Leviticus Review (SXSW)
Leviticus is It Follows on steroids that is an unrelenting, deeply unsettling piece of queer horror where desire itself becomes the thing that hunts you. And unfortunately for Joe Bird’s Naim and Stacy Clausen’s Ryan, what they desire most is each other.
Director Adrian Chiarella makes a striking debut, delivering a film that is not only terrifying but emotionally raw. What separates Leviticus from the pack is how it weaponizes horror to explore the lived experience of being queer in a world that feels constantly judgmental, hostile, and cruel.
The film kicks into motion when Naim witnesses Ryan with another classmate and reports it to their parents, setting off a chain reaction that spirals into something far more sinister. What follows is a descent into religious conversion therapy, led by a so-called deliverance healer played with chilling conviction by Nicholas Hope. His presence ushers in something far worse than repression—a literal demon, one that feeds on desire and manifests the very fears these boys have been forced to internalize.
There are shades of Carrie in Naim’s home life, particularly in the suffocating presence of his mother, whose devotion to “purging” her son’s queerness outweighs any sense of love or protection. It’s in these moments that Leviticus feels most grounded—and most painful.
Chiarella builds a suffocating atmosphere of dread, layering tension so effectively that when the scares hit, they land hard. One jump scare, in particular, had the entire theater jolting in unison making it an early contender for the best of the year.
But what lingers most is the emotional core. For Naim and Ryan, fear isn’t new. The shame, the danger, the constant threat of being exposed, those are things they’ve already been living with. The demon may be a supernatural force, but it’s also a manifestation of guilt, repression, and pain. In that sense, it’s the most honest and most terrifying thing in the film.
And yet, Leviticus never loses sight of something vital: their love. In a world determined to tear them apart, it becomes the very thing that gives them the strength to fight back.
Rating: ★★★★⯪
Leviticus screened at SXSW 2026 and will release in theaters on June 19, 2026.
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Seth Fox, widely known online as AccordingtoSeth, is a pop culture commentator and entertainment writer with a passion for movies, television, and gaming. Long regarded as the go-to source for recommendations among friends and followers, he’s now turning that lifelong enthusiasm into a professional career in entertainment media. A fan of all genres with a special love for horror, Seth enjoys spotlighting everything from spine-tingling scares and edge-of-your-seat thrillers to underrated hidden gems. Through thoughtful commentary, exclusive interviews with actors and directors, and coverage of the latest entertainment news, he aims to help audiences discover their next favorite watch.