'Leviticus' director Adrian Chiarella reveals 'the real terror' in his conversion-therapy horror film

This story originally appeared on Out.Named after the Old Testament scripture so often used as a weapon against the LGBTQ+ community, Leviticus is the gripping new horror film from director Adrian Chiarella that takes the real-life trauma of conversion therapy and spins it into a literal, supernatural nightmare.The film follows Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen), two small-town Aussie teenagers whose budding romance catches the eye of the conservative locals, triggering a religious, cult-like intervention. After their parents force them into a dogmatic "cleansing" ritual performed by a dubious preacher, the boys soon find themselves pursued by a violent, shapeshifting entity — a curse that only the inflicted can see. But the most psychologically cruel aspect of all is how this nefarious force stalks them: It takes the shape of the person they love the most — each other. Leviticus — which hits theaters on June 19 — arrives at a time when the horror genre is experiencing a box-office renaissance, yet queer stories are still too often siloed as a niche category. Chiarella, however, has crafted a story where the cerebral scares are universal. At its core, the film is ultimately about young star-crossed lovers facing an unstoppable, demonic threat — something that should strike a chord with anyone regardless of sexual orientation. By framing the isolating experience of growing up as a vulnerable teen and the pain of parental rejection through a supernatural lens, Leviticus narrows the gap between terrifying genre conventions and an emotionally stirring coming-of-age story that resonates far beyond the LGBTQ+ community. Just ahead of the film’s theatrical release, Out sat down for a virtual chat with Chiarella to discuss his harrowing global research into conversion therapy, how his own religious school upbringing informed the script, who the villain of the story ultimately is, and his thoughts on Leviticus spawning a horror franchise.Out: When you were