Director Keith Thomas makes his feature debut in IFC Film’s, The Vigil. A horror film Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, The Vigil is a supernatural horror film set over a single evening in Brooklyn’s Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having left his insular religious community, Yakov (Dave Davis) 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.
Usually, I try and avoid the trailer with a horror film as I like to go in with an open mind and a fresh experience. The Vigil opens up with an interesting enough premise. Once the film begins, Keith Thomas’s script displays an enriching respect for Jewish culture. One of the things about the screenplay I liked was the background information that Thomas uses of shomers and how he ties it into the film. When Yakov first comes into contact with his former Rabbi, the director uses a great setup to show the difference between the old and new school viewpoints regarding religion. When Yakov gets to the home, there’s also a great scene where he’s texting a young lady he’s pursuing romantically. The director highlights the message that Yakov is sending to put us directly into the young man’s conversation.
The Vigil runs a quick ninety minutes, and director Keith Thomas wastes no time setting up the standard horror templates known in the genre. For the most part, The Vigil is a one-man show centering on Dave Davis as our protagonist. While he has some interactions with Mrs. Litvak (Lynn Cohen), the widow of the deceased community member, Dave Davis’s performance would either make or break the film. Davis succeeds for the most part in the role, as Keith Thomas’s script slowly reveals the layers of what the film is truly about. While I don’t want to thoroughly spoil the movie, I will say that Thomas utilizes the age-old plot pivot of past trauma and questioning one’s faith. As Henry David Thoreau once said, “The devil finds work for idle hands,” and that’s the vibe that Keith Thomas was going for. Once the credits rolled on the film, Yakov’s arc was crystal clear of why he needed to go through the scary night.
The Vigil isn’t particularly scary, and thankfully the marketing department isn’t promoting the film as such. Furthermore, those who like their endings wrapped up in a tight bow may not enjoy the movie. The horror buff in me knows all of the angles that Keith Thomas could’ve taken with this film and ensured a hit. Instead, Thomas has crafted a thinking person’s horror film that I’ll mildly recommend for fans of religious-based horror films
Final Grade: C+
The Vigil opens in select theaters, digital and VOD this Friday, February 26th
Writer-director Lee Cronin made an impressive feature film debut in 2019 with “The Hole in the Ground” and followed it up with a fresh and gruesome installment in the “Evil Dead” franchise, “Evil Dead Rise”. However, due to adult responsibilities, I missed his third film in theaters. The mixed reviews and rumors of a troubled production have me concerned.
While TLC and SWV are often seen as the defining female trios of the 1990s, this week’s Slow Jam Saturday takes us back to 1998 to revisit a group that deserved more recognition than it received. Before label issues cut their career short, Divine made their debut with the single “Lately”—a heartfelt ballad that showcased beautiful harmonies, emotional honesty, and all the elements of what seemed to be a promising future.
When I first saw “Gail Daughtry’s and the Celebrity Sex Pass” at Sundance 2026, it quickly became one of my favorite films of the festival. I was elated when Sony Pictures Classics picked up the film for distribution.
Reviews And Dunn is a unique blog showcasing all things cinema, music & theater.