Film

The Vigil

Name: The Vigil
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Released: 2020
Cast: Dave Davis, Lynn Cohen, Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman, Fred Melamed

A haunting night-watch vigil in an Orthodox Jewish home becomes a claustrophobic supernatural ordeal when a man confronts something ancient and malevolent. Deliberately paced, deeply atmospheric, and rooted in genuine cultural specificity. For those who want horror that earns its scares through dread rather than spectacle, and who appreciate when a film trusts its audience's patience.

TMDb rating

2.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like slow-burn horror that lets dread build in a quiet room, and care more about a shaken man's guilt and faith than about jump scares.

Skip it if the pace is deliberate and the scares sparse, so if you want relentless shocks, its unhurried middle may test your patience.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a single long night in one room, with much of the running time spent in waiting, listening and watching a man try to hold his nerve.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Insidious2011

Masterclass in escalating dread through muted colour palette and sound design. Builds genuine atmosphere without relying on jump scares, focusing instead on the creeping wrongness of a space that's being invaded.

But Occasionally slips into conventional ghost-story beats that deflate tension. Some viewers find the final act exposition tiresome after the elegant setup.

The Babadook2014

Australian gem about a mother and son besieged in their home by something that may be supernatural or psychological. Operates on pure atmosphere and uses domestic spaces to maximum unease. Seriously inventive.

But Deliberately ambiguous about what's actually happening, which frustrates people who need clear answers. The pacing is slow; this isn't a thriller.

Let's Scare Jessica to Death1971

Underrated 70s horror that trusts you to feel dread from atmosphere and uncertainty rather than explicit threats. Genuinely eerie and beautifully shot, with a protagonist you're never quite sure you can trust.

But The budget shows in ways that some find distracting. Pacing is glacial; if you need constant incident, move on.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Vigil

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Under the Skin2014

Both are supremely patient about revealing what's actually happening. Both trust atmosphere and long takes over exposition. Both embed the horror in the quotidian and refuse to look away.

Jonathan Glazel's alien-abduction film shot as an aesthetic nightmare: long static takes, hypnotic Mica Levi score, and Scarlett Johansson as an unknowable presence hunting in Glasgow. Works as pure sensory experience rather than narrative.

But Barely a plot in conventional terms. If you need character development or dialogue that explains things, this will frustrate you immensely. Many find it pretentious rather than profound.

Poltergeist1982

Spielberg-produced classic about a family terrorised in their own home. Perfectly calibrated scares built from mundane suburban spaces. Iconic without being cheesy, and genuinely disturbing at its core.

But Relies on practical effects that occasionally read as dated. Some sequences prioritise spectacle over the creeping dread that makes horror work.

A Tale of Two Sisters2003

South Korean supernatural horror that values visual composition and unsettling atmosphere over exposition. Gorgeously shot, deeply strange, and lingers long after it ends. A master class in restraint.

But Deliberately vague about what's actually happening. Requires active interpretation rather than passive consumption; some find this infuriating rather than enriching.

The Witch2016

Puritan-era horror that treats its supernatural elements as metaphor for paranoia and family collapse. Gorgeous, linguistically precise, and builds an oppressive atmosphere that never fully releases.

But Dialogue is intentionally period-accurate and dense, which can feel affected. The ending will divide viewers sharply about whether the film earns its final act.

Sinister2012

A true-crime podcaster investigates a family's death in a house haunted by something genuinely horrible. Scott Derrickson builds dread methodically, and the found-footage sequences are legitimately disturbing.

But Once you've seen the core image, some of the power dissipates. The plot occasionally prioritises mythology over character logic.

The Innocents1961

Haunting adaptation of 'The Turn of the Screw' in which you're never certain whether ghosts are real or psychological. Beautifully composed in black and white, and the ambiguity is the entire point.

But Slow-burn to the point that some viewers lose patience. The refusal to provide certainty bothers people who prefer their horror unambiguous.

The Lair of the White Worm1988

Ken Russell's delirious, hallucinogenic take on Bram Stoker. Visually baroque and genuinely unsettling despite (because of?) its deliberate artificiality. Worth it for the sheer audacity.

But Campy in ways that undercut genuine tension. The tone is so all-over-the-place that many viewers find it more silly than scary.

Compliance2012

Both are about being trapped in a space with something you can't quite name or escape. Both use real-world locations and ordinariness to generate profound unease. Both suggest the real horror is often internal or social rather than supernatural.

Craig Zobel's nightmarish film about a fast-food manager manipulated by a caller into increasingly abusive acts against an employee. Unbearable in the best way: social horror rooted in psychology and authority, not the supernatural.

But Based on real events and plays like a procedural of escalating humiliation. Genuinely difficult to watch; you'll feel complicit. No catharsis, no monster you can point at and dismiss.

The Master2012

Both are films about power, persuasion, and the horror of being spiritually colonised. Both use confined spaces and long takes to generate dread. Both suggest that the most dangerous entities are often human or psychological rather than demonic.

Paul Thomas Anderson's baroque three-hour chamber piece about a drifter and the charismatic leader who becomes obsessed with him. Hypnotic, weirdly violent, spiritually unsettling in ways that have nothing to do with jump scares.

But Three hours of slow, digressive intensity. Joaquin Phoenix's character is difficult to care about. No clear answers about what any of it means or whether anyone's lying about belief.