Leviticus (2026)

The critic lauds the film's brilliant queer-specific horror concept and incisive social commentary on conversion therapy, praising the director's assured control and the tender yet tense performances of the leads. It highlights the romantic line and the way it uses horror to defend queer love.

The critic finds Chiarella’s debut horror vivid and meaningful despite its debt to It Follows, praising the textures of rural life, memorable scares, and the subtext about the dangers faced by LGBTQ+ youth in a conservative community. It occasionally stretches its message but remains a heartfelt fright film with something to say.

The critic praises Chiarella's debut for its sensitive handling of queer horror and conversion therapy themes, highlighting the portrayal of internalized destruction and the strong performances, especially from the leads and Mia Wasikowska. It singles out the film's ability to blend dread with intimacy without easy sentimentality.

The critic praises the restrained tone, sharp insight into the psychological impact of prejudicial practices, and striking performances from the young leads that give the unnerving LGBTQ+ horror undeniable power.

The critic finds the debut a smart and surprisingly romantic take on conversion therapy as supernatural horror, with queer desire manifesting as a deadly curse. It singles out the sweet first-love chemistry between the leads and the bold, bittersweet ending for praise, while noting the final act loses some steam.

The critic finds the film the most unsettling horror debut of the season due to its focus on human cruelties rather than the supernatural, praising the spare direction, gothic anguish and perfectly cast leads for creating one of the year's most touching romances.

Calls it a lean, mean Australian horror debut that mixes religious fanaticism and homophobia with a supernatural stalker like a queer-specific 'It Follows.' Singles out the unrelenting suspense, the embodied terror of intolerance, and the glimmer of hope in the boys' bond despite the horrors.

The critic calls the supernatural twist on conversion therapy a strong concept with effective queer-rooted terror and haunting imagery of loneliness and desire, but faults the less successful relationship drama and clunky dialogue.

Frames the film as an entertaining horror debut blending 'Heated Rivalry' with 'It Follows,' where an exorcism meant to 'cure' queerness leads to a stalking presence. Highlights the queer specificity and the way the curse weaponizes desire against the boys.

Presents it as a creepy horror tale that is also a potent and poignant teen romance, with the curse turning love into a weapon. Notes Chiarella is more effective at eliciting swoons than screams and attempts to understand the mother's conflicted role.

The critic describes it as a solemn and frightening acknowledgment of queer trauma and the abuses of conversion therapy, allegorized into supernatural horror. Praises the doleful eeriness, tragic queer love story elements, and the performances that convey ache and desperation amid a toxic community.

Adrian Chiarella's debut channels personal and communal turmoil into a supernatural horror story of queer desire under religious oppression, delivering one of the best horror films of 2026 with transcendent performances and emotional precision.

The critic finds the film a powerful and shattering debut horror that marks an exciting new voice, blending first-love sweetness with the poison of a hateful community. They single out the nuanced, patient portrait of the two lead characters and their passionate bond amid the dread.

The film has an impressive cast and a solid premise as a metaphor for queer isolation, but it feels like a production on autopilot with two-dimensional characters and inconsistent monster logic that weakens the scares.

Chiarella centers a potentially tragic love story amid conversion therapy horror, crafting a riveting work with strong performances (especially Stacy Clausen) and effective tension in the final act that will haunt viewers.