#thevigil

SYNOPSIS: Having recently left his insular religious community and Low on funds, Yakov (DAVIS) reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and friend (LUSTIG) to take on the responsibility of an overnight "shomer," fulfilling the Jewish practice of watching over the body of a deceased member of the community. Not totally comfortable with the job, Yakov slowly begins to settle in for the evening at the recently departed's dilapidated house to sit the vigil. However, he quickly begins to realize that something is very wrong.

REVIEW: THE VIGIL is based on Jewish mythology and set in Brooklyn's Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. The characters speak in both English and Yiddish. You might think a story immersed in all this ancient cultural lore and ritual might be a bit alienating. However, that is far from the case. Filmmaker Keith Thomas does an outstanding job of crafting a tale that transcends culture to deliver a small story of epic proportions; the tale of a haunted young man who must face that dark night of the soul. What he must ultimately face and overcome is so sinister that it means not just his salvation, but also that of the man’s soul he is being paid to simply pray for.

What makes THE VIGIL a powerful cinematic masterpiece is the brilliant work between the filmmaker, Keith Thomas, and his lead actor, Dave Davis. When we think of award worthy films that toil in the horror genre (Misery, Silence of the Lambs, The Omen, The Exorcist) what forever etches them into our zeitgeist is the cumulative effort of the filmmakers, talent, score, effects, and design work that empowers the film to speak to those universal aspects of our human condition. It doesn't matter where the main character lives, the language he speaks, or our cultural differences. Thomas and Davis allow the viewer to not see Yakov as the other, but as ourselves. They create sequences/performances that grant the viewer access, to identify and feel empathy for this character's pain and suffering, and fear the peril he is in. They allow us to join Yakow on his journey, which elevates the terror threat and enables us to experience the sheer dread.

THE VIGIL is one of those rare occasions where everything comes together. A very simple location is transformed into an all consuming nightmare through lush cinematography, fantastic framing, and skilled editing. Simultaneously, we feel the weight of the evil presence in the house, an oppressive burden upon Yakov, as the camera also captures claustrophobic moments. It is a poetic juxtaposition  that seducers the viewer and keeps us on edge.

There are times when I reflect on the early work of genre filmmakers and the creatures they’ve terrorized us with. They were able to do so much more with less and simplicity of design. In THE VIGIL Thomas presents us with an organic creature design. It is sleek, simplistic, and yet still terrifying. He builds up our expectations by playing with the other elements at his disposal. Like a skilled card player he allows us to see what he wants us to see, is adept at bluffing, and lands our fears with the big reveal. I truly admire the setup and design employed here.

The last layer to this journey into terror is a magical score by composer Michael Yezerski. His work here is not simply to create music, or musical queues, but is also part of the sound design that both enhances the environment and plays on our emotions. He employs a variety of instruments and sounds that run the gambit of the score spectrum. There are times that we hear something that sounds middle eastern, which slow morphs into something industrial sounding. It  becomes techno, like something from Vangelis or Tangerine Dream. It can swing around to a traditional film score, and ends a classical piece, in the tradition of composer Havergal Brian. It is one of my favorite scores of the last five years and it adds so much to the film.

THE VIGIL is a contemporary masterpiece of horror cinema. It is an emotionally charged spiritual journey that doesn’t end with the credits for the viewer. Much like Yakov, we have been affected by this encounter. Who we are and where we go from here is a new story. For ultimately we are all Yakov. It is even a more powerful metaphor in this tumultuous time, but truly a timeless horror classic.

Cast: Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig and Lynn Cohen Crew: Director / Screenplay - Keith Thomas; Producers - Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, & Adam Margules; Cinematographer - Zach Kupersteim’ Editor - Brett W. Bachman; Score - Michael Yezerski; Production Designer - Liz Toonkel; Costume Designer - Nicole Rauscher; Official: www.thevigil.movie Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFCMidnight/ Twitter: twitter.com/ifcmidnight  / #thevigil Trailer: https://youtu.be/YsMcckth7oU Release Date: February 26th, 2021, in Select Theaters, on Digital Platforms & VOD.

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay),  or 👎 (Dislike)

Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, THE VIGIL is supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn's Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov (Dave Davis) reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante (Menashe Lustig) to take on the responsibility of an overnight "shomer," fulfilling the Jewish practice of watching over the body of a deceased community member. Shortly after arriving at the recently departed's dilapidated house to sit the vigil, Yakov begins to realize that something is very, very wrong.

THE VIGIL Opens in Select Theaters, on Digital Platforms & VOD on February 26th, 2021.