Leviticus Director Adrian Chiarella Discusses the Film’s Shocking Ending, Personal Inspiration, and the Horror of Homophobia

Australian filmmaker Adrian Chiarella has never shied away from addressing difficult subjects through storytelling. With his feature directorial debut, Leviticus, he combines horror, romance, and social commentary to create a deeply personal film about fear, identity, and the lasting impact of homophobia. The movie follows two teenage boys, Naim and Ryan, whose growing attraction to one another becomes the target of a terrifying supernatural force created through a form of conversion therapy. As the story unfolds, the pair are forced to confront not only an external monster but also the prejudice and manipulation surrounding them.

Speaking about the film, Chiarella explained that the project emerged from a growing concern about the treatment of LGBTQIA+ individuals in many parts of the world. He observed what he felt was a troubling shift in public discourse, including renewed hostility toward queer communities and efforts to roll back protections and rights. Those developments inspired him to create a story that could help audiences better understand the emotional and psychological realities faced by many young LGBTQIA+ people.

Although Leviticus is a work of fiction, Chiarella acknowledges that parts of it are rooted in his own experiences. Growing up, he encountered forms of institutionalized homophobia that left a lasting impression on him. While he was not subjected to formal conversion therapy, he attended a religious school where negative attitudes toward homosexuality were openly expressed through teachings, assemblies, and classroom discussions. Those experiences helped shape the emotional foundation of the film.

At the center of Leviticus is the relationship between Naim and Ryan, two boys living in a small rural Australian community. Their lives become increasingly dangerous after they are targeted by a so-called “deliverance healer,” a figure who claims to remove sinful desires through spiritual intervention. Instead, the ritual unleashes a malevolent entity that takes on their appearances and punishes them whenever they become close to one another.

This supernatural threat creates a constant sense of paranoia. Because the creature can mimic either boy, Naim and Ryan never know whether the person standing before them is genuine or an imitation. Chiarella revealed that this concept became one of the film’s central themes.

According to him, the idea of not knowing who can be trusted extends beyond the supernatural elements. As he developed the script, he realized that nearly every major character in the story hides aspects of their true nature. The uncertainty surrounding identity, trust, and deception became a recurring motif throughout the narrative.

One of the film’s most emotionally devastating revelations involves Naim’s mother, Arlene. Throughout much of the story, she appears unaware of the true consequences of the ritual imposed on her son. When Naim expresses fear and confusion, she seems dismissive rather than malicious. However, the final act reveals a far darker truth: she knew exactly what the ritual entailed and understood that the curse could not be reversed.

Chiarella described this twist as essential to the film’s themes. He wanted to challenge a narrative pattern often found in stories about conversion therapy, where parents eventually receive redemption or forgiveness despite the harm they caused. In his view, reality is often much more complicated.

The filmmaker noted that relationships damaged by such experiences can take years to heal, if they ever fully recover. While some films offer neat emotional resolutions, he wanted Leviticus to acknowledge the long-term consequences of betrayal and rejection.

Even so, the film’s ending is not entirely hopeless. Naim and Ryan ultimately choose to leave their families behind and escape together. Although the supernatural threat still exists, their decision represents a step toward freedom and self-acceptance. Chiarella sees this conclusion as realistic yet optimistic.

He explained that many queer individuals have had to distance themselves from unsupportive family members in order to protect their well-being. However, he also believes that people can change over time. While the film captures only one moment in Naim and Arlene’s lives, he imagines the possibility that they may reconnect in the future after years of reflection and growth.

Beyond its themes, Leviticus also draws inspiration from a range of influential horror films. Chiarella cited It Follows as a major reference point during development because of its use of a relentless supernatural force tied to personal fears. However, he also looked to older works for inspiration.

One film that significantly influenced him was The Thing by John Carpenter. The classic horror movie’s exploration of mistrust and uncertainty resonated strongly with the themes he wanted to explore. The terror of not knowing whether someone is who they appear to be became a key element in shaping the supernatural mechanics of Leviticus.

Another unexpected influence was Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris. Chiarella was fascinated by the film’s treatment of memory and emotional attachment. In Leviticus, the supernatural entity grows stronger through the characters’ emotional connection and memories of one another. This idea of being haunted by someone you love echoed themes that Chiarella admired in Tarkovsky’s work.

The film’s title also carries significant meaning. Leviticus refers to the biblical Book of Leviticus, which contains passages historically used to condemn homosexuality. Chiarella confirmed that these verses were among the earliest inspirations for the project. In initial drafts of the script, a pastor explicitly quoted such passages during a sermon.

However, those scenes were eventually removed during editing. Chiarella explained that a trusted filmmaker friend suggested that audiences already understood the community’s attitudes toward the boys. By eliminating direct exposition, the story could move more quickly into the horror while allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions.

This decision also strengthened the film’s pacing. The creative team felt that reaching the first major supernatural event earlier in the narrative improved the overall balance between romance and horror.

The release of Leviticus comes at a time when horror cinema is experiencing another surge in popularity. Chiarella believes the genre naturally operates in cycles, periodically rising to prominence before temporarily fading and then returning stronger than ever. He views the current moment as particularly exciting, especially because younger audiences continue to embrace horror as a vehicle for exploring complex social and emotional themes.

For Chiarella, horror has always been more than entertainment. As a teenager struggling with questions about identity and belonging, he found comfort in horror films. Over time, he realized that many other queer viewers had similar experiences. The genre’s recurring themes of otherness, transformation, and alienation often resonated with people who felt different or misunderstood.

This realization ultimately shaped his approach to Leviticus. He began asking himself what horror could reveal about homophobia. If horror stories are fundamentally about fear, then perhaps homophobia itself could be examined as a form of fear—fear of desire, fear of difference, and fear of self-discovery.

That idea became the foundation of the film’s central monster. Instead of a traditional creature lurking in the shadows, Chiarella imagined a threat that looked like the person someone desired most. In doing so, he transformed attraction itself into a source of terror, mirroring the way oppressive systems attempt to make queer individuals fear their own identities.

Ultimately, Leviticus uses supernatural horror to explore deeply human experiences. Through its blend of romance, suspense, and social commentary, the film offers a powerful examination of identity, love, fear, and resilience. For Chiarella, the project represents both a personal reflection and a broader statement about the importance of understanding the emotional realities faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals in a world where acceptance cannot always be taken for granted.