The Vigil (2019) - Review
I said a few horror reviews back that Jewish folklore, while common in some movie genres, is relatively untapped in horror. Yet, since then, I’ve seen one film after another on streaming services offering to scare its viewers with some Jewish demons and legends. Clearly, either I was very wrong, or I just needed the algorithms to help me find horror movies that focus on the subject. The Vigil, is one of those films and manages to demonstrate the strengths of keeping things simple.
Pros
Demonic being is never explicitly shown in detail
Good special effects are used in specific moments
Decent pacing
Good acting from Dave Davis
Cons
Dialogue via text messages between characters to do storytelling is something that I don’t enjoy
Certain characters are difficult to understand due to sound issues and accents
Some details around the demon design are a little goofy
Some cheesy jump scares
Outside of the Jewish culture, The Vigil is not doing too much that hasn’t been seen before
Plot & Thoughts
Yakov Ronen (Dave Davis) is a young Jewish man who, due to a traumatic event in his past, has been unable to keep his faith. However, due to the fact that he grew up in an Hasidic Jewish community in New York, he is still very well-versed in the traditions, rituals, and tasks that come with the culture. One such tradition is the ‘shemira.’ Meaning ‘watching’ or ‘guarding’ in Hebrew. Shemira requires that guardian, or ‘shomer’ stay with the corpse of a newly deceased individual overnight until the arrival of funeral service. A friend of Yakov asks him to play the role of shomer at an old woman’s home. Yakov is reluctant, but agrees due to his lack of employment and personal funds.
It turns out that he should have asked for a lot more money than he was promised, however. The man who recently died had a tortured past of his own, which made him the perfect victim for a demon to haunt him for the rest of his life. The old man was tortured by the demon for decades as it preyed on his fears, insecurities, and pain. He did his best to research how to combat it, but was doomed to co-exist with it until his death. Unfortunately for Yakov, now that the old man has passed, this malicious spirit is more than happy to find a new host, and Yakov fits the appetite of the beast perfectly.
The Vigil is a small movie that is restricted to the haunted house that Yakov must stay in to complete the shemira. So the film is reliant on atmosphere to keep everything tense. Since it’s just Yakov and the old, cryptic Mrs. Litvak (Lynn Cohen) in the house—who occasionally shows up with some dooming dialogue that you can’t really hear because she mumbles—it’s up to Dave Davis to carry the film with his acting. I think he does a pretty good job of bouncing around the emotions without going over the top. When his character does inevitably break down, he’s very convincing in his emotional distress. It’s also in this moment where some simple, but effective special effects are used to bookend his tear-filled monologue with a dooming moment to remind him that the demon is messing with him.
I wouldn’t claim that The Vigil has amazing special effects or that it’s technically groundbreaking for a lower-budget film, but it does a commendable job when they’re used, which is somewhat rare. Likewise, the make-up, editing, and cinematography in how the demon is portrayed is better than I would expect. Most of the demon’s features are never explicitly shown in detail, allowing it to be an effective villain for the majority of the film. It has some goofy hands in one scene that reminded me of Salad Fingers from the early days of the internet, but it’s pretty cool otherwise.
Other than that, I can’t comment much more on The Vigil’s overall quality. When it comes to do the downsides, I suppose I could nitpick it scene by scene. The scenes in which Yakov is texting a girl he is pursuing, for example, were not my favorite. The new trope of having characters communicate through text bubbles on screen to allow the film to remain quiet and silently build tension as ‘dialogue’ occurs is not one I enjoy. It often feels like a cheap method of storytelling. I’m also not sure how one truly banishes the demon. It is explained, but in a somewhat vague way. Regardless, this and other minor issues I have with The Vigil didn’t prevent me from having a fun time with it.
TL;DR (Conclusion)
The Vigil is a simple horror movie that doesn’t do much you haven’t already seen, but it still manages to have enough positives that you might enjoy yourself as I did. It has some quality acting, decent effects, unsettling atmosphere, and some chilling moments. It doesn’t overextend itself, but it doesn’t always play it safe either. If you’re interested in a horror movie about Jewish demons, this might be worth your time.
