The Vigil

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1:52

The Vigil

PG-13

2021

1h 30m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

117 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

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.

Critics Consensus

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

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Udita Jhunjhunwala

Scroll.in

05/01/2021

A quintessential low-budget supernatural horror, The Vigil mines Jewish folklore and rituals to create an effective sub-genre experience.

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Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

03/30/2021

B+

This is a really damn good horror film made on a tight budget with almost one location only, and it never drags. They find really exciting ways to use this location to their advantage.

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Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (LAist)

03/10/2021

They accomplish so much here with what is clearly a low budget and basically one location. It's terrifying.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Jul 28

4/5

This is the one-man-in-a-room film that so many directors have tried, and few have succeeded... The Vigil just about gets over the line, offering up atmosphere, jump scares and just enough social commentary to keep your eyes glued to the screen...

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Lindsey Romain

Nerdist

02/14/2024

3.5/5

Writer and director Keith Thomas knows how to keep us invested, and cinematographer Zach Kuperstein makes excellent use of the dark setting.

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Ezequiel Boetti

Otroscines.com

07/27/2023

2.5/5

The [horror] mechanics employed throughout the movie become a bit repetitive and on-the-nose, making the audience a mere witness to an atonement. [Full review in Spanish]

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Brant F.

@destroyfascism May 18

The Vigil is a genuinely interesting piece of supernatural horror built on atmosphere, low-light dread, and a terrific soundtrack that gives the house a quiet psychic thrum. The film moves with a kind of suspended panic or slow-motion urgency, creating a persistent sense of unknown unease without relying on cheap overexplanation. While the ending ties things up a little too neatly for my taste, the overall experience remains tense, thoughtful, and quietly haunting.

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Peter C

@RT59700763 Mar 16

Easily one of the worst movies I've watched. It might have more meaning if you are apart of said religious group, but otherwise it's a man watching over a dead body for 5 hours with a grandma making noises upstairs, gets paid. The End.

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Misti H.

@MisticMist Feb 23

I actually enjoyed this movie. Although, I am not a Jew and cannot speak on that aspect of it. It spoke alot about mental health to me. Its a great reminder to release those bonds that hold you back.

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Fire T.

@3fireterrell Oct 18

The ending made this movie a hundred times worse. Screw this movie!

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Jacob B

@RT48293763 Sep 16

Dark, atmospheric and well acted. It only suffers from what at lot of horror films suffer from as of late: a climax that doesn’t equal the buildup. I’d still recommend it as a great watch on a cold Fall night.

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Eswaran W

@Eswaran75 Aug 4

A really good watch, but it had so much more potential. The battle between good and evil was a bit meh...

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The Vigil: Trailer 1

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The Vigil: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

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.

Director: Keith Thomas
Producer: J.D. Lifshitz, Adam Margules, Raphael Margules
Screenwriter: Keith Thomas
Distributor: IFC Midnight
Production Co: Blumhouse Productions, BoulderLight Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Some Disturbing/Violent Images|Brief Strong Language|Terror|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 26, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 26, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.3K
Runtime: 1h 30m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)