Film Title: Leviticus
Director and Writer: Adrian Chiarella
Starring: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska
Release Date: June 19, 2026 (Sundance Film Festival)
Robert’s Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
It seems Leviticus is a new entry in the burgeoning “bleak Australian horror” subgenre. Lead actor Joe Bird (who plays Naim) was also in 2022’s Talk To Me, whose directors, Danny and Michael Philippou, directed last year’s Bring Her Back. I think Australia’s history, wildlife, and scenery help establish the country as a great setting for horror.
Leviticus follows new-to-town teen Naim. He and his mom (Mia Wasikowska, casting that’s sure to make many millennials feel ancient), are trying to settle into a new church community. Naim has befriended local teen Ryan (Stacy Clausen). After some Australian shenanigans involving reptiles and property destruction, Naim and Ryan quickly become more than friends. After the public revelation of Ryan and another teen Hunter’s secret, a “Deliverance Healer” is brought in to “purify” the young men. Naim discovers that the ritual has essentially called forth some sort of entity bent on slaughtering his friends. Eventually, Naim’s mother requests the ritual be performed on Naim (she seems to be competing for Worst Parent of the Year), and he and Ryan must survive. The catch: The entity—invisible to everyone but its victim—takes the form of the person its victim most desires.
Bird and Clausen turn in some fantastic performances. Bird nails “grieving teen” and Clausen’s Ryan is effortlessly likable. It’s also fun seeing Wasikowska, who also served as a producer on the film, executing her craft. Effective visuals and handsome shots also work well throughout the film.
The violence in Leviticus is effective and visceral. And—one obnoxious dream/jump scare aside—I really appreciated its horror elements. The opening scenes in particular are quite unsettling and feature one of the most stomach-churning screams I’ve heard in a while. The monster, when you can see him anyway (usually in the form of a Ryan doppelganger), seems to have gone to the school of Michael “The Shape” Myers—he’ll suddenly be starkly lurking in the background before making a beeline for his victim. His attacks are not only brutal but fun—for instance, the monster hoists a victim by their throat at one point, revealing its invisible fingers compressing its victim’s flesh. It reminded me of classic Invisible Man horror.
Leviticus is essentially It Follows (the 2014 horror about an invisible entity hunting Maika Monroe’s character) in a different font. A good rule of thumb is that your film shouldn’t make your audience long for the better movie that surely inspired you.
The real problem with Leviticus is its central monster/gimmick feels half-baked, vague, and generic. We also get no insight into, say, the so-called “Deliverance Healer.” Similarly, it’s obvious that Naim is recovering from a tragedy involving his dad without giving us enough info to understand what tragedy occurred. I was also annoyed when the film reveals the monster’s very simple Achilles’ Heel (as in, “Oh no, you’ve discovered my hidden weakness—a very common thing that literally hurts everyone!”). There really seemed to be no deep thought put into the monster or its world.
Leviticus contains some great performances, but I wanted more from the concept. Was the entity a demon? A monster? Something else? The detour into Australian horror was fun, but I’ll need something more next time.
Note from the editor, Capone: If you’re looking for more Aussie horror, check out The Surfer, Bring Her Back, Run Rabbit Run, and—of course—The Babadook.
Robert Zerbe’s writing has previously appeared in Trembling With Fear and on the Creepy podcast. He has yet to hack his obsessive-compulsive disorder into something useful. Robert lives in Florida with his wife, two children, and a love of movies. You can follow him on Bluesky at @runonsandwich.
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