Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- oppressive
- melancholic
- late night horror
- folk horror marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an atmospheric, distinctive folk-horror story that uses Jewish folklore, strong performances, and period detail to give its monster mythology emotional and timely force.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hanna creates a golem through sacred ritual to defend her Jewish community, making folklore and esoteric belief central rather than ornamental.
The entity summoned to repel foreign invaders gradually becomes a greater threat to the people it was meant to save.
The plague-stricken Jewish settlement is presented as a close-knit, vulnerable community surrounded by external hostility.
Critics specifically praise the Central European light, detailed period setting, cinematography, and atmospheric production design.
Films like The Golem, and why
The Witch
period folk horror rooted in religious folklore, village isolation, and escalating supernatural dread
The Blackcoat's Daughter
historical supernatural horror combining intimate family drama, ritual, and morally ambiguous evil
A Dark Song
mythic horror with a culturally specific monster, oppressive atmosphere, and tragic moral consequences
The Devil's Bath
period supernatural horror using folklore, community fear, and a central female character confronting occult forces
Movie Details
- Directors
- Doron Paz, Yoav Paz
- Release Date
- 2018-08-27
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (179)
Cast
- Hani Furstenberg
- Ishai Golan
- Lenny Ravich
- Brynie Furstenberg
- Konstantin Anikienko
- Oleksii Trytenko
- Kirill Cernyakov
- Lenny Ravitz
- Adi Kvetner
- Mariya Khomutova
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Golem about?
- A plague-stricken Jewish village turns to a summoned golem for protection, only to awaken an increasingly uncontrollable supernatural threat.
- What is The Golem like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Golem as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Golem violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Golem as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Golem?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an atmospheric, distinctive folk-horror story that uses Jewish folklore, strong performances, and period detail to give its monster mythology emotional and timely force.
- Which films are like The Golem?
- Films with a similar feel include The Witch, The Blackcoat's Daughter, A Dark Song, and The Devil's Bath.
- How long is The Golem?
- The Golem runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Golem?
- In United States, The Golem streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
