[Review] The Vigil (2021) {6.5/10}

Written and Directed by Keith Thomas in his feature directorial debut, the film stars Dave Davis (Yakov Ronen), Menashe Lustig (Reb Shulem), Malky Goldman (Sarah), Fred Melamed (Dr. Kohlberg), Nati Rabinowitz (Lane), Ronald Cohen (Mr. Litvak) and Lynn Cohen (Mrs. Litvak). The film is executive produced by Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions.

The plot follows a young man who is tasked with keeping vigil over a deceased member of his former Orthodox Jewish community, only to be targeted by a malevolent spirit known as a Mazzik.

The Vigil brings a refreshing change of pace. Dave Davis brings a sympathetic presence to his role of Yakov, a struggling young man who isn’t only forced to deal with the unknown lurking within the deceased Mr Litvak’s house but also his own personal demon. Reportedly cost a lowly US$1.8 million to make, the limited budget does rear its ugly head in some of the dimly-lit scenes as well as the mediocre effect of a demonic presence known as Mazzik. The movie also relies on the usual jump scares every now and then while the ending feels somehow anticlimactic, especially given its promising setup and all the creepy teases earlier on. Keith Thomas does what he can to elicit some genuine scares and suspenseful moments with his clever use of camerawork, sound effects and dark environment. He also knows how to make good use of long takes as he effectively building anticipation and dread that something might happen at any time. Michael Yezerski’s evocative score deserves mention as well, combining a subtle mix of instrumental and electronic sounds to unsettling effects. If you can look past some of the glaring flaws here, The Vigil remains a fairly effective, low-budget horror film.

The Vigil is now available on Digital and Blu-ray.