LEVITICUS — Best Love Story of 2026!

Review by Steve Barton II

How do you feel about the indie horror surprise hit from 2014, It Follows? When it first came onto the scene, everyone was gushing about how spooky it was and how the “sex kills” concept was bizarre, but good for pushing abstinence. In the years since, critics of It Follows have turned sour on it and saw that it's low effort, boring and silly. The scarier aspect of It Follows is the sense of paranoia and not being able to trust your own eyes. Leviticus plays with that idea in a new lens. Leviticus is the feature debut of Australian writer/director Adrian Chiarella and follows two teenage boys who are in the midst of a blossoming relationship when they are cursed by religious zealots who are trying to “cure” their homosexuality. The violent entity that manifests itself from this curse haunts these boys as the person they desire the most, one another.


Leviticus has many strengths, most notably the chemistry between the two leading boys. Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen hadn’t met before they began their work together, but you’d never be able to guess that from what they put on screen. In a community where their love isn’t accepted by the masses, Naim and Ryan are forced to share their love in secret, but their raw chemistry makes it obvious to everyone. Even when they have no dialogue and just purely looking into one another’s eyes, the love is oozing from the screen and you can’t help but root for them against this evil oppression. The love story makes the horror elements hit even deeper, but it would’ve been stronger had they pushed the envelope just a bit further and darker. The oppressive culture around their love story is rooted in religious beliefs and is an allegory for conversion therapy. The demonic presence that’s haunting these boys is quite similar to the pain and suffering that many closeted or openly queer people can relate to their own experiences.

For Adrian Chiarella’s writing and directing feature debut, there is some expert horror filmmaking at work in Leviticus. The sound design and how eerily quiet some of the scenes get to drive up the tension and emotion and the impact is huge. The way the film is shot also resembles It Follows with its small town setting and dark, industrial buildings that create the dark atmosphere that these characters feel inside and out. The “possession” scenes where Naim can’t tell if the Ryan he sees is truly the real one and it is crafted so well that even the audience will be unsure every time. With Chiarella showing he has all of these skills in his toolbelt, it’s exciting to see where his career goes from here.


In the end, Leviticus is a solid addition to the already wonderful year of horror movies of 2026. While it may not be the scariest or darkest film this year, it is an incredibly impactful love story in the middle of a horrible situation. Joe Bird is an incredible leading man for this story and his chemistry with Stacy Clausen will be looked at as an example for future productions about love. Mia Wasikowska was a surprise addition as Naim’s mother who seemed to genuinely love her son, but has succumbed to the religious pressures and brainwashing from her surroundings. Her performance is balanced of being likable in some aspects and absolutely despicable when it comes to being accepting of her son’s sexuality. Many queer people or anyone who has ever had a “forbidden love” will find deep connections to Leviticus and hopefully find solace in not feeling alone. 


Leviticus is in theaters starting June 19th!


Rating: 3.5/5