LEVITICUS Trailer: Desire Is A Demon in Sundance Horror Hit
One of the exciting emerging voices in Australian horror is writer-director Adrian Chiarella. His terrifying and unnerving feature debut, Leviticus, will no doubt shake up audiences with terror this summer. Named after the Old Testament book that inspires homophobia, it stars Talk To Me breakout Joe Bird as a teenage boy who moves into a suffocating new town with his mother (Mia Wasikowska), where he soon meets and falls for a local boy (Stacy Clausen). But when the boys’ conservative Christian community closes in, the town’s queer youth are haunted by an entity that takes the form of those whom they desire the most.
NEON bought the rights to the film following its Sundance premiere in a seven-figure deal. It also recently had its New York premiere at New Directors/New Films. The haunting official trailer has now been unveiled ahead of its release in theaters June 19.
Here’s a synopsis from Sundance:
Two star-crossed teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other. A haunting and sensitive feature directorial debut from writer-director Adrian Chiarella, Leviticus promises a new, poignant entry into the canon of coming-of-age horror. An isolated Australian small town hosts the evils of religious fanaticism and its consequences for queer youth, creating an atmosphere that’s chilling and near-claustrophobic. Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen tenderly embody Naim and Ryan, magnetically attracted teens coming into their sexuality, yet facing physical and spiritual violence at every bend.
See the official trailer and posters for Leviticus below.
