Leviticus Trailer: The Yearnings of Your Heart Become Frightening in Celebrated Australian Horror Film
As we await the possibility of another filmmaker from this list creating a follow-up to It Follows, Australian director Adrian Chiarella’s unsettling feature debut, Leviticus, delivers an impactful dose of similar nightmarish tension. The film follows two boys in a conservative Christian community in rural Australia who start to act on their queer feelings, only to face a religious curse that haunts them with the very desires they yearn for. After premieres at Sundance and New Directors/New Films, it is set to hit theaters on June 19, distributed by NEON, and the first trailer has been released.
Here is the synopsis from New Directors/New Films: “Leviticus, a Sundance favorite, boldly explores the horror movie concept that sexual desire makes one vulnerable—especially to gruesome death. Named after the Old Testament book often used to justify homophobia, Adrian Chiarella’s gripping and terrifying debut begins with Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen) breaking into an abandoned mill, where their playful antics quickly reveal a powerful homoerotic subtext. Fans of Heated Rivalry will recognize how Chiarella uncovers the underlying connections amidst the façade of machismo these young men maintain for their conservative community, specifically in their provincial Australian town, where Naim’s mother (Mia Wasikowska delivering a nuanced performance) has moved them and takes him to local church gatherings seeking camaraderie. Chiarella’s ominous widescreen compositions are filled with Gothic imagery, and soon, after Ryan and another boy undergo a disturbing exorcism aimed at suppressing their urges, the town's queer youth, already marginalized, begin to be targeted by a spectral killer that manifests as their forbidden love interests. By intricately complicating the relationship between teenage sexuality and slasher film symbolism, and staging his scenes with chilling accuracy, Chiarella establishes himself as a new Australian horror auteur, joining the ranks of Jennifer Kent and the Philippous.”
Check out the trailer and posters below, along with the ND/NF Q&A.
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Leviticus Trailer: The Yearnings of Your Heart Become Frightening in Celebrated Australian Horror Film
As we await the possibility of another filmmaker from this list producing their anticipated It Follows sequel, Australian director Adrian Chiarella's chilling feature debut, Leviticus, delivers a strikingly similar sense of nightmarish horror. The film centers on two boys residing in a conservative Christian community in rural Australia, as they start to exhibit unsettling behavior.