Movie Review – Leviticus

Australia has really been pumping out the decent horror films in recent years. Leviticus is no different. For some context, outside of being the film’s title, Leviticus is the third book of the Old Testament in the bible and the Torah. It emphasizes holiness and purity as a requirement to having a close relationship with God. The book also has detailed descriptions religious laws that govern sacrifices, dietary restrictions, and codes of conduct. In modern society, some could use it as a way to purify the LGBTQ community which is what this movie is truly about.

This film follows two teenage boys who have a secret affair. The local church, however, has a man who can do a weird form of conversion therapy where he performs a ritual that causes the boys two convulse. Afterward, they begin seeing someone who isn’t there and this presence wants to do them harm but they realize this too late. The person they end up seeing is the person they love. The very person who caused them to end up getting the therapy to begin with. More than one teen ends up dead after this form of religious therapy and the two protagonists realize too late that there is no way to stop it except to refuse to be alone in a room which is when the attacks happen.

While the horror aspects of this film are front and center – the tension, the violent deaths, the palpable fear – it is the underlying themes of this that are so striking. The main character’s mother, played by Mia Wasikowska, forces her son to have this therapy against his will believing that it will protect him from real world people who will hate him for being gay. When he tries to tell her that the therapy has caused him to be in danger from an evil presence, she simply shakes it off and does not believe he is in mortal danger from something she cannot see. A truly tragic thing to realize as a teen that your parent did what they thought was best for you and shrugged it off when it made your situation worse. The parallels with the conversion therapy that goes on in the world can’t be ignored here.

Another theme here is loneliness. This kid literally begs people to just stay with him so he doesn’t have to fear what happens when he is alone and everyone refuses, including his mother. The only thing worse than loneliness is knowing that even when you try to get out of it you can’t always do so. People don’t always show up. It’s a curse, and you’re stuck with it. That end of this is profoundly sad – to realize that no one is there for you at your scariest moments.

The performances of Joe Bird and Stacey Clausen carry this film through it’s most tragic moments with heartbreaking clarity. Mia Wasikowska as the distant mother is great too. Glad to have her back in a horror film.

4.5 out of 5 stars for this poignant film that offers much more than just scares. Trigger warning though. If you have issues watching members of the LGBTQ community in danger, emotionally prepare yourself first.