‘Leviticus’ (2026)

Centred around Naim (Joe Bird) as he moves to a new town with his mother Arlene (Mia Wasikowska), the teenager finds himself drawn to a classmate – Ryan (Stacy Clausen). The teenagers soon realise they like each other, but the tight-knit Christian community has certain views on homosexuality that will prevent them from being together.

As Naim and Ryan slowly form a friendship that soon blossoms into a romance, the boys quietly and cautiously open up to each other. With Naim witnessing Ryan kiss another classmate, Hunter (Jeremy Blewitt), who also happens to be the town pastor’s son, Naim outs Ryan and Hunter, who are later forced to face a ‘deliverance healer’ to undergo a ritualistic purge, forcing them to relinquish their homosexual tendencies.

The ritual forces Ryan and Hunter to undergo physical strain after which both boys become withdrawn and act increasingly erratically. Trying to make amends, Naim confronts Ryan, who rebuffs him out of fear. Wanting to know more, Naim speaks with Hunter who insists that an entity is stalking him that no one else can see. Witnessing Hunter be killed by an unseen force, Naim goes to the police, which results in him being outed to his mother, who also forces Naim to undergo the ritual.

Naim and Ryan learn that they are hunted by an entity that takes on the form of the person they desire most, with Naim seeing Ryan and vice versa. Learning that the entity will stalk them when alone and become violent when near, the boys are lost and isolated as they cannot discern if they are encountering the real person or the entity, forcing them to become alone and live in fear.

Lending itself perfectly to the concept of forced ‘re-education’, combining horror with a quiet little town setting where homosexuality is seen as something to be corrected, ‘Leviticus’ successfully explores the tender side of a budding romance contrasted with the violent means through which those who think they know better would enforce their views on them.

Bird and Clausen deliver a heartbreaking tale and their chemistry carries the positive side of the story as the two actors interact with compassion, lust and desire towards each other. Conversely, once things go south, Bird delivers a genuine depiction of fear every time he is forced to question which Ryan he is speaking to. Building on that fear, every successive time Clausen appears on screen is a fun and horrifying guessing game of which Ryan he may be. Both playing off of each other with warmth, intensity and passion, Bird and Clausen make the feature work because of the connection they share.

With Adrian Chiarella’s writing and direction, ‘Leviticus’ may be far from the first film to feature persecution due to one’s sexuality, but it is very effective in displaying the depth of fear and isolation that can be caused by the community around you. With gay conversion still alarmingly prevalent in the absence of it being banned, the film highlights how current and important the discussion surrounding effectively harming people still is today.

One aspect of the film that may irk more than others is the depiction of Naim’s mother Arlene. Her justification for volunteering her son for the ritual against his will is to protect him. Most damningly this decision takes place after Hunter had undergone the ritual and perished because of it.

Wasikowska’s Arlene later admits to knowing full well the effects of the ritual and what will befall her son, yet her justification of instilling fear into her son remains unchanged: to keep him safe. Wasikowska delivers a character that isn’t hate-filled, rather it is the coldness with which she ignores her son’s pleas for help that cements her as a contemptible parent, who is blinded by what she believes, resulting in ignoring the best way forward for her own son.

Making great use of the quiet scenery and delivering mostly in hushed or darkened tones, ‘Leviticus’ takes advantage of its simple surroundings and excellent use of Clausen as the depiction of the unknown evil that makes the film so effective. Seen mostly through Naim’s eyes, the teenager is dragged down progressively into desolate seclusion where he has no one to turn to and must fight to survive.

With the film ultimately resolving as Naim and Ryan decide to take the leap and leave town, Naim sees the other ‘Ryan’ in the distance as they take the bus out of town. Suggesting it is a horror that will haunt him forever, ‘Leviticus’ drives home the point that persecution through fear will leave deep and lasting scars, harming the intended converts, leaving them looking over their shoulders in fear.

Score: 4/4