Overview
- Leviticus, Adrian Chiarella’s feature debut, has drawn strong festival buzz after its Sundance premiere and opens widely in U.S. cinemas on Friday, June 19, with an Australian rollout in mid‑June.
- The premise centers on a demon released by a church‑led deliverance ritual that stalks victims by taking the form of the person they desire, a conceit critics say literalizes the terror of conversion therapy without relying on overt metaphor.
- Reviewers consistently praise Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen for their chemistry and dual performance work and note Mia Wasikowska’s nuanced turn as a conflicted parent who helps drive the drama.
- The film runs 88 minutes, is rated R for bloody violent content, language, some sexual content and teen drug use, and is positioned by its producers and distributor Neon for both commercial reach and awards‑season attention.
- Critics place Leviticus within a wave of low‑budget Australian horror that uses fresh concepts to tackle social issues, and they say the film’s emotional core gives its genre shocks real stakes for the young people at its center.