Steve Toussaint reveals House of the Dragon finale has been written, previews Season 3

Actor Steve Toussaint aka Lord Corlys Velaryon has been in Auckland to launch both season 3 of House of the Dragon and also HBO Max New Zealand.

He spent time discussing what's ahead for the new season, which launches Monday, June 22 on HBO Max NZ, as well as previewing the show's eventual end and revealing which role he'd love to have played in the Westeros Universe.

So what can fans expect from the upcoming season?

Steve: Well, when I read the scripts, my first thought was that it was an extraordinary mix of violence and political intrigue, because it's Westeros, you've got to have some violence! But also that combination of political intrigue, emotion. I think we get the balance right.

It's a heck of an opening as well with the Battle of the Gullet, which a lot of people have been expecting and waiting for. Knowing that, were you nervous filming all of that? 

Steve: Yeah, it's all of those things! I wasn't aware, okay, I'm not in touch with the fans, so I wasn't aware of how much people were anticipating it. I just knew it was something that we had thought we were going to do in Season 2, and then we couldn't because we cut down the number of episodes and so forth. So I knew we were going to do it. I had been told, I think it was around the end of Season 1, I had been told, when we shoot this big battle, we're going to shoot it in South Africa. And I was like, "Oh my God, I've never been to South Africa. And it's going to be hot, and the lovely blue water, and it's going to be great."

When we came back to Season 2, they said, "Oh, it's not going to be South Africa." And I was like, "Oh, where's it going to be?" And they went, "Wales." I was like, "Okay, well, Wales is nice, we can do that." Finally, when we came to shoot it in Season 3, they were like, "It's not going to be Wales, we're going to do it around the back." So I was more feeling aggrieved about that! (laughs)

And then, of course, Loni (Peristere), our director, then took me through what we're going to be shooting, and he showed me all the models and the visualisations and stuff like that. Yes, there was a certain amount of trepidation, but also just excitement, because when I read it, I just thought, I don't know how they're going to do this. And now I've been through, and I finally got to see it just recently.

Yeah, it's amazing. I can't wait for people to see it. 

READ THE REVIEW OF SEASON 3 OF HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

It's obviously one of those kind of things that as a fan they're excited for, but also as a fan boy, a young boy playing with swords and that sort of stuff, it must have been quite cool to be part of. Was there ever a moment you thought, I can't believe I'm doing this, and I don't want to mess this up for anyone around me? 

Steve: Do you know what? This is going to sound really cliché, but every day, really. Because initially, when you first walked on there, they built these ships, and they're huge. So I walked onto that, and Loni says to me, "This is yours, man. This is your world." I was like, "Oh my God." 

Then as you're going through the fight sequences, myself and Abu and Abigail, yeah, you couldn't help but pinch yourself, because you wanted to sort of go, "You know, like when you're a kid? Yeah. And then I do that, and then you do that." You wanted to do that. It was just the best!. 

Tell us a bit about the dynamic of your character this season. I can't really go into spoilers for obvious reasons, because dragons will fly by, and we'll all be torched! But it is quite an emotional arc, I think, for Lord Corlys this time. 

Steve: (Laughs) Yes, and I was really happy about that. Because where we meet him at the beginning of this season, he's still grieving for the loss of his wife. She was his rock. She was the person that he was most comfortable with. And now she's gone, so he's kind of ruthless.

At the same time, trying to forge some kind of link with his illegitimate son, trying to make up for all the years of neglect, or maybe neglect, abandonment. And that's not easy, because of course, Alyn, who is very similar to Corlys in many ways, is a man who wants to forge his own way. He's got this far, taking care of his brother and himself. And he's just got a lot of resentment towards his dad. So Corlys has had to show vulnerability, show some humility. In episode one, there's that scene in the cabin where he says, worse to the effect of, "This breach between us, it's my fault and I'm sorry." That is seismic for Corlys. He doesn't apologise to anybody, and now he's having to do that.

The rest of the season is about him dealing with the grief, dealing with a sense of rage. Because he feels that he and his family have sacrificed way, way more than anybody else in the realm. He's lost his children, he's lost his wife and so forth. So having to come to do with that, and his place in the realm, and whether he wants to be part of the realm has been a lot of what we explore. 

Westeros isn't really a place for regaining humanity, but I'd suggest perhaps that Lord Corlys does gain a lot of humanity in the early episodes.

