Leviticus

New foreign film #23 of 2026 (Goal: 52) Country of origin: Australia Language: English *Chicago Critics Film Festival showing #4 This review took me several days to write because it knocked me on my metaphysical ass with its emotional blows. Wow. It’s not often that a movie fucks me up this badly, but this horrific visualization of the dangers of staying closeted will linger, especially for those of us who have lived it. In a time where the world is increasingly terrifying for LGBTQ+ people all across the globe (especially for those of us, like me, where queer businesses are attacked and lawmakers continue tightening our reins of self-expression and authenticity), this film reminded me that I can’t simply swallow my identity and hold it inside me forever. It is always there, haunting me, until I share it with others without shame. And even if me presenting as my true self is dangerous, so is me demonizing the parts of myself that I am deeply, deeply grateful for. So here’s to me correcting people when they fuck up my pronouns, showing up in queer spaces, and refusing to comply in advance. No matter what happens, queer and trans people are here to stay. We should make that everybody’s problem 🥂 Also I’m really rocking w/ whatever is happening in Australia. There is something in the water that makes people absolutely unhinged in their creative output. The happy ones go on to produce some of the gnarliest psychedelic rock of the 21st century and the sad ones go on to make shit like this and Bring Her Back. The creative energy of that whole country is underappreciated frankly and for that, they’ve earned their own tag 🫡 Community quote: fearfully “In the closet! In the closet!”