SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER // A FILM REVIEW OF "THE VIGIL"
Steeped in Jewish tradition and set around one evening as a man holds vigil over a recently deceased body, THE VIGIL is a very specific kind of horror film, set within the Jewish community and building upon their traditions and folklore. However, one does not need to even be that familiar with those Jewish customs and traditions to be swept up in this eerie and effective tale.
Yakov (Dave Davis) is a young Jewish man who's recently left a more restrictive section of the community. One evening, a friend from the old days (Menashe Lustig) comes by and asks him for a favor: to be a shomer, as the one he originally had dropped out for mysterious reasons. In Jewish tradition, a shomer is someone who watches over a body until they can be picked up to be buried. He's not sure if he wants to do it, but could really use the money being offered. So he says yes, thinking it's only one night and after all, what harm could it do? A lot, it turns out. There's strange things going bump in the night. Shadows moving around him. Did that dead body just... move? There's also the widow of the recently deceased, warning him to leave. Yakov doesn't, and so the evening of horrors begins.
Writer/director Keith Thomas wisely keeps the horror as a slow burn, trading in guts and gross-outs for jump scares and creepiness in the corners. Another part of Jewish folklore blended into the story is the malicious spirit Mazzik, who in folklore can create dangers around you. Here, he begins to feed off of Yakov's desperation and vulnerability, seemingly growing stronger as the evening goes on. Dave Davis is great in the lead role of Yakov, expressing so much with just his eyes and showcasing the terror and fear perfectly. The things that are hidden in the shadows here often work better than the things we outright see, but overall THE VIGIL works extremely well, using old school scares to successfully and fully creep us out.
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Keith Thomas STARRING Dave Davis, Lynn Cohen, Menashe Lustig. NOW PLAYING IN SELECT THEATRES AND IN DIGITAL CINEMAS. FOR MORE INFO: https://www.thevigil.movie/