Film Review : "Leviticus"

 

This movie came out back in June, and I just got the opportunity to catch up with it. It was one of the year's highest-rated horror movies so far, with predictable picks like "Obsession" leading the way. But is there really anything to it? Sure, a great deal of the Hollywood hype is because it is a gay horror movie, which is nothing new as gay themes in horror go back to 1936 with "Dracula's Daughter". But there has to be more to a movie than that. It is well done and looks great, but at the core, the film is basically just a gay version of "It Follows" 

Despite being a slow burn, it almsot barely feels likea horror movie, as most of the horror goes down in the last 20 minutes. There is a slight obsession angle to it, buyt the how and why this was all set in motion is vague. The characters are frustrating, and they never really deliver on the religious subtext, and imply that praying the gay away is what set the cure in motion.. You don't feel sorry for anyone or feel a tangible sene of dread. It looks nicely shot, which was the only thing that kept me watching, though half of the anticipation was if something was actually going to happen. 

I am sure the Neon distribution deal helped them make some of the stylistic choices, as it felt very familar when compared to the studio's other work. I say this more frequently, but if a horror movie looks good, often that alone will be enough to fool fairweather fans of the genre who are too cool for 80s slashers andd are probably among those who did not like "Psycho Killer," which still holds the top spot for the year in my book. Little happens here, and when some does transpire, it's underwhelming given the build.