Gay teens are outed in a conservative town. Their parents drag them to a preacher who places a curse on them. They will be stalked by an entity. It takes the form of the one you desire most. If you give in to its seduction it will attack you. For timid Naim (Joe Bird) it takes the shape of his brash sorta-boyfriend Ryan (Stacy Clausen). The audience sees a clear difference between the “real” Ryan and the entity. But Naim’s a horny dumdum who blunders into harm’s way. As Leviticus continues, it becomes increasingly difficult to sympathize with him.

Leviticus is the premiere feature of Australian writer and director Adrian Chiarella. He keeps the pace swift and the atmosphere creepy. He’s cast earnest young leads who play their roles with sincerity. They work hard to convince us that the crisis is transforming their casual situationship into something like love. It would be easier to buy if we learned more about them. But Chiarella keeps them archetypal.

Confrontations with the entity are where the film shines. Particularly when staged from the POV of bystanders who cannot see it. Similar monsters have appeared in films like It Follows, Ganymede and The Judgment. But those demons stalked their victims silently. The incubus here uses words to seduce and manipulate its prey. It’s a flexible metaphor that can represent conversion therapy, societal homophobia, internal shame or domestic abuse.

The rules get fuzzy as the creature’s assaults continue. Sometimes it seems to teleport. Other times it’s hindered by locked doors. Unfortunately, the audience is always two steps ahead. We see that it has a clear MO and a list of exploitable weaknesses. Somehow Naim can’t wrap his head around the concept. He ignores repeated warnings and forgets all he’s learned from scene to scene. It becomes hard to take him seriously when he displays the survival instincts of an 80’s slasher victim. The screenplay walks in circles when it should be sprinting for the finish line.

While the creature is horrifying, the scariest character is Naim’s mother (an understated turn from Mia Wasikowska). Her indifference to the bruises and cuts appearing on her son gave me chills. A grim reminder that many LGBTQ+ people are forced to leave our families behind.

Leviticus is an engaging film with a smart premise and an undercooked screenplay. Consider it an introduction to some talented artists who still have room to grow.

I’m approaching my eight-year anniversary as a writer for the Avocado. Thank you all for your support and feedback. You can find more of my reviews on The Avocado, Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.