'Leviticus' And The 'Bury Your Gays' Trope: Should You Be Worried?
Leviticus (2026) is one of 2026’s string of impressive indie horror films. Following on the back heels of Backrooms (2026), Exit 8 (2025), and Obsession (2026), Leviticus is another example of how a grounded horror movie can tackle some tricky material while still being a genuinely scary time. The movie focuses on Naim and Ryan, two Australian teens still discovering their attraction to one another and what to do about it when their religious fundamentalist community decides to try “exorcising” their feelings away.
In the process, the pair is exposed to an unseen entity that haunts them and will kill them if they ever allow themselves to be alone with it. The problem is that it assumes the form of the person they are in love with, an idea the film plays to great effect. The prospect of a queer romance and indie horror fusion is an exciting one, given the strength of the genre lately, but it also has some audiences worried because of how it could fall prey to the “Bury Your Gays” trope.
’Leviticus’ Is Just As Much A Queer Romance As It Is A Horror Film
Leviticus is part of a strong string of Australian horror films, including The Babadook (2014), Talk To Me (2023), and Bring Her Back (2025). Painfully grounded and emotionally raw despite the supernatural elements at play, each of those films has tackled some very heavy subject matter with a creative and haunting edge. Leviticus is no different, depicting a young queer romance that is endangered by a community that doesn’t understand them and refuses to let them be.
In the film, an unseen and demonic entity is the primary threat, but judgmental family members and local bullies are just as dangerous. The film balances the horror with the romance, depicting a genuine story of first love against the backdrop of a low-key and frightening being that assumes the form of the person its target loves the most. It’s a clever idea for a horror film that leaves lots of room for the thematic core to come into play.
The “Bury Your Gays” Trope, Explained
While it’s nice to see a horror film that isn’t afraid to focus on queer characters, some audience members are fearful that the “Bury Your Gays” trope could come into play. After decades where queer people were either treated as threats, jokes, or victims in popular film and television (if they were seen at all), more properties have been willing to feature openly LGBTQ characters.
However, there’s still a prevalence of killing one or both of them off for drama or as part of the “moral” of the story, with less focus paid to the actual characters and more toward the people around them. Similar to female characters who have been “fridged,” the trope has come to be a catch-all for queer characters.
Films like Philadelphia (1993) and shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) can be used as examples of how even well-rounded queer characters can fall prey to this trope, which says nothing of the countless other barely introduced queer-coded characters who’ve been slaughtered in other movies. Even well-meaning romance stories about queer characters often end in the death of one or both of them, leaving the community with far fewer happy endings than one would hope for. This is especially true for horror stories, a pervasive trope of the genre alongside other stereotypical depictions of minorities and tropes like “Black Dude Dies First.”
’Leviticus’ Is The Ultimate Rebuttal To “Bury Your Gays”
Given the sheer number of examples in the horror genre over the years, it’s not surprising that some audiences are worried that Leviticus will go a similar route. Even if it depicts its characters in a flattering light, giving their romance a tragic ending would be fitting for the themes, but another example of “Bury Your Gays.” Luckily, that’s not the movie Leviticus is. The movie does have one notable death of a queer character that could be argued as a “Bury Your Gays” moment. However, it feels less offensive and more like an example of the movie raising the stakes by establishing the true nature of the threat posed to Naim and Ryan.
The central relationship between these main characters is sweet, heartbreaking, and romantic, a fully formed dynamic that never feels controlled by tropes. The film as a whole is a clever rebuttal to the “Bury Your Gays” trope and is an ideal pick for horror fans who want a little bit of romance amidst their deaths.
