Leviticus
Psychological body horror about repressed gay teens, not traditional scares
The brief
Chiarella crafts a queasy psychological horror that uses body horror as a lens for internalized homophobia, with Bird and Clausen delivering raw, committed performances as boys trapped between desire and self-hatred. The entity design is genuinely unsettling - imagine if Cronenberg directed a teen coming-of-age story - and the 88-minute runtime keeps things from overstaying their welcome. It's more interested in the horror of repression than traditional scares, building a slow-burn dread that sits heavy in your chest. Perfect for fans of It Follows or The Babadook who want their horror to double as uncomfortable social commentary.
The verdict
If you crave intelligent horror that uses body horror and psychological dread to explore deep social themes like internalized homophobia, this is a genuinely unsettling gem with outstanding performances. If you prefer straightforward scares over slow-burn commentary about repression and desire, you'll find this too cerebral and uncomfortably heavy.
Watch with
- 👤 Solo viewing for thoughtful horror fans
- 👥 LGBTQ+ film groups seeking challenging content
- ⚠️ Not suitable for younger audiences
- ⚠️ May be triggering for those with internalized homophobia
Heads up
- Body horror and grotesque transformations (moderate)
- Themes of self-hatred and internalized homophobia (frequent)
- Violence between teenage characters (moderate)
- Psychological torment and identity crisis (frequent)
Credits
- Director
- Adrian Chiarella
- Cast
- Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Tyallah Bullock, Ewen Leslie, Jeremy Blewitt, Davida McKenzie
Official synopsis
Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other.
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Beau Is Afraid (2023)
Both explore psychological horror through distorted desire and identity terror.
Total runtime: 1h 28m + 2h 59m = 4h 27m