Steve: Yes, I think so. I think so. Because I think for a lot of his life that we see in the first two seasons, he's about legacy and about getting close to the throne and about what's right and so forth. This season is about him going, there are more important things. Interpersonal relationships, the relationship with my children is very important. You can't take those things for granted, which I think he did.

I think he loved his children, but I think there was all that there was going to be there, and there will be pawns that I will move and so forth. And now he's having to learn otherwise. 

What's the vibe like on set? Do you enjoy the work with the cast? Is there a lot of time for messing about? 

Steve: Oh, I hate them. No, I'm kidding. No, they're lovely. It's a fantastic set. I mean, we always feel sort of weird saying it because you just think, "Oh, you're supposed to say that, aren't you?" But no, they really are a lovely bunch of people. And that's right down from the production people, the ones that I know anyway, writers and so forth, the cast and crew are just fantastic. 

I really enjoy going to work. Do you know what I mean? And then so that when characters, actors are no longer with us, it's a bit of a wrench.

There's talk that season four will be the end of the prequel. Are you excited for what's ahead for your character? Do you know much about what's planned? 

Steve: I have no idea at all. I mean, we had the premiere in London just recently of this episode [Episode one] And Ryan [Condal, showrunner] said to me, "Yeah, we've just finished a draft of the final episode." 

And I was like, "And?". He was silent, so I have no idea what happens.

I'm excited because I like this storyline and I like the idea of when we started this idea of a family tearing itself apart and what that does, but where the story will take us or me, our characters, I've got a clue. 

There's obviously been some talk of a Sea Snake prequel which would be animated, which you would be keen to be part of?

Steve: I would love to be, but I have no idea where that is in terms of development. I spoke to, I saw George [ R R Martin, writer] earlier this year and all he could say was, "It's ongoing." I don't know what that means. Yeah, I'd love to.

But I think they've got, I'm not sure, but I'm sure I've read about at least three, maybe four Westeros- related projects and that's one of them. 

When you first started out, your first job was a genie in a Panto in Bromley in the UK. Did you ever imagine that you would end up at this stage of your career in this side of the world? 

Steve: No, I didn't. I mean, I hoped after that pantomime that I wouldn't do another and I haven't...

Oh no, you didn't....

Steve: (Laughing) See, that's why I hate that. I didn't really get them. But no, when you start out, you you have these dreams that you're going to be successful and then they get to the point where you just want to be working.

And that's kind of where I'm at, where I'm just like happy to work and I'm happy to enjoy each moment as it comes. But no, I think if you had spoken to me as I was about to go on stage with the funny hat and the curled-up slippers and you're going to be talking about what you do in New Zealand, I'd have been like, no. 

And someone's going to mention the genie role as well....

Steve: Yeah, exactly. I'm trying to get away from that!

What do you think the fans will take away from this season? What do you hope they'll take away from the action, from the intrigue and also from your character and his place in Westeros? 

Steve: I hope that they will be engaged with it. I hope that they will be moved by it emotionally. Because one of the things you want to do with all the characters, especially in a violent world, is you want to do as much as you can to get the audience to identify with them so that when we do lose them, it is a real sense of loss.

I just watched this first episode in Italy. We were in a really lovely venue in Sicily just a couple of days ago. And as we were watching it, the audience were clapping and then going, "Oh." It was beautiful, actually. I hope that people are engaged and I hope people go on a journey with us and feel that loss the way we want them to.

Is there any other character you'd have liked to have played in this prequel or in the wider Game of Thrones universe itself? 

Steve: In the wider universe? I don't know the name of the character, but Pedro Pascal played a character in Game of Thrones who was just so good. [Oberyn Martell] I mean, he ends up getting his face bashed in Westeros, but he was such a good swordsman and also played so beautifully. I would love to have had a go at that. 

Of our lot, probably Daemon. I don't think I am totally the wrong person. I couldn't have played it, but I like that character. I like the fact that he just walks to the rhythm of his own drum and just does what he wants to do. And yet at the same time, there is a sense of vulnerability there, the fact that he really wants to be loved by his brother and so forth. I like that as a character. 

It does seem that this season, everyone has a moment of humility and humanity in the episodes that have been made available.

Steve: I think so. It's important. Somebody said there are no heroes and villains. I agree. I think that was George's intent. And then Ryan and our makers, that was their intent too. I think that's important. (10:33) I look at, for example, I look at someone like Aemond, for example, and you just go, "Oh, he's horrible and cold." But actually, when you watch him and against the way Ewan plays him, you just kind of think he just needs a hug! He just needs someone to say, "I see you. It's OK." I love that about these characters.

