Just A Silly Goose

Welcome to my mind palace of madness :)

[rryylleer]

The dichotomy of Ryan's character is so beautiful to me. On one hand, he is obsessed with maintaining this image of hypermasculinity with all the aggression that entails. But on the other hand, we see this incredible display of grace and kindness from him when he forgives Naim at the bus stop. Like he is such a complex character, it makes me want to chew glass.

[rryylleer]

Just saw Leviticus and loved it. I already want to watch it again. Here is my incredibly long review and thoughts. I'll start with the "bad" and then the good.

Spoilers below

I don't think any part of the movie is bad per say but like many others, I definitely wish it was longer. I think if it had a few more scenes it would be perfect.

Specifically:

There needed to be one more scene before they ran away. I adore the scene of them with the screen door, but they also needed to have that conversation between real Ryan and Naim. I want Naim to apologize, here Ryan's response, and have them reconfirm to each other that they still want to be in this together, AND THEN get on the bus. Also Naim tell him about the fire trick omg.

Also, I think the film would have really benefited from a scene where we hear what happened with Naim's dad. Obviously, it was bad, like bad enough to make Naim's Mom enter religious psychosis, but what actually happened. How did it affect Naim specifically?

Some other scenes I would have liked but don't think it strictly needed:

Just one scene of the monster from Ryan's perspective. I think the photo booth or the bathroom at school scene would have worked well for this.

A scene of Ryan reacting to/ processing Hunter's death.

One or two more scenes of the boys just being together and talking. Stacy and Joe have such great chemistry I wanted more.

I say all this with the understanding that this film was made on a shoe string budget and I think they do make pretty good use of the time they had.

Now for the good. There is alot and I think the more I watched this and really sat with it the longer this list would be:

This film would not work without the incredible talent and chemistry between Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen. They elevate a script and charecters that are a bit lacking into a relationship that is the beating heart of this film.

Joe Bird is so good at being sad it's crazy. The scenes with his mom are devastating. You can see him go through confusion, sadness, anger, and disappointment all by just looking at his eyes.

Stacy Clausen... omg he was fantastic in this. The scene where he learns Naim outed him is devastating bc he looks genuinely heartbroken. Also, he does a great job basically playing two characters: Real Ryan and the Demon. Also, i think some of the most gripping and unsettling parts of the movie are when he is doing weird body horror stuff, especially the exorcism scene and the scene at the mill at the end.

I like how the movie takes time to show it's not just the monster against them. It's the whole town. There are no trusted adults, not even their parents, and the other kids at school literally hate crime them. It makes it feel like they are completely alone and isolated except for each other.

I think the metaphor of the Demon works great. I like it the more I think about it actually. It is the manifestation of shame and fear and desire turned against you. It is the affects of homophobia both internalized and externalized.

I really love the ending. There will always be fear and shame associated with being gay. The Demon will always be there. That's just the world we live in. But the way you fight it is by surrounding yourself with community and being brave enough to love openly despite the fear.

While not screaming out loud scary, it is incredibly tense in a way I could literally feel in my body during the entire movie and for like 30 minutes after. Its great bc you really feel what the charecters are feeling.

Some other random thoughts/ things I liked:

I liked the commentary on religion as a form of dangerous escapism.

The church song is lowkey good and that pissed me off lol

Ryan why did you lie about having never been with other guys before? It's giving blonde manwhore (said with love of course).

I like how ridiculous the ritual is. It seems so dumb, bc it literally is. Real life conversion therapy is ridiculous and it doesn't work. That doesn't mean there aren't devastating consequences for the ppl that go through it tho.

Ryan laughing at the beginning of the ritual is funny but also so so sad. Like sweetheart you have no idea how fucked you are about to be.

Ryan being covered in bruises at the ice rink bc of demon Naim and begging the real Naim to stop, NOT bc he's hurting him but bc he doesn't was to have to out Naim... just kill me.

They should have had it be that the monster comes for you when it thinks it can get away with hurting you, rather than just when your alone. I feel like it would fix some problems with the film bending it's own rules till they almost break but still maintain the metaphor of shame being worse when you're alone.

The gas station scene is genuinely funny.

The banter/ relationship between Naim and his mom is really cute and makes her betrayal so much worse.

Also, I saw a lot of ppl asking why Hunter and Ryan throw rocks at each other but I love it. It's a show of hypermasculinity and a way to physically punish themselves before they'll let themselves be together.

I like how that contrasts with Ryan and Naim's relationship which is more gentle and romantic.

The scene of the pastor having a breakdown over Hunter made me so mad. Like how actually dare you. You did that to him.

I like that all the queer charecters are also flawed. Hunter is a bully. Ryan is a cunt to Naim at the start. Naim is jealous and outs Ryan and Hunter. They feel like real messy teenagers.

