In the realm of cinema, where fear and fascination intertwine, Adrian Chiarella has crafted a masterpiece that transcends the boundaries of genre and culture. With his debut feature film, Leviticus, Chiarella not only delivers a chilling horror tale but also offers a profound meditation on homophobia and the enduring power of queer love. This film, set in the heart of Sydney, Australia, is a testament to the filmmaker's unique perspective and his ability to weave a narrative that resonates universally.
Chiarella, raised in a multicultural family, has always found solace in the universal language of fear. His personal experiences, marked by a struggle to connect with different family members through humor, have shaped his artistic vision. As he explains, "I could tell a joke to someone on my Chinese side of the family and they'd laugh. Someone on the other side of the family would just look at me like I'm a weirdo. But if I told a story about something scary, I'd have them in the palm of my hand."
This insight into the human condition is what drives Leviticus. The film follows 17-year-old Naim, whose life takes a dark turn after a kiss with schoolmate Ryan. The boys are haunted by a demon that takes the form of their deepest desires, each other. Chiarella's decision to explore homophobia through the lens of horror is both bold and necessary. As he notes, "I wanted to make a film that addressed this idea of homophobia and what it means today. We'd made so much progress when I was growing up as a young gay man, but in this last decade or so, things have started to regress a little bit."
The film's quiet thesis is that the monster isn't queerness; it's homophobia. This inversion is deeply personal for Chiarella, who was sent to an all-boys religious school and encountered many of the ideas the film interrogates. The confrontation in a car park, late at night, is a powerful example of this. As Chiarella reflects, "The more real-world the homophobia was, the harder it was to shoot. At its core, this was the moment where the real-world homophobia reared its head — the kind of thing that I think so many of us have witnessed and experienced or heard about."
Leviticus has sparked a bidding war at the Sundance Film Festival and is now preparing for international release. Its success is not just a testament to Chiarella's skill but also to the growing recognition of Australian horror as a global force. The production company behind Leviticus, Causeway Films, has built a reputation for backing debut or early-career Australian filmmakers with distinctive voices, while maintaining a record of international distribution. As producer and co-founder Samantha Jennings notes, "There's so much talent here."
However, Leviticus also confronts the anxiety that often plagues queer audiences: the fear that it will be another 'bury your gays' story. Chiarella was deliberate about where he wanted audiences to land. "I did not want to land in the 'bury your gays' trope with this film," he says. "I turned back to my love of horror movies and the truth is, as much as horror movies seem like a really dark genre, they're actually not super depressing. They're not designed to leave you feeling depressed about the world."
The film's final moments, soundtracked by Frank Ocean, one of the most influential queer artists of his generation, are a powerful statement of hope and resilience. Chiarella's vision extends beyond the screen, as he encourages fans to create their own 'fan edits' and engage with the film in creative ways. "That fan edit culture and fan art and fan fiction, it's very popular, particularly whenever there's a TV series or a movie with a queer love story at the centre of it," he notes.
In the end, Leviticus is more than just a horror film; it's a call to action. Chiarella hopes that the film will inspire other people to do their own creative work. "I definitely have that feeling too," he says. "Just to know that I'm seen — but also to know that other people like me enjoy this kind of genre and have turned to movies for the same reason. That would've been very special."
As Leviticus continues its journey, it serves as a reminder of the power of cinema to challenge, inspire, and unite. Chiarella's unique perspective and emotional ambition have created a film that will resonate with audiences worldwide, offering a fresh take on a timeless genre and a powerful statement on love, fear, and the human condition.