You've had quite a few varied roles for your career, what do you want to do next? 

Steve: I'm just a day-by-day kind of person. I'm currently in production on a film that I wrote. So we've shot an awful lot of it back home in London. There's some more shooting to be done in Africa. And then we're going to try and get that out. 

If I could do more stuff that I, if I could create some stuff, that would be ideal. There was a point when I first started where I was like, "what would be the dream? Would it be to make stuff and work with my friends?"

And so that's what I'd like to do. 

House of the Dragon streams Mondays on HBO Max New Zealand.

HBO Max launches in New Zealand

It's finally here - HBO Max has launched in New Zealand.

The streaming service has been highly anticipated in the market, giving customers access to the likes of the upcoming third season of House Of The Dragon (which launches Monday June 22, at the same time as the US), the entire run of Euphoria and Succession, as well as fan favourites such as Rick and Morty.

The service also announced special pricing and promotional offer information for the coming months to attract customers.

The launch was also kickstarted by Lord Corlys Velaryon aka actor Steve Toussaint who flew in to also promote the upcoming third season of The House of the Dragon.

Toussaint also spoke to media and was welcomed into New Zealand with the customary greeting.

Steve Toussaint is welcomed to Auckland by Joseph Royal (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei).

Subscribers can also stream Warner Bros.’ vast library of movies, including recent Oscar®-winning films One Battle After Another and Sinners, blockbusters like Wuthering Heights and beloved franchises including Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and the DC Universe.  Fan favourites such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Rick and Morty also feature on the platform.  

The second half of 2026 will see the arrival of brand new shows including Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness (with Michelle and Barack Obama as Executive Producers - 27 June), Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (from The Big Bang Theory universe – 24 July), Lanterns (from DC Studios – 17 August), Youth (from Sharon Horgan), the fourth season of The Gilded Age and the highly anticipated first season of the HBO Original Harry Potter series, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, debuting at Christmas. 

Michael Brooks, Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “Today is an incredibly exciting moment for Warner Bros. Discovery as HBO Max officially launches in Aotearoa New Zealand.  HBO content is creative, brave and has an innovative streak, which are also some of the characteristics the world has come to know and love New Zealand for. Our HBO and Warner Bros. content has always performed strongly with Kiwi audiences, and we are thrilled to now bring that content directly to New Zealand. 

“From House of the Dragon and The White Lotus through to Harry Potter, DC and our award-winning film slate, HBO Max offers an extraordinary depth of storytelling for Kiwi audiences from day one — with even more to come throughout 2026.” 

Jason Monteiro, APAC Streaming Lead, Warner Bros. Discovery, said: "The APAC region has played a key role in HBO Max's impressive global growth. With today’s launch in New Zealand, as well as in Vietnam, Cook Islands and Tokelau, the service is now available in more than 35 markets in the region, reaching more fans with our premium content than ever before.” 

HBO Max is available on both Standard and Premium plans, with monthly and annual subscription options available. Customers who subscribe by 16 July 2026 can take advantage of a limited-time introductory launch offer.  Prime Video has been confirmed as launch partner, with HBO Max available as a subscription for customers who want to subscribe, be billed and watch via the Prime Video app. 

HBO Max will be the only place New Zealanders can catch new and returning HBO and Max Original series, including the third season of House of the Dragon, premiering 22 June, DC Studios’ Lanterns, premiering in August and the highly anticipated first season of the new HBO Original Harry Potter series, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, debuting at Christmas. 

At launch, local subscribers can enjoy Oscar®-winning movies, such as One Battle After Another and Sinners, culture-defining HBO and Max Originals like The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Euphoria and The Pitt, and movie collections from hit franchises such as Harry Potter and the DC Universe. Fan favourites, including Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Rick and Morty will also be on platform. 

HBO Max will be available on ad-free Standard and Premium plans, with a special introductory promotional offer for customers who subscribe by 16 July 2026. The streaming service will also launch in the Cook Islands and Tokelau at the same time, with plans and pricing mirroring those in New Zealand. 

HBO Max’s premium content can be enjoyed through an elevated streaming experience on multiple devices, with 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos available (on select plans and devices), and an easy to navigate interface including personalised recommendations, seamless search, genre rails and brand hubs.   

In addition to accessibility features such as audio description, closed captioning, subtitles, screen readers and more, HBO Max also includes parental control features such as four age-appropriate kids’ profile options (up to age 5; ages 6+; ages 10+; ages 13+) and the option to apply Kid-Proof Exit, requiring a pin. 

