The Vigil

2019, Mystery & thriller/Horror, 1h 30m

113 Reviews 100+ Ratings

What to know

critics consensus

Consistently clever and creepy, The Vigil mines richly atmospheric supernatural horror from a deep well of religious traditions. Read critic reviews

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The Vigil Videos

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Movie Info

Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, THE VIGIL is a supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn's Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante to take on the responsibility of an overnight "shomer," fulfilling the Jewish practice of watching over the body of a deceased community member. Shortly after arriving at the recently departed's dilapidated house to sit the vigil, Yakov begins to realize that something is very, very wrong.
  • Rating:
    PG-13 (Terror|Some Disturbing/Violent Images|Brief Strong Language|Thematic Elements)
  • Genre:
    Mystery & thriller, Horror
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Keith Thomas
  • Producer:
    J.D. Lifshitz, Adam Margules, Raphael Margules
  • Writer:
    Keith Thomas
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     limited
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Box Office (Gross USA):
    $50.3K
  • Runtime:
  • Distributor:
    IFC Midnight
  • Aspect Ratio:
    Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Dave Davis
Yakov Ronen
Fred Melamed
Dr. Kohlberg
Menashe Lustig
Reb Shulem
Malky Goldman
Sarah
Lynn Cohen
Mrs. Litvak
Nati Rabinowitz
Lane
Moshe Lobel
Lazer
Keith Thomas
Director
Keith Thomas
Screenwriter
J.D. Lifshitz
Producer
Adam Margules
Producer
Raphael Margules
Producer
Zach Kuperstein
Cinematography
Brett W. Bachman
Film Editing
Michael Yezerski
Original Music
Liz Toonkel
Production Design
Nicole Rauscher
Costume Design
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Critic Reviews for The Vigil

All Critics (113) | Top Critics (26) | Fresh (102) | Rotten (11)
Full Review… Udita Jhunjhunwala Scroll.in Full Review… Chris Stuckmann ChrisStuckmann.com Full Review… Christy Lemire FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles) Full Review… Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com Full Review… Nick Schager The Daily Beast Full Review… Kristy Puchko The Playlist Full Review… Dan Bayer Next Best Picture Full Review… Kat Halstead Common Sense Media Full Review… Rohan Naahar Hindustan Times Full Review… Abbie Bernstein Assignment X Full Review… Molly Adams In Review Online Full Review… Kevin Carr Fat Guys at the Movies
View All Critic Reviews (113)

Audience Reviews for The Vigil

  • Jun 23, 2021
    It is good to see a supernatural horror film constructed around something other than Christian conceptions of evil, however the movie is still fairly predictable with jump scares in all of the places you would expect.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
  • Mar 02, 2021
    A tight atmospheric horror thriller, refreshingly based on orthodox Jewish traditions vs. the usual Christian religious tropes. Seriously, we need more non-Catholic/Christian horror movies -- that vein has been tapped to death. It seems there is so much interesting lore in Judaism (e.g. The Golem) as well as other major religions (Hindhu, Islam, etc.) which thankfully we are starting to see (Under the Shadow, Tumbbad, etc.). With vibes of Oculus and 1408, the fantastic score seriously elevates the movie.
    Mark B Super Reviewer
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