Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- foreboding
- claustrophobic
- late night horror viewing
- halloween night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an effective, authentically Jewish contained horror debut with strong atmosphere and lead performance, though its familiar scare tactics and repetitive jump scares limited its thematic impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Yakov serves as a shomer, reciting prayers while watching over a deceased community member in an Orthodox Jewish context.
The entity is identified through Jewish spiritual concepts including the mazzikin and the community's protective practices.
Most of Yakov's overnight vigil unfolds inside a single Brooklyn house, where rooms, lights, and sounds become sources of threat.
Yakov's troubled mental state, medication, and traumatic past shape his encounter with the malevolent entity.
Films like The Vigil, and why
The Exorcist
supernatural horror centered on culturally specific mythology, grief, and a confined haunted setting
The Babadook
small-scale psychological horror using religious trauma, guilt, and escalating demonic dread
The Night House
contained supernatural thriller combining personal trauma with an oppressive entity and jump-scare conventions
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
religious horror with an isolated protagonist confronting malevolent spiritual forces
Movie Details
- Director
- Keith Thomas
- Release Date
- 2020-07-01
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (446)
Cast
- Dave Davis
- Lynn Cohen
- Menashe Lustig
- Malky Goldman
- Fred Melamed
- Nati Rabinowitz
- Moshe Lobel
- Spencer Zender
- Dun Laskey
- Hershy Fishman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, Shudder Amazon Channel, Sundance Now Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Vigil about?
- A troubled former member of an Orthodox Jewish community must endure a terrifying overnight vigil as a malevolent spirit turns ritual duty into psychological and supernatural torment.
- What is The Vigil like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Vigil as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Vigil violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Vigil as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Vigil?
- Critics broadly found the film an effective, authentically Jewish contained horror debut with strong atmosphere and lead performance, though its familiar scare tactics and repetitive jump scares limited its thematic impact.
- Which films are like The Vigil?
- Films with a similar feel include The Exorcist, The Babadook, The Night House, and The Autopsy of Jane Doe.
- How long is The Vigil?
- The Vigil runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Vigil?
- In United States, The Vigil streams on Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, Shudder Amazon Channel, Sundance Now Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel.
