Displaying items by tag: Leviticus movie

LEVITICUS

Australia, 2026, 85 minutes, Colour.

Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie, Mia Wasikowska, Nicholas Hope.

Directed by Adrian Chiarelli.

eviticus made quite an impression at the Sundance film Festival, comparison is made with some of the high profile horror features of 2026, the year of Backrooms and Obsession and box office success.

This film is in the Australian traditional horror, was filmed in the country town of Bacchus Marsh, an industrial atmosphere. It also has the benefit of successful young players, Joe Bird (seen to advantage in Talk to Me, as well as the loathsome associate in Wolfram), Stacy Clauson and Jeremy Blewitt. Respectable veterans of the Australian film industry also appear, Ewen Leslie, Mia Wasikowska, Nicholas Hope.

At the centre of the film is the relationship between the two young teenagers, still at school, shown initially horsing around, then the discovery of feelings of intimacy. However, the central character, Naim, is upset when he sees his friend, Ryan, making a connection with another boy, Hunter. They belong to a religious gathering in the town, and Naim denounces his friend.

The religious group bring in a deliverance minister who performs a ritual over the two boys. And, it is mentioned that this ritual cannot be revoked.

From a realistic setting, the film moves into the area of beyond the natural, horror modes, a doppelgänger of Ryan keeps appearing, strange struggles with only one protagonist visible, Naim in torment, pursued by the doppelgänger, fights, the death of Hunter, another meeting of the religious group.

In the meantime, Naim will has difficulties with his disapproving mother.

The film builds up tension, the idea of the visible and invisible doppelgänger, menacing, violence – culminating in nightmares in dreams and in real life.

On the one hand, there seems to be a cozy kind of ending – but, not as prominently with the usual mode of foreshadowing a frightening future, this time just a suggestion that there could be more trouble.

1. The title, the Jewish Scriptures, prescriptions of Hebrew law, issues of sexuality, homosexuality?
2. The Australian country town, industrial, homes, school, church? The countryside? The musical score?
3. The film as straightforward drama, family, teenagers, school, identity, sexual orientation, behaviour? The religious group? The deliverance ritual?
4. The film as drama with supernatural overtones, horror elements? The deliverance ritual? The doppelgänger? The tormented experiences? Not able to be reversed? The consequences?
5. Naim, his age, shy and awkward, the tense relationship with his mother, at school, with Ryan, the snake devouring the frog, the later sequence in the laboratory, the scoffing students throwing the intestines of the frog at Ryan? In the old mill, the bond between the two young men, the wrestling, the kiss, the awakening for Naim? The repercussions for Naim?
6. Naim later seeing Ryan and Hunter, the kiss, his reporting it?
7. The church, fundamentalist, the gathering, the families all belonging, Ryan, his father? The Minister for the deliverance ritual? The ceremony, the two young men coming forward, implements, the candle ritual, the significance of the candle and light afterwards?
8. The consequences, Naim, awkward, seeing Ryan, going to the photo booth, looking at the photos, Ryan’s behaviour, no one else visible?
9. The consequences, the doppelgänger, Naim and his going to the service station, seeing Hunter and Ryan? Trapped in the building, seeing the death, upset, the police involvement, the therapist, the discussions with her, her helping, the limits and her help, the presence of his mother?
10. The aftermath, the real Ryan, the doppelgänger Ryan, appearances, threats, violence, Hunter’s death, the funeral?
11. Naim trying not to be alone, the continued threats of Ryan’s appearances, real, the doppelgänger? The effect on each?
12. The deliverance ritual minister and the process not being able to be reversed?
13. The continuing intensity, the effect on Naim, nightmares, imaginings, the reality, the presence of Ryan, the violent attacks?
14. Naim‘s mother, her behaviour, attitudes, leaving him?
15. Ryan, leaving, Naim and the encounters, the frightening violence, Ryan returning?
16. The bus stop, Naim seeing Ryan, on the bus, the doppelgänger outside the bus, the two of them together, close, happy future – or the return of the doppelgänger seen outside the bus?