Adrian Chiarella's debut feature "Leviticus" weaponizes horror cinema to process real-world anxieties about LGBTQ+ rights erosion. The film follows two Australian teenage boys who fall in love, only to face demonic pursuits after undergoing conversion therapy. The visceral supernatural threats that stalk them function as literal manifestations of the psychological and physical violence inherent in forced "conversion."
Chiarella conceived the project during a period of what he perceives as regression in gay rights protections. Rather than make a straightforward social drama, he channeled that rage into genre filmmaking, a choice that gives the material teeth. Horror allows "Leviticus" to externalize internal trauma while bypassing the sanctimony that often plagues issue-driven cinema.
The title itself invokes the biblical book frequently weaponized against LGBTQ+ people. By appropriating that language for his own narrative, Chiarella reclaims toxic religious rhetoric and transforms it into an indictment of conversion therapy ideology. The demonic imagery operates as visual metaphor for the predatory systems designed to "correct" queer identity.
This approach places "Leviticus" within a growing subset of queer horror that treats genre not as mere entertainment but as political argument. Films like "His House" and "The Inspection" have similarly used genre conventions and period settings to articulate systemic violence. Horror's capacity to make audiences viscerally uncomfortable becomes a tool for empathy and understanding.
The timing of "Leviticus" arrival in theaters underscores its relevance. Conversion therapy remains legal in numerous U.S. states despite mounting evidence of its psychological damage. International protections remain inconsistent. By grounding his anxiety in Australian setting and teenage perspective, Chiarella refuses the comfort of geographic distance. These scenarios happen everywhere.
Opening Friday