Leviticus Interview: Inside One of 2026’s Most Haunting Horror Films

Leviticus interview — I sat down with director Adrian Chiarella and stars Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen to talk about their terrifying, emotional queer horror film.In this interview, I speak with Adrian Chiarella, Joe Bird, and Stacy Clausen about Leviticus, a new supernatural horror film from NEON. The film follows Naim, played by Joe Bird, and Ryan, played by Stacy Clausen, two teenage boys in a rural Australian town who must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most: each other. What makes Leviticus so fascinating is the way it blends coming-of-age romance, supernatural horror, religious repression, identity, desire, fear, and survival into one haunting story. This is not just a monster movie. It is a story about what happens when love, shame, trauma, and fear are turned into something physically terrifying.During this conversation, we talk about the emotional core of the film, the relationship between Naim and Ryan, how horror can be used to explore queer identity, what it was like bringing such vulnerable performances to life, and how Adrian Chiarella approached making a horror film that is both deeply personal and genuinely frightening.We also discuss the unique challenge of balancing tenderness with terror. Leviticus works because the horror only hits harder when you care about the people at the center of it. Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen bring so much emotion to Naim and Ryan, while Adrian Chiarella crafts a story where desire itself becomes dangerous in a world determined to demonize it.In this interview, we discuss:Adrian Chiarella’s inspiration behind LeviticusJoe Bird and Stacy Clausen building the relationship between Naim and RyanThe film’s mix of queer coming-of-age story and supernatural horrorHow the entity reflects fear, desire, and repressionWhy horror is such a powerful genre for this storyThe emotional vulnerability of the performancesBalancing romance, dread, and terrorWorking with NEON on this releaseWhat audiences should take away from LeviticusIf you enjoyed this interview, make sure to like the video, subscribe, and comment your thoughts on Leviticus.