Standard Plan:  

Launch price offer of $10.99 per month for the first six months, or $109.99 for the first year. 

Regular price after the promotion will be $15.99 per month or $159.99 per year. 

Users can stream content on 2 devices simultaneously.    

Content will be available in Full HD 1080p resolution.    

Plan allows for up to 30 downloads of available content to watch offline.  

Ad-free viewing experience. 

Premium Plan:   

Launch price offer of $15.99 per month for the first six months, or $159.99 for the first year. 

Regular price after the promotion will be $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year. 

Provides the best consumer experience.   

Users can stream content on up to 4 devices simultaneously.    

Full HD or 4K resolution and with Dolby Atmos sound (as available).     

Plan allows for up to 100 downloads of available content to watch offline. (Limits apply.)  

Ad-free viewing experience. 

Subscribers can stream HBO Max on phones, tablets, computers, TVs, streaming players and game consoles. 

It was also announced last week that subscribers to Prime Video in New Zealand can add HBO Max as a subscription.

The launch reinforces Prime Video's position as a one-stop entertainment destination for New Zealand audiences. Subscriptions on Prime Video enable customers to discover and subscribe to additional streaming services directly within the Prime Video app, for a separate fee and with the convenience of a single account, login, and user experience. No Prime Video membership is required, and the service is available to anyone. Customers in New Zealand will have access to the monthly HBO Max Standard and Premium plans and can take advantage of the launch offer of $10.99 per month for the Standard plan (usual price $15.99) or $15.99 per month for the Premium plan (usual price $20.99) for the first six months if they sign up by July 16.*

 

As the latest addition to Prime Video’s extensive and growing collection of premium subscriptions, HBO Max includes access to groundbreaking HBO Original series, including House of the Dragon (season three launching June 22), Euphoria, Succession  and The White Lotus, as well as highly anticipated upcoming HBO Originals like Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Lanterns from DC Studios and season four of The Gilded Age. Subscribers will also have access to Warner Bros. blockbuster hits including Wuthering Heights, One Battle After Another, and Sinners, key Max Originals like The Pitt and Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (launching 24 July), and perennial favourites such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Rick and Morty, and more.

 

“Prime Video is a first-stop entertainment destination offering a wide selection of premium programming - including Amazon MGM Studios Originals - and encompassing original series and movies, licensed content, live sports, thousands of movies to rent or buy, and premium subscriptions from leading entertainment brands,” said Alexandra Gilbert, Head of Content Prime Video Australia and New Zealand. “We’re thrilled to welcome HBO Max to Prime Video as our 26th subscription in New Zealand, growing our stellar entertainment catalogue and giving our customers an even greater selection of world-class series and blockbuster movies, all in one app experience.”

 

“As we prepare to bring HBO Max to Kiwi audiences, it’s fantastic to extend our partnership with Prime Video into New Zealand,” said Shonali Bedi, Head of Strategy, Partnerships and Insights, APAC at Warner Bros. Discovery.  “Prime Video have been strong and collaborative partners for us, and the HBO Max subscription has been very successful in other markets, including Australia.  We’re looking forward to working with the team again as we gear up for the New Zealand launch.”

 

HBO Max joins Prime Video’s growing lineup of 26 subscription partners in New Zealand, which are available alongside Amazon MGM Originals like The Boys, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, Young Sherlock, and Fallout; blockbuster movies to rent or buy; and a robust slate of live sports. Customers can subscribe to HBO Max with no extra apps to download beyond Prime Video.

For more, visit hbomax.com

House of the Dragon: Season 3 review

The long-awaited, highly anticipated third season of the House Of The Dragon has finally arrived.

And with it, the expectation of many fans who were disappointed not to see the Battle of the Gullet as the second season wrapped up.

Suffice to say, the return to Westeros will prove to be satiating to fans and bizarrely, feels like it could entice new ones on board who have no prior knowledge of what's gone on before.

This time, it's even more about the personal and the political - and the dragons - as the final pieces move into place ahead of the potential season finale in series four. But while the action begins early on in the season during the first episode with the aforementioned battle, what transpires in the following episodes, four of which were screened to media, is more about the emotional fallout of Queen Rhaeneyra's move to take power.

With a thread of scattered stories around, there's much that House Of The Dragon season 3 has to do to keep viewers engaged - but with careful pacing and subtle character work, the show does well with its focus on a diaspora of disparate characters.

