FILM REVIEW: LEVITICUS (15) ESP RATING: 3.5/5
A haunting, beautifully-shot coming-of-age horror – that wears its It Follows influence on its sleeve.
Leviticus has been generating a huge amount of buzz on the film festival circuit, premiering at Sundance before going on to screenings at festivals including SXSW and Sydney. So, when I saw that its cinema screenings were limited, I knew I had to get in there and see it before it was too late.
Written and directed by Adrian Chiarella, Leviticus follows Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen), two young men living in a conservative Australian community who are secretly falling in love, knowing that the people around them would never accept their relationship.
But when a disturbing religious ritual unleashes a mysterious entity, their already complicated situation becomes downright terrifying. The creature has the ability to appear as the person its victim desires most.
And for Naim and Ryan, that's each other.
It’s a fantastic concept, but there’s something incredibly tragic about it too. Love can be one of the most wonderful things in the world, but Leviticus takes that idea and twists it into something genuinely harrowing, suggesting that the very person who makes you feel safest could also become the thing that kills you.
A huge amount of credit has to go to Bird and Clausen, who are absolutely incredible in the lead roles. Their performances are vulnerable, believable and surprisingly understated, particularly considering how much of their relationship is communicated through glances and body language rather than dialogue. You genuinely believe in the connection between Naim and Ryan, and that’s crucial because without that emotional investment, the horror simply wouldn’t have the same impact.
Visually, this is a very impressive film considering it clearly wasn’t made with a gigantic budget. Chiarella and cinematographer Tyson Perkins have made the most of what they had, particularly when it comes to the darkness. Much of the horror takes place at night or within shadows, and rather than trying to hide the limitations of a smaller production, the filmmakers use them to their advantage.
It is definitely a slow burner, but one that kept me intrigued because I genuinely wanted to know how it was going to end. There are some really suspenseful sequences here, although thankfully this isn’t a film that relies on mountains of gore to make its impact. The atmosphere and anticipation do most of the heavy lifting.
That being said, there is one rather large elephant in the room – It Follows.
I absolutely adore It Follows, and Leviticus makes no attempt to hide the influence. For the first half of the film, I was perfectly happy with that. The mysterious entity, the way it silently approaches its victims, the cinematography and that constant feeling that something could be standing just behind you all feel very much in the same ‘ball park.’
But as the film progresses, the similarities become increasingly difficult to ignore. There are moments where the inspiration feels less like a nod and more like someone has taken It Follows, changed the wallpaper and given it a very different emotional story.
And that’s absolutely fine - provided you know what you’re getting into.
If you’re looking for something completely original that you've never seen before, this may not be it. But if you’re happy watching what could essentially be described as ‘It Follows 1.5’ – then happy days.
Ultimately, Leviticus isn’t going to reinvent supernatural horror, but it doesn’t need to. It has a fascinating central concept, two outstanding lead performances, some genuinely effective suspense and a surprisingly beautiful visual style.
Most importantly, underneath all the horror is a genuinely tragic love story – which gives the film considerably more bite than your average creature feature.
ESP Rating: 3.5/5
Mike Clarke
Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough & Odeon Luxe Peterborough, Out Now
Cast: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Ewen Leslie, Davida Mckenzie, Nicholas Hope & Shannon Berry
Running Time: 1 Hr 28 Mins
Director: Adrian Chiarella
Film Review Venue: Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough
For all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux & Odeon Luxe Cinemas go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk and www.odeon.co.uk
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