Despite modern day inclusivity of LGBTQ+ identities, “Leviticus” reflects the ongoing destructive power of religious bigotry and the societal condemnation surrounding homosexuality.
Throughout the entire movie, a pervasive cult-like atmosphere emphasizes how religion influences perceptions and treatment of those part of the LGBTQ+ community. Anyone part of this community is labeled as cursed, a damnation to human existence.
The film is set in a small Australian town rooted in religious culture, centered on teenagers Naim and Ryan, who fall in love despite living in a rural and religious town.
In response to their relationship, the local evangelical church forces the boys through an intense “deliverance” ritual meant to act as a supernatural conversion therapy. The ritual curses the boys by summoning a demonic entity that mimics the person each boy is attracted to; they flee the town while trying to protect their forbidden love.
The film draws disturbing parallels to the biblical book of Leviticus, which outlines a series of laws and moral codes given by God to maintain ritual and spiritual purity. These laws govern everything such as dietary restrictions, worship practices, sexual behavior and social conduct.
Many of its teachings emphasize obedience to God’s commands as a path towards holiness, with violations framed as acts that corrupt the individual who commits them, according to the Bible Project.
Leviticus 18:22 reads, “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable,” according to the New International Version Bible.
Themes from the film reflect this verse and Leviticus 20:13, which reads, “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads,” according to the same source.
Because of these laws, passages condemning same-sex relations have historically been used by some religious groups to justify exclusion and discrimination of LGBTQ+ identities.
This condemnation is seen through the church’s treatment of Naim and Ryan as the congregation treats their expression of love as a spiritual curse that must be removed. Religious doctrine is weaponized against them as the boys are publicly shamed and subjected to the Deliverance Healer’s ritual.
The biblical rhetoric manifests as a curse, an evil presence that stalks Naim and Ryan by embodying their deepest desires and twisting them into sources of torment.
The curse’s dangerous abilities are demonstrated in the film when Hunter, another gay teenager in their town and victim of the Deliverance Healer’s ritual, gets beheaded and left in a field by his demonic entity.
Despite the horror, “Leviticus” also subtly celebrates modern acceptance and pride. The boys’ love for each other is passionate and genuine and serves as a stark contrast to the hatred they face.
However, it also mirrors generational homophobia and bigotry.
The Deliverance Healer in the film successfully brainwashes communities into believing his method of eradicating homosexuality is in everyone’s best interest, including Naim’s mother, to allow him to possess her son with a demon, believing it would keep him safe.
Part of the Healer’s ritual prayer says, “Two flames: one to defile, one to reform.” The defiling flame symbolizes the internal destruction behind conversion practices, while the reforming flame symbolizes growth and renewal within oneself.
People can’t hide who they truly are, which is symbolized at the end of the film when Naim’s demon continues to follow him despite being burned alive in a warehouse. It signifies that internal identity cannot be eradicated or hidden forever; it will persist whether accepted or condemned.
Beyond the supernatural horror, the film successfully demonstrates the dangers of religious extremism and social conformity. The constant pursuit by the demonic entities reinforces how prejudice can follow a person, even after they physically escape the environment that created them.
Even though when the movie reached the end I thought, “That’s it?,” because I was expecting both Naim and Ryan to defeat their demon and live freely.
I came to realize that it wasn’t the demon they needed to get rid of to live happily and free; escaping their cult-like town and finding personal liberation emphasized the importance of acceptance and how love itself is a forgotten act of rebellion.
