Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen LGBTQ+ horror-romance has a strong message.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Leviticus
What's the Story?
In LEVITICUS, Naim (Joe Bird) is a lonely teen living in a dismal Australian town with his mother (Mia Wasikowska), following the death of his father. Naim is invited to hang out with handsome Ryan (Stacy Clausen) in an abandoned building. After they mess around and throw some stuff, the boys wind up kissing. Naim is happy until he discovers Ryan kissing another teen, Hunter (Jeremy Blewitt), who also happens to be the son of the local pastor. Hurt by this turn of events, Naim outs the other boys. Ryan and Hunter are taken to a strange ceremony led by a sinister "Deliverance Healer" (Nicholas Hope) to rid them of their "indecent" desires. The healer performs a ritual that leaves the boys screaming in pain, and shortly thereafter, Naim witnesses Ryan talking to ... no one. But he also sees that "no one" is trying to choke Ryan. Naim will learn more about this malevolent force when his mother decides that Naim needs the same ritual.
Is It Any Good?
A quietly affecting queer teen romance crossed with vicious horror, this stark, disquieting feature debut by Australian filmmaker Adrian Chiarella is a sharp indictment of Bible-backed homophobia. Named after the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament and the Torah—of which the passages 18:22 and 20:13 are frequently used in arguments against LGBTQ+ rights—Leviticus has its own version of the cruel practice known as conversion therapy. Here, teen boys who express a preference for other teen boys are cursed with a monster that can look like whoever you desire the most. So just when their guard is down, the monster strikes, violently and horribly. It's a perfect metaphor for the awful converting of queer pride into shame. (Although, as in life, the sinister method can also backfire, as the monster can only come when a person is alone—so if the lovers stay together, the monster can't attack.)
Yet that's not the most affecting part of the movie. Rather, it's the relationship between Naim and Ryan that's most potent. Almost total opposites, they complement one another nicely, and they have a lovely tenderness toward one another—after, that is, their initial rough-and-tumble interaction that leads to their first kiss. With its critical message on one end and the romance at the other, the scary stuff in Leviticus almost doesn't even matter. But it still works. This is a unique horror movie that will hopefully inspire discussion.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Leviticus' violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How does the movie depict gay teens? What about conversion therapy? What is the movie's position on the latter?
How is bullying depicted? Why do you think the movie's bullies target characters of color and queer characters?
How do characters demonstrate courage and perseverance? And do you think the story promotes empathy and compassion amid the monster mayhem?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 19, 2026
- Cast : Joe Bird , Stacy Clausen , Mia Wasikowska
- Director : Adrian Chiarella
- Inclusion Information : Gay Movie Director(s) , Asian Movie Director(s) , Chinese Movie Director(s) , Multiracial Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Neon
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Activism ( LGBTQ+ rights ) , Faith ( Christianity ) , Family Stories ( Single Parents ) , Fantasy ( Monsters ) , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Empathy , Perseverance
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : bloody violent content, language, some sexual content and teen drug use
- Last updated : June 22, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate