Rent The Vigil (2019)

Potential - The Vigil review by TH

This started as an interesting low budget horror film but sadly it never felt like it got going. Theres some odd moments that work but at times resorts to the usual jump scenes and the ending almost felt a bit of an anticlimax.

Its worth a watch due to its length but wont be an instant classic in the horror genre.

Rather Dull Ghost story - The Vigil review by GI

A routine ghost type story where a strange entity haunts a young man during a night's vigil of a corpse. It offers few scares and its all gloomy lighting and the odd glimpse of something strange in the background which is hardly anything new so you end up thinking you've seen it all before and better done. The setting of a young Jewish man, lapsed from his religion, who is hired for cash to hold the traditional night time vigil over a dead man is the only original thing and the entity is supposedly something from jewish folklore. The Holocaust gets mentioned in the narrative and that feels rather trite to be honest. I found it all rather dull.

A Brilliant and Original Horror Film set in the US Jewish Community - The Vigil review by PV

I was on the edge of my seat watching this film. It is genuinely spooky with lots of shocks.

The main actor Davis is superb, as are others. A refreshing change after all those predictable haunted bouse movies.

Interesting to see a film partly in English and partly in Yiddish and featuring Hasidic Jews, a community the main character has left after a tragedy (no spoilers).

Reminds me bit of the Golam legend. No idea if this malevolent entity has its roots in real Jewish legend and myth, but all faiths have demons etc as does pagan faiths and folklore, especially in pre-industrial pre-Enlightenment societies.

The best horror film I have seen for quite some time. I'd have ideally liked a bit more backstory re WWII and clarity, but the fog of horror makes it more intense maybe (watch to the very end).

Cleverly horrific stuff.

4.5 stars rounded up.