Leviticus Costumes Trace Queer Teens' Awakening
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- Zohie Castellano designed costumes for "Leviticus" by pulling textures from script imagery of frogs, snakes, and spiders — leather, lace, and knotty knits chosen to evoke a 'demon texture' within the Church community.
- The Deliverance Healer (Nicholas Hope) wears a suit deliberately pressed incorrectly so it shines like frog skin, a small wrongness that Castellano said contributes to the film's sense of 'decaying beauty.'
- Ryan's outfit on the day he is 'saved' by the Healer doubles as the look of the monster hunting Naim, with a nearly sheer, ethereal white shirt serving simultaneously as character wardrobe and creature design.
- Naim (Joe Bird) begins the film in a size-up to hide his body and gradually shifts into more fitted, darker clothing as he wrestles with his identity — a visual arc Castellano designed to reflect Ryan in inverse tones.
- Castellano and production designer Bethany Ryan chose a more restrained color palette in costumes than in the sets, an unusual inversion they said created 'distinct imagery' of yearning against an 'industrial almost-beauty.'
- The film's hybrid wardrobe mixes custom-made pieces — including Mia Wasikowska's hand-knit Arlene cardigan and the monster tops built early — with thrifted finds and mood-boarded additions.
Why it matters: Costume in 'Leviticus' does double narrative duty: Ryan's salvation outfit literally becomes the monster stalking Naim, and Naim's silhouette traces his self-acceptance through fit and color. By deliberately muting costume color against a more vibrant set, Castellano turns fabric into the film's primary emotional register before dialogue catches up — a notably economical visual-strategy choice for an indie horror now in theatrical release via Neon.
