The Vigil (2019)

A man providing overnight watch to a deceased member of his former Orthodox Jewish community finds himself opposite a malevolent entity, in writer-director Keith Thomas' electrifying feature debut.

Director:

Keith Thomas

Writer:

Keith Thomas

Stars:

Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman

Cast

Credited cast:
Dave Davis	...	Yakov Ronen
Menashe Lustig	...	Reb Shulem
Malky Goldman	...	Sarah
Lynn Cohen	...	Mrs. Litvak
Fred Melamed	...	Dr. Kohlberg
Ronald Cohen	...	Mr. Litvak
Nati Rabinowitz	...	Lane
Moshe Lobel	...	Lazer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hershy Fishman
Les Gardonyi	...	Demon
Lea Kalisch	...	Adinah
Dun Laskey	...	Young Rubin
Efraim Miller	...	Hersch
Rob Tunstall	...	Mazzick
Spencer Zender	...	Eric

Storyline

In the Hasidic community of Boro Park, Brooklyn, a despondent young man, short on both faith and funds, reluctantly agrees to assume the responsibility of an overnight shimmer and fulfill the Jewish practice of watching over the body of a deceased member of the Orthodox community. With only the company of the recently departed and an ailing widow who expresses cryptic reservations as to the man's ability to carry out the task, he soon finds himself exposed to a terrifying haunting within the claustrophobic confines of a home that has become host to a malevolent entity. In what is essentially a one-man show, Dave Davis is profoundly affecting in his portrayal of the hesitant sentinel, exuding an empathetic combination of frayed nerves and timid weariness. Throughout this uncanny night, his vigil gradually transforms into a harrowing spiritual investigation of both his cursed surroundings and his pitiable past - a journey in which the very recesses of his community's collective trauma ...

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Plot Keywords:

community | jew | new york city | death | night | 

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Taglines:

Rooted in Jewish culture and mysticism, The Vigil is a supernatural horror film set in a unique world: The Hasidic community of "Boro" Park, Brooklyn.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for terror, some disturbing/violent images, thematic elements and brief strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Apart from English, the language the characters speak is Yiddish. Although it uses the Hebrew alphabet, it is a member of the Germanic family of languages.

User Reviews

Tradition

Well I would assume that most Jewish traditions (including the one depicted here), is not as dangerous. But I might be wrong, yes? Kidding aside, this is a slow burner of a horror movie and it really works well, because of many things. Attention to detail is one of those things. You just kow that the filmmaker knows certain things about the religion and about the (normal) process.

Of course since this is a horror movie, it does check some cliches off. But that is ok, because the rest of the movie is really tight and well told. Certain things still remain predictable and the resolution will not please everyone ... but that is something that is generally tough if not impossible to achieve. Decent enough story and really crawling towards you ... able to frighten you if you let it. Very well made then and if you don't mind horror ... give it a shot

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Yiddish

Release Date:

26 February 2021 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Vigil

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$935,484

Company Credits

Production Co:

Angry Adam Productions, BoulderLight Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1