"For as much as gays love their horror, and as many examples there are of the genre finding its haunting power through queer metaphor (from the scary subtleties of Psycho to the screamingly obvious A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge), there are relatively few mainstream horror films that actually tackle LGBTQ+ themes head-on. However, after a rapturous reception at the Sundance Film Festival, Australian supernatural fright flick Leviticus was quickly picked up for theatrical release by Neon and might just be the " queer horror masterpiece " we've been waiting for."
"After an unsettling opening where we watch as a young woman makes love to-and then gets mauled by-an unseen presence in a locker-room shower, we then cut to teen boys Naim ( Talk To Me breakout Joe Bird) & Ryan (rising star Stacy Clausen) as they mess around in an abandoned mill. The two tease one another and wrestle (typical teen boy stuff!), but when Ryan gets his friend pinned to the ground, he goes in for a kiss and Naim reciprocates."
Leviticus is an Australian supernatural horror feature debut from writer-director Adrian Chiarella that centers queer teen boys and the dangers they face. The film addresses conversion therapy, religious conservatism, and internalized homophobia through intimate moments, escalating violence, and haunting supernatural events. A rapturous Sundance reception led to a Neon theatrical pickup. The narrative opens with a brutal unseen attack and shifts to secret, tender encounters between Naim and Ryan in an abandoned mill. Naim is new in town with his single mother, and the film explores secrecy, community pressure, and the courage to love amid hostility.
Read at Queerty
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