The way Ryan tries to calm Naim down when It is coming for him outside the bus is so fucking sweet.

The fact that Ryan didn't leave Naim to get beaten even after he learns Naim outed him, and he still sees him as his demon and runs away with him at the end... Ryan, let me inside your mind plssss

What the fuck is psy trance.

I sympathize with Naim bc I would be cooked if Stacy Clausen smiled at me like that. Whatever you say beautiful.

Finally, I don't think it will happen based on how the actors and director are talking about the film but I would love a sequel. Maybe set a few years in the future where we get to see how Ryan and Naim have been living with the thing. Also, I want to live in Ryan's POV and hear about how he felt about the events of Leviticus. As for the plot... maybe the entity has been getting better at luring them and something happens where despite all the security measures Ryan and Naim take, it almost gets them. The need to stop this thing once and for all. They have to go find the deliverance healer and stop him. It could expand on the demon and deliverance healer's lore, which would be fun.

I know defeating the monster goes against the message of Leviticus's ending but I want Naim and Ryan to kick the demon's ass back to where ever the fuck it came from and get to live happy normal lives sue me.

[rryylleer]

A lot of leviticus reviews are saying they wish it was longer and like fair enough but also they made this movie with 5 dollars, a bus pass, and a dream. I think it's very plausible they literally ran out of money ☠️

[rryylleer]

Joe Bird is quickly becoming one of my favorite scream queens. No one is scared and gay like him, never change diva 🫶

[rryylleer]

Ok, so I have been thinking about this for days and I still don't understand. When Kit says in the SOBH letter to Ty that he is mad at Ty for taking himself away from Kit and changing himself/ no longer being the person he loved, genuinely what is he talking about? Does he just mean necromancy corrupts/ the secret keeping changed Ty? Literally explain it to me like I'm five please.

[rryylleer]

I just realized there is a real possibility that The Last King of Fairie and The Broken Cage will come out in the same month and if that happens I think l'm gonna have a brain anyerism.

[occasionallysubtle]

i've kept adding to my fantastical national parks series ~ comment which i should add next :)

[rryylleer]

This is literally the coolest thing I've ever seen.

[rryylleer]

Putting this out into the universe now:

🕯🕯🕯Noah Kahan, if you add View Between Villages or Strawberry Wine to the set list of The Great Divide Tour, you will be reincarnated as a Lotus flower 🕯🕯🕯

[rryylleer]

Screaming, crying, throwing up. Wdym angel Ty is reaching back towards angel Kit, BUT ANGEL KIT ISN'T REACHING BACK.

I know alot of this book is going to be angst about Ty and Kit trying to work through their past, so maybe it's just that. BUT I'm shivering in my timbers that this represents Kit needing to push Ty away again at the end of the book for plot reasons.

[cherry-140]

Serious question: Do y’all think Kit is aware of the “Herondales only love once” curse/blessing?

[rryylleer]

Save me Jack Wolfe's American accent save me.

[rryylleer]

All the ship names being red for Valentine's day is why I love Tumblr.com

[rryylleer]

Obsessed with the dream sequences. It's such a cool way to differentiate stylistically from other Skam remakes. It also serves a purpose. Lovro is so in his own head all the time, to the point that it can be hard to tell what he is thinking/what he wants. The dream sequences are such an interesting and creative way to give the audience a window into who he really is when he's not performing for others.

[rryylleer]

Is this how swifties feel when new albums drop? I just read the lyrics of the Great Divide, and I feel like I just did a line of coke.

The themes of religious trauma and not being able to help someone who is struggling? Wrap it up.

" I hope you threw a brick right into that stained glass

I hope you're with someone who isn't scared to ask"

What if I threw a brick at ur head Noah, like you can't keep getting away with this.

[rryylleer]

Ser Duncan the Tall you are so loved by me. In George R.R. Martin's world of depressing realism, I love that the 6'6 anxious knight succeeds by charming everyone with his earnestness and loser energy.

Never change diva ❤️

[rryylleer]

Dawg, get this weird ass med student out of here. Like why are you big dogging Whitaker, like gtfo of my face. This is literally his house. Fuck off.

Also " alot of my friends were persian...just enough to make an introduction."

Every women has met this man, and they are all insufferable. I hope he catches c-diff.

[rryylleer]

I would kill for a very well-made documentary about the 2022 Women's Olympics Figure Skating competition. It is truly one of the most chaotic and insane things I've ever seen in sports. The harrowing scene of the gold medalist sitting by herself, while the silver has a full mental breakdown, was just...wow. I think it would also be a good opportunity to retrospectively examine how the quad revolution changed the sport and led to people like Eteri burning out these girls before they turn 18 to achieve those jumps.