From Emma D'Arcy's multi-faceted turn as the Queen who has an unenviable journey (most of which is being kept under wraps by HBO) to Steve Toussaint's Sea Snake who finds himself tested in ways he'd never expected, the show has spent more of its time and pace on the emotional core elements this time around.

That's not to say there's a languorous pace here either; the story is propulsive as it juggles its priorities and the political machinations of everyone. There's a degree of briskness where it feels like in some parts, nothing happens, but everything changes - it's a hard line for the show to walk but it does so with aplomb.

If the human element is strong again this time, much needs to be made of the FX of the dragons and the practical work put in by the crews who've added scope and scale to the battle sequences. As dragons deliver fiery vengeance through mist-filled skies, there's a gentle worry that everything that transpires on screen will be too shrouded in darkness, but the visuals this time are clearer and more concise.

Ultimately, it does remain to be seen if the final episodes of season three of House Of The Dragon stick the landing. There are both seismic events and intimate moments in the first four episodes that clearly will have an impact on both legacy and the show's final destination.

But based on these alone, the House Of The Dragon is on fire when it comes to delivering the premium drama and scope that Westeros has demanded for years.

Episodes one to four of Season 3 of House Of The Dragon were made available for the purpose of this review.

The new season of House Of The Dragon begins on HBO Max on Monday, June 22. For details of how to subscribe in New Zealand, visit hbomax.com

Colony: Movie Review

Cast: Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, and Shin Hyun-been
Director: Yeon Sang-ho

The zombie genre is one that's been severely overdone.

And while the market's saturated, there's always scope for more - particularly the likes of the 28 Years Later franchise which has (ironically) breathed new life into the undead.

Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho's latest cleverly twists some of the genre's tropes and also one of the most prolific settings of a zombie film in this film which offers a propulsive and exciting first half but suffers a little from pacing and lack of endgame clarity.

When a biotech conference in a building in the centre of downtown is attacked by a vengeful employee, a virus is unleashed that turns its victims into rabid monsters. But the monsters aren't thoughtless, displaying a capability to adapt to a hive mind and to changing situations.

As a desperate group of survivors try to escape and track down a cure within the building - but time and options are running out.

Colony has a fast-paced smart opening, even if it does drop a lot of domestic-related information about its disparate cast in an attempt to get audiences to care about them. From a brother and disabled sister who've never been camping to a pair of ex-lovers who are about to part ways, there's a distinct feeling of one-dimensional emotional arcs being put on screen - something which is amplified by a cowardly patron and a bully cop.

However, with its use of practical effects and a claustrophobic setting of a multi-floored building, Sang-ho subverts the tropes into something a little more original as the story plays out. 

Action sequences are taut, capturing the twisting, convulsing horror of the creatures and there are some shocking deaths early on, demonstrating nobody is safe. But the film slightly loses its way in the second half, slowing things down and seeming uncertain of how to conclude matters.

Colony is a zombie film with some bite early on, but a perhaps overlong run-time of 2 hours contributes to some of the sag, meaning it's not quite as perfect as it could be. And certainly a last-minute jolt seems nothing more than sequel-bait, revealing holes in the narrative.

Glenrothan: Movie Review

Cast: Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Shirley Henderson, Alexandra Shipp
Director: Brian Cox

Succession and Manhunter star Brian Cox reveals a more tender side in his directorial debut, the gentle drama Glenrothan.

The stories of two brothers reunited after years apart offers no real surprises as it unfurls amid a sea of B-roll footage of rolling hills and Scottish isles that feel ripped from a tourism campaign, aimed at getting travellers to Scotland.

Cox and Cumming play brothers Sandy and Donal - Sandy has spent years working at the family distillery, whereas Donal left for America and hasn't been back since, preferring to live life in his jazz bar in Chicago. But when Sandy writes to Donal asking for him to come home, he finds there's a chance to return to the Highlands with his daughter (Shipp) in tow.

Unfolding through flashbacks and with hints of Donal suffering a disgrace that forced him out of Scotland and Sandy's life, Glenrothan does little to surprise viewers, preferring instead to let the genial performances of both Cox and Cumming to lead an audience through a linear recounting of what happened.

In between that, there's plenty of moments of sibling issues rising to the fore, as well as Henderson's patient waiting in the wings Jess hinting that she wants more to do with the distillery.

It would be unfair to dismiss Glenrothan as boring or without bite - in truth, it's handsomely helmed, gently executed and would suit older members of the audience well. Both Cumming and Cox are affable enough, and the hints of regrets, succession and time running out are well handled.

