The Vigil

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1:52

The Vigil

PG-13

2021

1h 30m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

117 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, THE VIGIL is a 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 reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante 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.

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Critics Consensus

Consistently clever and creepy, The Vigil mines richly atmospheric supernatural horror from a deep well of religious traditions.

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Udita Jhunjhunwala

Scroll.in

May 1, 2021

A quintessential low-budget supernatural horror, The Vigil mines Jewish folklore and rituals to create an effective sub-genre experience.

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Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

Mar 30, 2021

B+

This is a really damn good horror film made on a tight budget with almost one location only, and it never drags. They find really exciting ways to use this location to their advantage.

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Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (LAist)

Mar 10, 2021

They accomplish so much here with what is clearly a low budget and basically one location. It's terrifying.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Jul 28, 2025

4/5

This is the one-man-in-a-room film that so many directors have tried, and few have succeeded... The Vigil just about gets over the line, offering up atmosphere, jump scares and just enough social commentary to keep your eyes glued to the screen...

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Lindsey Romain

Nerdist

Feb 14, 2024

3.5/5

Writer and director Keith Thomas knows how to keep us invested, and cinematographer Zach Kuperstein makes excellent use of the dark setting.

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Ezequiel Boetti

Otroscines.com

Jul 27, 2023

2.5/5

The [horror] mechanics employed throughout the movie become a bit repetitive and on-the-nose, making the audience a mere witness to an atonement. [Full review in Spanish]

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23 8

@RT96844539 2 days ago

The fact this has 90% here, it baffles me. This movie was so cliché and boring, that I could barely stay awake through it. I'm actually angry, that I spent money on it. The only good things were OK camerawork and pretty good acting. Other than that, terrible. Do not watch this, you're not gonna find it scary unless you're under 13 years old.

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Melissa L

@Agent99 Oct 26, 2026

One of the scariest movies I have ever seen!

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Horror fan 4

@Horrorfan4life Oct 17, 2026

Again another fine example of a well made supernatural horror movie. I learned what a shomer was and I must say don't sign me up for that. There were plenty of jump scares, some more effective than other's and the story taking place in one home made for a creepy atmosphere. The shot of yakov with the candle was really good. Overall I enjoyed the movie and the bones cracking made me uneasy. Tim Treakle

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Robert P

@Superbad Oct 7, 2026

The Vigil is a *3* star Movie!!!

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Angelina S

@pittsyruns325 Oct 4, 2026

I really enjoyed this movie, the metaphor and religious piece to it.

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Ch M

@RT78209403 Jul 4, 2026

This movie was a garbage movie. I had to stop myself from falling asleep like 4 times. I’ve seen some terrible low budget films before, but this one takes the cake for absolute worst. My 13yo laughed through it.

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Synopsis

Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, THE VIGIL is a 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 reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante 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.

Director: Keith Thomas
Producer: J.D. Lifshitz, Adam Margules, Raphael Margules
Screenwriter: Keith Thomas
Distributor: IFC Midnight
Production Co: Blumhouse Productions, BoulderLight Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Some Disturbing/Violent Images|Brief Strong Language|Terror|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 26, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 26, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.3K
Runtime: 1h 30m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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