Leviticus (film)

Leviticus (film)

Leviticus is a 2026 Australian horror film written and directed by Adrian Chiarella and produced by Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton and Hannah Ngo. The film stars Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Ewen Leslie, and Nicholas Hope.

Leviticus premiered on January 23, 2026, in the Midnight section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

Leviticus is set to release in the US on June 19th, 2026, in many theaters nationwide.

Premise

Leviticus (film)

Set in an isolated, conservative Christian community in regional Victoria, Australia, the story follows two star-crossed teenagers, Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen). As they begin to explore their budding attraction and sexuality, they are discovered by the local pastor.

In an attempt to "cure" them, the boys are subjected to a religious conversion ritual. However, the ritual goes horribly wrong. Instead of "cleansing" them, the ceremony accidentally releases a violent, malevolent entity. This supernatural force is uniquely cruel: it takes the form of the person its victims desire most—which, for Naim and Ryan, is each other.

The boys must go on the run to escape the entity and the religious fanaticism of their town. The film explores the "curse" of desire and the physical and spiritual violence faced by queer youth, serving as a social horror about the dangers of homophobia from both within the community and within oneself.

Cast

Leviticus (film)

• Joe Bird as Naim • Stacy Clausen as Ryan • Mia Wasikowska • Ewen Leslie • Nicholas Hope as Deliverance Preacher • Jeremy Blewitt • Davida McKenzie • Edwina Wren as Jackie

Production

Leviticus (film)

Leviticus was developed through VicScreen's Originate initiative under the mentorship of script developer Angeli Macfarlane, with writer and director Adrain Chiarella drawing on his background in film editing and his personal experiences to craft a 'queer social horror' inspired by Asian cinema and modern genre classics like It Follows (2014) and The Witch (2015). The project received for funding in July 2024 as part of Screen Australia's 2024-25 production slate. It was produced by Causeway Films and Samira Productions.

Release

Leviticus (film)

The film had its world premiere on January 23, 2026 at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight section. Shortly after, Neon was reported to be in exclusive talks for worldwide distribution rights excluding Australia and New Zealand to the film in a deal worth $5 million. A day later, Neon officially acquired the rights in a seven-figure deal.

Reception

Leviticus (film)

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 22 critics' reviews are positive. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Benjamin Lee of The Guardian wrote that Leviticus is “a haunting and innovative horror film,” praising its unsettling blend of genre thrills and tender romance, noting the “genuine chemistry between leads Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen” that helps balance its emotional stakes and supernatural dread. Marshall Shaffer of Slant Magazine similarly described the film as “at times intensely creepy” yet also “a potent and poignant teen romance,” emphasizing how the performances of Bird and Clausen fuel both the film’s emotional depth and its escalating horror.

Richard Lawson of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film “takes a solemn, eerie look at homophobia and repression,” grounding its allegorical terror in the relationship between its two central characters. Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting highlighted the cast’s contributions, writing that Leviticus, "owes much of its success to the tremendous performances by its two leads. Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen deftly navigate all the emotional complexities of coming-of-age in a repressed setting that hits too close to home for any reprieve. While the tenderness beneath Ryan’s machismo endears, it’s Naim’s bone-deep fear and melancholy that’s as heartbreaking as it is compelling.

Alan French of FandomWire singled out Joe Bird’s work more directly, noting that, "Bird and Clausen are both excellent in the movie," further adding, "Bird, who first popped in Talk to Me, is particularly impressive. Bird’s performance alone is worth watching, and there are some genuinely incredible moments exploring life in a fundamentalist religious movement.