But while this whisky-led drama doesn't really leave a sour aftertaste, it is unfortunately patently forgettable after it's played out.

The Death of Robin Hood: Movie Review

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Murray Bartlett, Bill Skarsgard
Director: Michael Sarnoski

There have been plenty of adaptations of the legend of Robin Hood.

But Pig director Michael Sarnoski's latest is less interested in the derring-do of heroes and the grim reality of life afterwards for those decreed outlaws.

In this mournful take, a grey-haired Hugh Jackman, looking very much like Geralt of Riviera from The Witcher game franchise, is Robin Hood, a man who spends his life hiding away on hills in 1241AD England, afeared of his legacy and contemplating whether he truly was a good man, or just a murderer who got away with it.

With most of his band of Merry Men dead, he teams up with Little John (Skarsgard) to take on one last fight to defend his home from past vengeful adversaries. But in vowing to settle a blood debt, Robin ends up critically wounded and transported to a priory run by Sister Brigid (Comer, in a restrained performance).

As she nurses him back to health, Robin's past misdeeds come back to provide a final reckoning for his troubled twilight years.

Taking inspiration from the ancient ballad A Gest of Robyn Hode, Sarnoski crafts a dour, brooding, philosophical take on the anti-hero whose deeds belie a lifetime of murder. It begins with a windswept blizzard and ends in darkness too, with barely a hint of light bursting through except for one sequence inside the priory which bathes the audience in light - it's almost as if Sarnoski wears the oppressive atmosphere as a badge of honour.

There are elements of the Northman in a brutal series of meetings in the beginning of this, before the narrative gives way to a more maudlin, contemplative tale of personal salvation and desired redemption.

A fully wrapped Bartlett makes an intriguing foil as a leper living out his final days to Jackman's healing Hood, and a young girl gives Hood the chance to be a surrogate father at a dangerous time.

It's fair to say the brooding does overtake The Death of Robin Hood, but this elegiac reflection on what a life is and the sum of the deeds that lead it there make the film a haunting and spirittual one, one that relies on an internal journey to convey audiences.

In many ways, The Death of Robin Hood is about the death of the legend of the actual man, as well as a physical one, and Jackman delivers with a restrained performance that lacks showiness and delivers some amount of gravitas in muck-filled proceedings.

But it's Sarnoski that deserves the kudos here - for crafting a journey that carries a universal theme of redemption and regret. It may sag in moments, but it's never anything less than compelling. 

Leviticus: Movie Review

Cast: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Jeremy Blewitt, Ewan Leslie
Director: Adrian Chiarella

The idea of the horror of coming out in a small rural backwater is not a new one. 

But in director Adrian Chiarella's claustrophobic and upsetting drama Leviticus, pouring it through a prism of conversion therapy and aching first love makes this truly memorable.

Talk To Me's Joe Bird plays teenager Naim, who's recently moved to the industrial town in Victoria in Australia with his mum (Wasikowska, one of the film's more upsetting villains of the piece). Fostering an attraction to classmate Ryan (Clausen), a love blossoms.

But when the religious-heavy elements of the town get wind of what's happened, the pair's thrust before a hell-and-brimstone priest, who subjects them to a level of attempted therapy to pray the gay away. However, something else emerges and Naim finds himself hunted and haunted by a violent Ryan who's determined to harm him. And as if that wasn't terrifying enough, Ryan claims Naim is hunting him...

Leviticus does much with little.

From an oppressive soundtrack to a gaping chasm of industrial vistas promising nothing but nihilism, the film does much to seize hope from the most hopeless of settings. 

But by adding in an element of It Follows (albeit one whose internal logic becomes more fuzzy as time goes on) and some genuinely troubling one-on-one scenes that crackles with uncertainty and intensity, Chiarella constructs something that feels both timeless and timely.

It's fascinating that the demons that are released by the religious intervention are ones that those affected most want - Chiarella seems to be interested in making real the allegory of the idea that it's the thing you want most that will hurt you, but by holding off on any kind of didactic and overt messaging, his film's more powerful for it.

It plays deeply to the idea that youngsters are told romance is bad - and gay romance even more so. Something which seems unheard of in these modern times, but is becoming more common and in the small-town backwater Australian setting where family and church make most of the decisions, it's utterly terrifying.

All in all, while Leviticus relies on the occasional pernicious jump scare, the horrors are more psychological and troubling - with a strong cast and a universal theme, it emerges as one of the most upsetting and searing dramas of the year.