The One Wish Willow and Cap’n Clark from “Obsession” and “Backrooms” were the two big villains of May. With the flick of a lighter, June gives us The Deliverance Healer in “Leviticus.”
The highly anticipated indie horror film "Leviticus" released in theaters June 19. The movie comes out at the perfect time, riding on the wave splashed by back-to-back horror movies “Obsession” and “Backrooms.”
Despite being in the same genre, it is unfair to compare the film to either of those movies. The film stands out on its own due to its unique aesthetic, performances and overall plot line.
It’s a film that’s gritty and horrifying while remaining incredibly sweet and hopeful, and it sparks an important conversation about the LGBTQ+ community and acceptance.
The film follows main character Naim, played by Joe Bird, who moved to a tight-knit Australian community with his mother, played by Mia Wasikowska, following the death of his father. There, an extremist group of religious individuals provide an eerie sense of comfort for Naim’s mother, but their behavior, fanatical beliefs and apparent homophobia make the entire experience worse for Naim, who already holds disdain for the environment.
There’s one person, though, whom Naim finds solace in. Ryan, played by Stacy Clausen, is an aggressive, tough character who falls in love with Naim. The pair shares many sweet and intense moments with each other, where the audience can’t tell if they’re going to fight or… kiss.
Naim finds Ryan cheating on him with another boy, Hunter, played by Jeremy Blewitt. In his anger, he tells Hunter’s father, who happens to be the preacher of the community.
He decides to call for The Deliverance Healer, a man with a lighter who swears he can resolve the boys’ “sins,” or their queerness. The town gathers to watch as he whispers over his lighter's flame, clicks the metal shut and causes the boys to convulse in a seizure-like state.
From here, an invisible entity takes form throughout the movie. This is a curse given by The Deliverance Healer and bestowed upon anyone who had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting the so-called healer. It appears to the beholder as the person they most desire, lures them with temptation and attacks them.
Bird and Clausen’s portrayals of the characters are quite commendable. The chemistry between the two is palpable, and it’s easy to watch them sink deeper in love — despite their situation — and root for them the entire way.
I felt an immense amount of guilt watching the two boys suffer as much as they did, showing how well-developed these characters were. I cared to see what happened to them and hoped for the best for them.
The knot of impending doom in one’s stomach worsens as the movie goes on because of how much we’ve grown to love these characters and just how unnerving the film’s main antagonists are.
If you're going into this movie looking for continuous jump scares, you’re out of luck. It builds on and prioritizes suspense.
The movie stands out to me because it doesn’t feel like an average horror movie. It feels more like a love story with horror elements. It doesn’t rely on jumpscares or stereotypically “scary” things. Instead, it hinges on intensity, anticipation and connection among characters.
Rarely are LGBTQ+ characters represented on the big screen — and even more rarely are they represented in the horror genre.
GLAAD analyzed the distribution of LGBTQ+ characters across films released in 2024. Of 35 horror films analyzed, the organization only considered four inclusive.
Movies like “Leviticus” are critical. They uplift and tell the true, relatable stories of LGBTQ+ individuals. Showcasing characters of varying identities in varying genres on the silver screen provides the opportunity for audiences to see themselves be represented.
The curse in the film is a symbol of conversion therapy. Parents send their kids away, hoping they can be “fixed.”
It’s a portrayal of a queer experience a lot of other films shy away from: the version where parents' love is conditional, peers are unsupportive and self-acceptance is hard to reach.
The story doesn’t let the boys turn away from their own identities. It teaches them to embrace them despite the hardships.
Wrapped in Frank Ocean's lyrics, it’s a beautiful message carefully curated to be a relatable representation in this supernatural world.
I think studios should make more movies like this — movies with the quiet, subdued horror that sucks you in, pushes you into the world and gets you wanting more before scaring you out of your theater seat.
The only gripe I have with this movie is that I wanted more of it.
It's a shorter movie, a little less than an hour and a half. In its time, it tackles a lot of character development and delivers a cohesive storyline. The world is so captivating and the characters are so well-written that I was left wanting more by the time the credits rolled.
I would have loved to see more characters’ perspectives of the curse. We mainly see it from Naim's perspective. It would have been interesting to see how the curse takes form in Ryan's point of view, and while the audience can assume how it looks, it would have been a neat addition to the film.
“Leviticus” marks the feature-film debut of director Adrian Chiarella. The film feels like it comes from the hands of a film industry veteran, showcasing Chiarella’s talent and potential. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, a remarkable achievement for the first-time director.
I had the privilege of seeing “Leviticus” during its film festival run in January at the Sundance Film Festival. After its premiere there, NEON picked up the film for theatrical distribution.
When I originally saw it, bundled up in layers of sweaters and coats in the Utah winter, it was instantaneously my favorite film of the festival. It stuck out to me and resonated deeply. I left the theater with tears in my eyes.
I've been hyping this film up to my friends for months, to the point where the release date is written on some of their calendars. The movie had made that much of an impression on me.
I was a little nervous the charm of the film was only because of where and when I had seen it, that it wouldn’t be as wonderful as I remembered it.
Leaving my second screening of it on release day, I was grateful my perspective hadn’t shifted. The movie is still so impressive, and the beauty of it was not lost to time.
Contact Mackenzie Haas at mhaas@alligator.org.
