Film Review - Leviticus
Images courtesy of Maslow Entertainment.
What if your greatest desire proved to be the most dangerous thing in the world? This question has been fertile ground for the horror genre since its inception, inspiring everything from Dracula to Hannibal to the current mega-hit that is Obsession. But in Leviticus, the first feature from Australian writer-director Adrian Chiarella, the ‘danger’ in question is far less outlandish. It’s the very real fear shared by two closeted teenage boys; that their religious community will discover their relationship and rain all kinds of hell down upon them. Chiarella channelled his experience growing up gay in rural New South Wales into the script, and its depiction of societal homophobia feels all too real.
As the film opens, its teenage leads – easy-going Ryan (played by Stacy Clausen) and introverted Naim (Joe Bird) – keep their clandestine hookups far away from the public eye. But as local suspicions mount up, both boys begin to be stalked by a demon that takes the form of one to deceive the other. The high concept is interesting, if overly similar to 2013’s It Follows - a shapeshifting invisible killer that can’t be perceived by anyone except its victim. However, the added layer of homophobia creates a different implication, effectively preventing any kind of solidarity since neither boy can trust the other.
Leviticus’ stars are perfectly cast, sharing palpable chemistry and excelling in individual moments of vulnerability. Clausen undercuts his character’s brusque masculinity with hints of wounded pride, while Bird (best known as the demented little brother in 2023’s Talk to Me) steps up to the plate of frantic scream king with zeal. It’s refreshing to see a gay film so sincere about its central romance, as much a thoughtful love story as it is a nightmare. Additionally, the dreamy location work by Arrernte and Kalkadoon cinematographer Tyson Perkins goes a long way in emphasising these softer, romantic aspects. The horror elements, meanwhile, are rendered in gloriously gory detail by prosthetics artist Bec Burratto.
Ironically, there’s still a lot left to be desired. It’s not hard to tell that this is Chiarella’s first venture into the horror genre - most of its setpieces are shot with the same unscary, robotic slow pans and edited within an inch of their life. For a film about constant dread, it’s bizarre how little time is spent simply building tension or lingering on negative space. At a brisk 88 minutes, this is the rare slasher that would benefit from a little padding, to really bask in the existential terror that this premise offers. Aussie star Mia Wasikowska is also wasted in the thankless role of Naim’s devout mother, left mostly to grimace and spout heavy-handed lines about fear.
While Leviticus struggles to wring any truly memorable scares out of its genre trappings, the quieter love story at its core rings true. Chiarella clearly has an eye for the restrained, observational cinema of gay loneliness – it’s yet to be seen if he can really let these ideas rip through a horror lens.
Leviticus is screening in cinemas from Thursday the 18th of June.
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