Rolling Stone ‘The Vigil’: The Dybbuk Stops Here
A former Hasid agrees to watch over a recently deceased member of the community and who may have been haunted in this subculturally specific supernatural thriller
By
They are called s
homers, folks who sit by a recently deceased family member or loved one, often in shifts, to watch over the body before burial. It’s a centuries-old Jewish tradition, designed to keep the soul of the dead safe from harm. Should a relative be unwilling or unable to perform this duty, it’s possible to pay a professional to sub in. It’s an honor and a calling, though there are some pitfalls in the shomer-for-hire business one needs to be aware of. The likelihood of extreme boredom is high for those who aren’t comfortable with silence, corpses, or a lack of company. The hours can be unusual. And there’s always the possibility that you may run into a spirit that, having been previously feeding off the anima of the person who’
The Vigil
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Michael Yezerski (
The Tax Collector, Blindspotting). The soundtrack releases alongside the U.S. theatrical debut of the horror film, also in theaters and On Demand tomorrow from IFC Midnight.
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 (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 : The Dybbuk Stops Here The Vigil : The Dybbuk Stops Here
A former Hasid agrees to watch over a recently deceased member of the community - and who may have been haunted - in this subculturally specific supernatural thriller
David Fear, provided by
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They are called s
homers, folks who sit by a recently deceased family member or loved one, often in shifts, to watch over the body before burial. It’s a centuries-old Jewish tradition, designed to keep the soul of the dead safe from harm. Should a relative be unwilling or unable to perform this duty, it’s possible to pay a professional to sub in. It’s an honor and a calling, though there are some pitfalls in the shomer-for-hire business one needs to be aware of. The likelihood of extreme boredom is high for those who aren’t comfortable with silence, corpses, or a lack of company. The hours can be unusual. And there’s always the possibility that you may run into a spirit that, having been pr
Movie review: The Vigil a efficiently creepy horror film rooted in Jewish lore gazettextra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gazettextra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Writer-director Keith Thomas' "The Vigil" is a supernatural Hasidic Jewish horror film starring Dave Davis as a young Brooklyn man performing a religious ritual.