Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen star as gay teenagers facing a supernatural entity in the new horror film Leviticus, which premiered at Sundance and opened in theaters on Friday.
The film, directed by Adrian Chiarella and acquired by Neon, follows Naim and Ryan in a conservative Australian town where they confront both community prejudice and a violent monster that mimics those they desire.
Bird, known for his role in Talk to Me, described the part as new territory. "It would have been fun to see," he said of the unseen monstrous version of his character. Clausen prepared for the dual role of Ryan and the monster by exploring the entity's motives, settling on the idea that it feeds on desire before replacing it with fear.
The actors built rapport through pre-production activities including escape rooms and a visit to Geelong, Victoria. Both noted the story's focus on the boys as each other's refuge amid family and community pressures tied to conversion therapy.
The movie ends on an open note with the pair fleeing together, set to Frank Ocean's No Control, after Naim uses fire against the entity. Clausen said no early script version featured anything but a hopeful close for the characters.
