LEVITICUS

There are some interesting concepts being explored here. The idea of paranormal punishment following intimate acts is a classic horror trope; we saw it executed expertly of late in 'It Follows', but it was maybe first iconically used in 1978's 'Halloween' before becoming rife in the 80s in films like 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and 'Friday the 13th'. Adding a queer twist seems like a modern horror stroke of genius - and granted, the idea of never knowing if the person in front of you is your heart's desire or here to kill you offers countless thrills. However, the execution leaves something to be desired.

The direction the romantic story takes (Naim falls for Ryan, Ryan betrays Naim with Hunter, Hunter dies, Naim and Ryan get back together) lacks believability and plays into unnecessary gay stereotypes, which somewhat compromises the stakes of this horror. It's not to say that Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen aren't convincing in their roles; both actually perform marvellously, and their chemistry is quite convincing. The issue lies in the script from writer/director Adrian Chiarella (in his feature writing and directing debut), which aims to take its constrained premise with an already short 88-minute run time and build on it. Unfortunately, this only muddies the romantic waters for our characters.

That's a shame, because on the whole, it's a well-made film. The cinematography from Tyson Perkins ('Went up the Hill', TV's 'Mystery Road: Origin') is quite beautiful, the acting on the whole - as mentioned - is quite impressive, the threat as a metaphor is quite pertinent (as Adrian puts it, "a stand-in for homophobia itself"), and the message at the film's end is quite a potent one. We see how religion can be thrust upon members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and the stigma that can be experienced from the people closest to them.

Despite all of these accomplishments, there are a number of puzzle pieces that simply don't fit with 'Leviticus'. It's not just Naim and Ryan's character motivations that flip-flop; there are strange inconsistencies as the story progresses. At one moment, Hunter's sister, Izzie (Davida McKenzie, 2021's 'Silent Night'), is offering advice and trying to help the two boys, and the next she's trying to lure them into a trap. Meanwhile, Mia Wasikowska's turn as Naim's mother stands out like a sore thumb, her performance disjointed and indifferent; while clearly trying to portray someone consumed by religion, she has lost her sense of connection with the rest of the cast.

While 'Leviticus' promises to deliver a creepy queer supernatural horror, it arrives hollow and passive, largely due to its shallow romantic storytelling. It does reiterate Joe Bird's remarkable talent and puts Stacy Clausen in the spotlight as an actor to watch, but even their rousing performances can't rescue a script that buckles under the weight of its own convoluted ambitions.