
NEON will release Leviticus in theaters on June 19th. You can check out Derrick’s early review here.
