THE VIGIL, A Tale of Supernatural Horror Steeped in Ancient Jewish Tradition, Opens February 26th

By Tom Stockman | January 14, 2021

THE VIGIL Opens February 26th in theaters and VOD. It will be available on these platforms:

Digital Platforms: iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, YouTube, Vudu, PlayStation, Xbox. Cable Platforms: Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum (Charter, Time Warner, Brighthouse), Verizon Fios, Altice (Optimum), Cox, DirecTV, AT&T, Bend Broadband, Buckeye, Guadalupe Valley, Hotwire Communications, Metrocast, Suddenlink, WOW Internet Cable, RCN, Midcontinent Communications

The Critics love THE VIGIL!

“Proof that bible-thumping priests and haunted converts can’t have all the spooky fun. The filmmaking maintains its gripping spell all the way through; A remarkable showcase for Dave Davis, who commands every scene.”– Eric Kohn, IndieWire 

“A devilish, bone-crunching chiller. The Exorcist comes to Borough Park. “– Jordan Mintzner, The Hollywood Reporter 

“A fresh take on the religious/demon possession film. Feels like a breath of fresh air.”– Joe Lipsett, Bloody Disgusting 

“Cultural context enhances an effectively creepy chiller. Anything might be (and usually is) hiding in the shadows. Davis is excellent.”– Dennis Harvey, Variety

THE VIGIL stars AVE DAVIS (THE WALKING DEAD, TRUE DETECTIVE), MENASHE LUSTIG (MENASHE), and LYNN COHEN (MUNICH)

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 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’ statement about THE VIGIL:

“When I sat down to write the very first draft of THE VIGIL, I knew I wanted to tell a personal story that felt universal. The movie would be very contained and the stakes would, at first glance, seem small – one man, one ritual, and one struggle with a threatening force. But the stories I gravitate towards, the stories I like to tell, are rooted in tangible human experience. One person’s struggle can take on a mythic quality that resonates far more than stories about countries or even worlds at war. All of us have suffered “dark nights of the soul” (likely several times over during the upheaval of the past year) and most of us emerge from those lean and often frightening hours changed – generally for the better but sometimes for the worse. I know I’m getting too philosophical. THE VIGIL is a personal story but it’s also a horror film; an “in-real-time” phantasmagoria. And I tried my damnedest to conjure up as many possible variations on scares – you want the visceral? We got the visceral. You want psychological terror? Got that too. For me, personally, the subtlest scares – the ones that leave you questioning what you’ve just seen – work the best. All of them come from my own experience –a combination of nightmares and bad memories. If you’ve come to the movie for the thrill, I hope you enjoy it and it troubles your sleep. If you’ve come to it for a glimpse into a cloistered world few secular people know, I’ll assure you that it is authentic. Regardless of the reason you’re watching THE VIGIL, I hope you find something in our little story that haunts you, that burrows like a splinter in your consciousness and leaves you thinking. Even if it’s just for a few heartbeats.”