Adrian Chiarella’s horror film “Leviticus,” screening in competition at the Sydney Film Festival, is described by multiple outlets as a response to contemporary backlash against LGBTQ acceptance. The film centres on the harms associated with gay conversion therapy, focusing on the trauma experienced by people subjected to attempts to change sexual orientation or gender identity.
All three reports frame the movie as part of a broader conversation about whether homophobic attitudes and practices are resurfacing or becoming more acceptable. While the articles highlight the film’s genre approach, they consistently emphasise its subject matter: the psychological and emotional impact of conversion therapy and the violence embedded in attempts to “cure” LGBTQ identities.
The coverage does not suggest that the film is based on a specific real-life case, but it presents “Leviticus” as a deliberate creative undertaking grounded in the lived consequences of conversion therapy. By placing the film in competition at the festival, outlets also indicate its cultural visibility and potential to prompt public discussion about LGBTQ rights and protections.
