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Keith Thomas directed his riveting debut “The Vigil” in 2019, and it’s a motion picture that is rare as an albino unicorn: a Jewish horror film set in the Hasidic community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
Holy fuck is it terrifying — on so many levels — yet none of them are quite like anything you’ve ever seen before. The “monster” is a malevolent entity in Jewish folklore known as a Mazzik that attaches itself to those unfortunate souls wounded by their trauma, people already haunted by the shame of their inability to stop the cruelty of their persecutors.
It’s a great, novel premise for a film, but its success depends on the director’s execution, and boy, does he succeed. This is yet another excellent example of how to make a nuanced, deeply unsettling film with a tiny budget that still has high production values. Essentially shot in an apartment with two main characters, it’s a masterclass in achieving the maximum desired effect with minimal resources.
Special shout-out to Dave Davis, the young actor who plays the damaged but very empathetic lead. This brilliant, haunting film will appeal to a broad audience far beyond its intended genre. Released in 2020, the year COVID killed cinema, it’s now being resurrected on streaming.
So grab your popcorn, turn down the lights, and check it out. You won’t be disappointed.