The Vigil
IFC Films | Release Date: February 26, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
3
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
IGNSiddhant AdlakhaMar 2, 2021
Intense and atmospheric, Keith Thomas’ The Vigil invigorates demonic horror by centering on Jewish traditions, especially those concerning death. Part haunted house, part tech thriller, and entirely grounded by Dave Davis’ harrowing performance, the film never loses sight of questions of cultural identity, and the ways it intersects with personal and collective trauma. Read full review
83
Original-CinThom ErnstFeb 25, 2021
The Vigil is a satisfying work of suspense and mystery with a few well-executed jump scares. Read full review
80
Paste MagazineMary Beth McAndrewsFeb 23, 2021
The Vigil hopefully marks a trend where Catholicism no longer reigns supreme in the world of horror and filmmakers of all creeds can continue to play with decades of generic expectations. Read full review
80
The Irish TimesTara BradyAug 18, 2020
Dave Davis’s petrified protagonist is nothing short of star-making. Read full review
80
EmpireNikki BaughanJul 28, 2020
Featuring strong performances and excellent effects work, The Vigil is a genuinely creepy debut which explores the ways in which our psychological demons can get their claws into our entire lives. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMatthew MonagleMar 1, 2021
An early contender for one of 2021’s best horror films. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreMar 11, 2021
The Vigil is the most original, most chilling horror film of the new year. And let me hasten to add, it’s not even close. Read full review
75
The PlaylistNicholas LaskinFeb 28, 2021
Slightly disappointing denouement aside, The Vigil is an effective, stripped-down exercise in pure terror, and a strong argument as any for a new wave of Jewish Horror. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshFeb 24, 2021
Horror films often offer catharsis, but rarely are they also as deeply sorrowful as Keith Thomas’s The Vigil, a horror film based in Jewish faith and culture. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonFeb 22, 2021
Keith Thomas’s film hums with uncanny dread, milking the close juxtaposition of living and dead for all its worth. Read full review
75
IndieWireEric KohnAug 18, 2020
Above all else, the movie provides a remarkable showcase for Davis, who commands every scene as a man grasping to contain his fear of things going bump in the night while struggling with internal conflicts far heavier than the supernatural events in play. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerAug 18, 2020
Thomas keeps the tension high throughout most of the movie, even if some of his scare tactics can feel redundant. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis HarveyAug 18, 2020
Like many such movies, The Vigil leans heavily on jump scares, and is arguably more effective during its tense buildup than in the climactic events. Read full review
65
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzFeb 12, 2020
In writer-director Keith Thomas’s bid to add a layer of thematic novelty to a familiar genre, he has come up with a mish-mash that will satisfy only those with extremely acquired tastes. Read full review
60
Rolling StoneDavid FearFeb 25, 2021
An intriguing stab at modern Hasidic horror — we smell a burgeoning subgenre — The Vigil will feel like well-trod ground to anyone who’s seen a few supernatural thrillers; only the neighborhood has changed. Read full review
60
The New York TimesKristen Yoonsoo KimFeb 25, 2021
Keith Thomas’s slim but effective The Vigil milks terror from a minimalistic setup, relying on the shapes we make out with squinted eyes in the shadows. Read full review
60
The GuardianPhil HoadAug 18, 2020
It still just about puts the id in Hasidic, thanks to spiritually atmospheric cinematography and a twitchy, expressive performance from Davis, who resembles Riz Ahmed, and wards off evil with that most Jewish of charms: heroic self-deprecation. Read full review
38
RogerEbert.comSimon AbramsFeb 26, 2021
What makes The Vigil so frustrating is that it feels like a product and not a reflection of its subject’s identity crisis. Read full review
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