Full Breakdown
Leviticus – Queer Horror Turns Conversion Therapy into a Supernatural Curse
6/20/2026, 12:01:29 PM
Plot and Core Premise
“Leviticus” follows Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen), two teenage boys in a small, working-class town in Australia. After their secret romance is discovered, a local deliverance preacher forces them into a “cleansing” ritual that summons a shapeshifting entity. The curse allows the demon to appear only to the afflicted boys, taking the physical form of the person each desires most—each other—thereby turning intimacy into a lethal threat. The narrative culminates in the teens confronting the curse and choosing their own outcome.
Background & Context
Writer-director Adrian Chiarella framed the film against a perceived regression of LGBTQIA+ rights in Australia, noting increased political micro-aggressions and homophobic rhetoric over the past decade. His own experience in an all-boys religious school informed the depiction of institutional hostility. Research into global conversion-therapy practices, including exorcisms and Taoist “curse-cutting” rituals, supplied the film’s horror imagery.
Key Cast and Creative Team
- Adrian Chiarella – writer, director (feature-length debut)
- Stacy Clausen – Ryan
- Mia Wasikowska – Naim’s mother (local clergy’s enforcer)
- Neon – U.S. distributor (seven-figure acquisition)
Production, Festival Debut, and Release
Casting emphasized chemistry; Bird and Clausen were cast after workshops and rehearsals that included road trips, escape-room exercises, and on-location immersion. Chiarella edited the film up to a week before its Sundance premiere, making final adjustments to maintain suspense. After Sundance (January 2026) and the Sydney Film Festival (June 2026), Neon scheduled a nationwide theatrical release for 19 June 2026. The film also screened at SXSW and the Overlook Film Festival.
Data & Statistics
- Runtime: 86 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94 % approval (Streamlinefeed)
- NOFSPodcast rating: 68 overall (Concept 75, Cinematography 75, Story 60, Monster 60)
- Acquisition: seven-figure deal with Neon
- Release date: 19 June 2026 (Australia and U.S.)
Why It Matters
“Leviticus” uses horror to dramatize the psychological trauma of conversion-therapy-derived repression, positioning the supernatural entity as a metaphor for institutional homophobia. By linking personal desire to lethal danger, the film extends its relevance beyond LGBTQIA+ audiences to any group facing disapproval of love. Its emergence amid a broader horror resurgence highlights the genre’s capacity for socially resonant storytelling.
Official Statements & Responses
Chiarella explained that the film arose from observing a “shift… in the last five or ten years… of a regression of a lot of the rights LGBTQIA+ people had fought so hard for” in Australia. He described horror as “the genre of fear” that allows filmmakers to ask audiences “what you’re really scared of.” Throughout production, the team “tuned” the script and performances to balance romance and terror, aiming for a final product that “feels like life” rather than a conventional horror spectacle.
Criticism & Opposition
Some reviewers noted that the film “doesn’t quite reach the levels” of comparable titles such as *It Follows* or *Talk to Me* and raised questions about internal monster logic. Others observed that the scares are “few” and that the pacing is “low-key,” resulting in a moderate overall rating from certain critics.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Critical aggregates differ: Streamlinefeed cites a 94 % Rotten Tomatoes score, while NOFSPodcast assigns an overall 68 rating. Box-office performance and detailed audience demographics have not been disclosed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If you take the conversion therapy analogy out of it, in a way you can argue that this supernatural entity in your film can be sent after anyone regardless of sexual orientation.” — Adrian Chiarella, Director
- “Leviticus" proves that while fear is a powerful weapon used by the intolerant, the courage to embrace one’s definitive truth is ultimately the only way to survive the dark.” — Streamlinefeed editorial
- “Everyone should be able to relate to this and go see it.” — Adrian Chiarella, Director
- “It was being tuned all the way through, from the scripting stage right through to the rehearsal, with the actors and figuring out how we’re going to convey this love story between the two of them, but also how do we convey this monster,” — Adrian Chiarella, Director
What’s Next
Following its theatrical run, “Leviticus” is slated for streaming on Shudder. Chiarella indicated interest in future “relationship-driven storytelling” and left open the possibility of revisiting the characters or expanding the monster mythology in subsequent projects.
