ALSO SHOWING
THE VIGIL (15)
★★★★★ MODEST supernatural horror The Vigil unfolds predominantly on three floors of a dimly lit house in Borough Park in Brooklyn, New York, which is home to vibrant Hasidic and Orthodox Jewish communities.
The religious practice of the shomer – typically a family member or friend who stands guard over the body of the deceased and recites the Psalms to ward off unseen evil – provides writer-director Keith Thomas with a neat dramatic conceit to mine for jump-out-of-seat scares in the unending hours before the light of dawn banishes paranoia and fear.
Yakov Ronen (Dave Davis, pictured) has tentatively stepped away from his Jewish roots following the death of his younger brother Burech (Ethan Stone). He is medicating to cope with post-traumatic stress and makes regular visits to therapist Dr Kohlberg (Fred Melamed) to plumb his deep well of residual guilt.
Following a support group meeting with other Jews in transitional fazes of their lives, Yakov meets former rabbi Reb Shulem (Menashe Lustig), who has a job proposition. He is willing to pay Yakov $400 to act as a shomer for Holocaust survivor Rubin Litvak (Ronald Cohen).
“A good man, a little weird,” the rabbi cryptically observes about the deceased, whose wife (Lynn Cohen) is in the grip of dementia and is unfit to stand guard. As Yakov begins his five-hour shift, he discovers alarming evidence of a demonic presence called a Mazzik (Rob Tunstall).
“It’s playing with you, the way a cat plays with a mouse,” whispers Mrs Litvak as the malevolent presence torments Yakov with memories of his little brother.
UNHINGED (15 TBC)
Preview AN EVERYDAY incident of road rage escalates into a dangerous game of cat and mouse in director Derrick Borte’s psychological thriller.
Rachel (Caren Pistorius) is driving to work with her son Kyle (Gabriel Bateman) in the back seat.
She is running late and has an ugly altercation with a stranger called Tom (Russell Crowe, pictured) at a traffic light. Tom is filled with frustration, feeling powerless in a world where good manners are frequently sacrificed to get ahead.
A few hours ago, he murdered his ex-wife and her new partner then set fire to their house.
Rachel’s unnecessary rudeness is a spark to the tinder box of Tom’s volcanic rage.
“I don’t think you know what a bad day is,” he snarls, “but you are going to find out!”
In his delirium, Tom pledges to teach Rachel a series of deadly lessons by targeting everyone she loves.
As Rachel is pushed to the brink of insanity by her relentless pursuer, she takes extreme measures to protect her nearest and dearest, including her brother Fred (Austin P McKenzie) and good friend Andy (Jimmi Simpson).