Leviticus is not your typical supernatural horror movie.
Yes, there is a terrifying creature.
Yes, there are bloody moments.
And yes, there is a mysterious religious ritual.
But underneath all of that is a much more personal story about fear, identity, desire and what happens when a community tries to force people to become something they’re not.
The 2026 Australian horror movie was written and directed by Adrian Chiarella and stars Joe Bird as Naim, Stacy Clausen as Ryan and Mia Wasikowska as Naim’s mother. The film runs for about 88 minutes.
And honestly, I think the short runtime works in its favor.
What Is Leviticus About?
The story follows Naim and Ryan, two teenage boys living in a small Australian community.
At first, their relationship looks like ordinary teenage friendship.
They joke around.
They spend time together.
They try to fit in.
But underneath that friendship is something more.
The two boys are attracted to each other.
The problem is that they live in a very conservative community where their feelings are not accepted.
Things become much worse when a religious ceremony unleashes a violent supernatural entity.
The strange part is that the creature doesn’t simply look like a monster.
It takes the form of the person the victim desires most.
For Naim and Ryan, that means the horror becomes deeply personal.
They are essentially being hunted by versions of each other.
The Horror Has a Different Idea
This is probably the most interesting thing about Leviticus.
The supernatural creature isn’t scary simply because it is powerful.
It’s scary because it is connected to the characters’ emotions.
The thing they want becomes the thing that threatens them.
That creates an uncomfortable connection between attraction and fear.
Instead of simply running away from a monster, Naim and Ryan have to deal with something that looks like the person they care about.
That gives the movie a psychological side that I really like.
Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen Work Well Together
The relationship between Naim and Ryan is important because the movie wouldn’t work if you didn’t believe their connection.
Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen do a good job of making the relationship feel natural.
Their characters aren’t immediately presented as a couple.
There is hesitation.
There is uncertainty.
There is the fear of being discovered.
That makes their relationship feel believable.
And because the supernatural threat is tied directly to their feelings, the emotional side of the story becomes just as important as the horror.
Mia Wasikowska Adds Another Layer
Mia Wasikowska plays Naim’s mother, Arlene.
Her character is one of the more complicated parts of the movie.
She isn’t simply presented as an evil parent.
She believes she is doing what is best for her son.
But her beliefs and actions ultimately become part of the problem.
That makes her character uncomfortable to watch.
You can understand where some of her decisions come from without agreeing with them.
And that makes the family conflict more interesting.
The Religious Setting Matters
The title Leviticus isn’t random.
The film uses the biblical reference to connect the story to the religious attitudes surrounding the characters.
The Old Testament book has historically been cited in debates about homosexuality, and the movie uses that connection as part of its larger commentary on religious repression.
The movie isn’t simply saying that religion itself is the monster.
Instead, it looks at what can happen when religious beliefs are used to shame, control or punish people for something as personal as who they love.
That gives the supernatural horror a real-world foundation.
The Monster Is More Than Just a Monster
This is where I think Leviticus is clever.
The creature represents something.
It isn’t just there to chase the characters through dark rooms.
It becomes a physical representation of the fear surrounding their relationship.
The more the characters are made to feel ashamed of their feelings, the more frightening those feelings become.
That’s a strong idea for a horror movie.
And it gives the film more meaning than a standard creature feature.
The Atmosphere Works
The movie doesn’t need huge action scenes to create tension.
A lot of the horror comes from the small-town setting.
Quiet roads.
Dark buildings.
Empty spaces.
Religious gatherings.
Ordinary homes.
The normal surroundings make the supernatural elements feel more disturbing.
There is something unsettling about seeing something supernatural appear in a place that otherwise looks completely ordinary.
The film’s cinematography by Tyson Perkins also helps create that uneasy atmosphere.
The Horror Can Be Brutal
Don’t go into Leviticus expecting a completely gentle coming-of-age drama.
This is an R-rated horror movie.
There is bloody violence, language, some sexual content and teen drug use.
When the movie decides to become violent, it doesn’t hold back.
That contrast works well.
You have these quiet emotional scenes between Naim and Ryan, and then the movie suddenly reminds you that something dangerous is following them.
My Biggest Problem With Leviticus
My biggest issue is that the movie sometimes feels like it has more ideas than it has time to develop.
The movie is only about 88 minutes long.
That keeps the story moving, but I also think another 15 or 20 minutes could have helped.
I wanted to know more about the community.
I wanted to understand the supernatural entity better.
And I wanted more time with Naim and Ryan before everything became completely chaotic.
The short runtime isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but there are moments where I felt the movie could have gone deeper.
The Movie Isn’t Really About the Monster
And that’s probably the most important thing to understand before watching it.
If you’re looking for a horror movie where the main attraction is the creature, Leviticus may not be what you’re expecting.
The supernatural element is really a tool for telling a human story.
The movie is more interested in what happens when people are made to feel ashamed of themselves.
The monster simply gives that fear a physical form.
That’s why the emotional scenes matter so much.
Is Leviticus Worth Watching?
Yes.
I think Leviticus is worth watching if you enjoy horror movies that have something to say.
It has a simple but clever supernatural idea, strong performances from the young leads and an atmosphere that can become genuinely uncomfortable.
The movie has also received a very strong response from critics. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists it at 93% from critics and 82% from verified audiences, with critics praising the combination of its emotional story and unusual monster concept.
It isn’t perfect.
The story could have used more development, and some viewers may find the social commentary more prominent than the horror.
But I think that is what makes it different.
My Rating for Leviticus
For me, Leviticus gets an 8/10.
The concept is creative.
The relationship between Naim and Ryan gives the story an emotional center.
The horror is connected to the characters instead of simply being random.
And the movie has something meaningful to say about fear, repression and acceptance.
My biggest complaint is that I wanted more.
More character development.
More explanation.
More time for the story to breathe.
But even with those problems, Leviticus is one of those horror movies that stays in your head after the credits.
It’s not just about a monster chasing two teenagers.
It’s about what happens when the thing you are taught to fear is actually a part of yourself.
And that’s what makes Leviticus worth watching.
James
