The Sundance Film Festival is the premier film festival here in the States that gifts us horror fans with a handful of new movies to get hyped for in the coming year.
One such film is Adrian Chiarella‘s chilling Leviticus, which follows two star-crossed teenage boys who must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other.
The film, hailing from Australia, just had its World Premiere, and we’re rounding up reviews from around the community. So what’s the word? Let’s take a look…
Richard Lawson of THR writes that the horror is “a solemn and frightening acknowledgment of that reality, albeit one allegorized into supernatural horror,” while adding that Leviticus has a enough gore and jumpy moments to qualify it as a proper horror film. But its true scariness is of the forlorn kind…”
Indiewire‘s Natalie Winkelman calls it a “phenomenally entertaining horror debut that plays like an episode of Heated Rivalry ghoulishly crossed with It Follows.” She adds: “Leviticus is not a perfect horror film…But the film’s moody atmosphere — including a soundtrack full of clanks and bangs — makes it an enjoyably disquieting ride.”
Here are some social reactions:
LEVITICUS
— Anthony @ Sundance 2026 (@AnAntLife) January 24, 2026
An exciting unique premise makes for an absolutely terrifying queer horror that forms an incredibly tender heart. Brutal throughout with some of the best jump scares in forever. Adrian Chiarella's debut leaves a mark in a way that is destined for greatness#Sundance2026 pic.twitter.com/XDy39mwZQL
#Sundance2026 no2: LEVITICUS
— Saulo Ferreira @Sundance (@saulocferreira) January 24, 2026
First bomb of the festival. Chiarella builds the film around an obvious metaphor and keeps hammering the same point, over and over, and without the style that’s been defining Australian horror lately. One baffling early choice undermines the whole…
Sundance: Leviticus immediately needs to go on every horror fan's watch list. It Follows if it were about Christian bigotry that's both terrifying and sweet. #leviticus #sundance #sundance2026
— Mike Bedard (@TheMikeBedard) January 24, 2026
LEVITICUS feels like a potential new queer horror masterpiece. Built around a brilliant concept (think “It Follows”filtered through a Christian, bigoted lens of homophobia) and executed brilliantly by debut director Adrian Chiarella with a perfect balance of tenderness and… pic.twitter.com/I9juXnAZ0a
— Matt Neglia @Sundance (@NextBestPicture) January 24, 2026
