Leviticus is a heartbreaking horror film: a terrifying, emotional look at love, rejection, and the monsters we create.
Leviticus is just as terrifying as it is profoundly heartbreaking. As a parent myself, it genuinely hurt me to watch the events of this movie unfold, leaving me on the edge of my seat and deeply shaken.
At its core, Leviticus tackles the agonizing reality of conditional parental love. It is ridiculously emotional to see parents who completely refuse to care about what their children actually want or who they truly are. The setup alone is hard enough to watch: the parents of these LGBTQIA+ teens, desperate to force conformity, bring in a priest to try to “fix” them.
But the film takes a sinister, metaphorical turn into literal horror. It turns out that by forcing these boys into a corner, they have unleashed demons that are actively hunting them down. The catch? The entity will kill them if they do not simply change their desires. It frames their identity as a fatal flaw, punishing them for their love as if it were a conscious choice they could just switch off.
What makes Leviticus so deeply scary isn’t just the supernatural threat; it’s the real-world reflection. The true horror lies in the realization that there are actual parents out there in the world right now who probably wish this twisted premise were real.
Directorially, the tension is masterfully executed because we never actually see a traditional monster. Instead, the demon adopts the form of the person they most desire. Because of this, photography and editing choices keep you guessing, making it agonizingly hard to tell when we are looking at the real boy or the entity.
That said, this psychological mind game works as well as it does because of the cast. Without the right main actors, so much of the messaging of the film would be lost. Joe Bird (Naim) and Stacy Clausen (Ryan) have an absolute, undeniable chemistry right from the first time we see them on screen together.
Their bond feels incredibly organic, making it impossible not to root for them. Yet, the tragic irony of the script is that their genuine feelings for each other put them both in monumental danger because of the pastor’s psychological traps and the entity’s mimicry.
The supporting cast anchors the emotional weight of this cruelty. Mia Wasikowska is utterly brilliant as Arlene, Naim’s mother. She plays the role with a terrifyingly grounded conviction, but gosh, I hated her for what she was doing to her child. Watching her hide malice behind a mask of maternal righteousness made my stomach turn. I could never imagine feeling that way toward my own children, and Wasikowska captures that devastating disconnect perfectly.
Aiding this overwhelming sense of dread is the film’s incredible score. It is brilliantly utilized, adding a layer of eerie, intense elements that amplify the paranoia of who is real and who is the monster. Throughout the majority of the film, I was on the edge of my seat, completely eager to see how things would play out, truly hoping against all odds that Naim and Ryan were going to make it out alive.
Leviticus is a brilliant, high-concept horror film that delivers equal parts terrifying scares and heartbreaking, emotional moments. It is a must-watch, even if it leaves a scar.
About Leviticus
Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other.
Leviticus comes to theaters on June 19th.
