Cast: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Ewen Leslie, Nicholas Hope Review by Matthew Morlai Kamara
As their relationship grows, they are outed to the community and subjected to a terrifying deliverance ritual that awakens something far worse. A malevolent supernatural entity is unleashed that takes the form of the person they desire most turning every moment of closeness into mortal danger. What begins as a tender story of first love becomes a desperate fight for survival against a horror that wears the face of the one thing they crave.
This is horror with a real beating heart and a razor sharp edge. The premise is clever and the execution hits right home. Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen deliver performances of raw vulnerable honesty making their connection feel tangible and truly real. Adrian Chiarella directs with remarkable confidence, balancing tender romance with genuine unshakable fear. The horror never feels cheap or thrown in. It is rooted in real human emotion and the cold cruelty of a community that demands everyone conform.
Mia Wasikowska brings quiet chilling weight to the role of Naim’s mother and Nicholas Hope is terrifyingly calm as the deliverance healer. At times the pacing slows slightly in the final act and a few narrative beats feel just a little underdeveloped but the emotional power of this film carries it through beautifully.
Leviticus is bold original and totally unflinching. It uses horror to speak to something very real and that makes it all the more terrifying. This is a stunning debut and one of the most distinctive horror films of the year.
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