THE GOLEM (2018) -- Movie Review by Porfle

I've never seen the original "Golem" movies of the silent era, but I do recall the tall, hulking figure of Paul Wegener with his forboding stance and scowling face.

So it's interesting to see the character as a creepy little boy, as in brothers Doron and Yoav Paz's very dark, very atmospheric horror tale THE GOLEM (2018).

It's a concept which works quite well indeed.  In this telling of the old Jewish legend, a remote 17-century village in Lithuania is beseiged by vengeful outsiders who blame them for the plague which has devastated their own village.

The leader of the outsiders renders an ultimatim--either the Jewish medicine woman Perla (Brynie Furstenberg) saves his sick daughter's life, or he and his men will kill them all and burn their village to the ground.

Hanna (Hani Furstenberg), who has been trying in vain to conceive a child with husband Benjamin (Ishai Golan) after the death of their son years before, uses her knowledge of the Kabbalah and its deepest, most secret passages to create a Golem, a supernatural protector, to save them from the outsiders.

Taking the form of her dead son, it strikes back at the marauders, only to become a deadly threat also to Hanna's own people including her husband.

This is one beautifully dark and richly rendered movie that I can only describe as "Jewish Gothic."  The period atmosphere and overall feeling of Old World antiquity are fully realized and quite impressive.

The intense and unpredictable presence of the Golem, a monster in the form of a little boy yearning for Hanna's love and acceptance, remains morbidly fascinating throughout.

A confrontation occurs when Benjamin and his men finally clash with the outsiders against the wishes of the village rabbi, which is when the Golem first wields his power in a shocking, bloody scene.

Once the cycle of violence is set into motion, we're kept on edge wondering how far it will go not just for the outsiders but against fellow villagers when the term "double-edged sword" comes fully into play.

The Paz brothers direct it all with exquisite visual style, contrasting the old-style storytelling with sudden bursts of gore until the film's finale brings out the full horror of the situation.

THE GOLEM doesn't try to terrify or turn our stomachs, but it keeps us on edge with pure, earthy weirdness and some genuine dead-of-night chills.  It's one of the most interesting and original horror films I've seen in a while, and well worth delving into for those who like to take an occasional creep through the dark side.

THE GOLEM opens in Los Angeles on Friday, February 1 and on VOD, DVD & Blu-ray Tuesday, February 5

THE GOLEM (2018) -- Movie Review by Porfle

Directors of "Phobidilia" and "Jeruzalem" Conjure Up Powers of The Kabbalah in "THE GOLEM" -- See the Trailer HERE!

Epic Pictures and Dread Central Present
"THE GOLEM"

OPENING IN LOS ANGELES
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1

AVAILABLE ON VOD, DVD & Blu-ray
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Directed by Doron Paz & Yoav Paz

During an outbreak of a deadly plague, a mystical woman must save her tight-knit Jewish community from foreign invaders, but the entity she summons to protect them is a far greater evil.

In this stunningly reimagined period horror version of an old mystical legend, a Jewish community in a shtetl are besieged by deadly intruders. Set in 17th century Lithuania, Hanna (Hani Furstenberg) the wistful, conflicted wife of the local rabbi’s son Benjamin (Ishai Golen),  secretly turns to Jewish mysticism and The Kabbalah to conjure up a dangerous entity to protect her community.

But the creature she molds out of mud and summons to life echoes her tragic past and becomes so dangerously connected to its creator, that Hanna can’t see what a heartless monster she has fashioned from abject fear and desperate loathing.

“The Golem was created with the need to bring the fascinating and yet unheard Jewish mythology to the screen,” says director Doron Paz.  “These legends are what horror films are made of: abnormal creatures, demons, monsters and the dark side of Judaism.”

Director Yoav Paz adds, “The most famous story is that of the Golem of Prague - a mud figure out of the ground, created by the Rabbi of Prague (the Maharal), using the powerful Kabbalah wisdom. While this myth may have inspired our storytelling, we knew that we wanted to make a new and relevant adaptation of it which would focus on a female heroine and a unique twist on the ancient Golem. We decided to create something based on its Jewish origins as well as contemporary horror, and a new genre was born: Jewish Horror”

THE GOLEM is directed by Doran Paz and Yoav Paz. Third generation directors, The Paz Brothers started working in the film industry at young ages. After graduating Tel Aviv University Film School and years of directing music videos and television commercials, they started writing and directing for prime-time Israeli broadcasts.

In 2010, their critically acclaimed debut film, PHOBIDILIA, had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Their second feature, JERUZALEM, premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival and was released in theaters worldwide.

THE GOLEM is their second collaboration with Epic Pictures and the first Dread Central Original.   The film is written by Ariel Cohen and produced by Shalom Eisenbach. Patrick Ewald and Shaked Berenson serve as Executive Producers. THE GOLEM stars Hani Furstenberg ((The Loneliest Planet, Campfire, Yossi and Jagger, Saints Rest) and Ishai Golen (Prisoners of War, The Last Patrol, False Flas, Tironoot).

THE GOLEM had its world premiere at London Frightfest Film Festival, and was featured as an official selection of numerous international festivals including Sitges Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival and Screamfest, among others.

WATCH THE TRAILER

THE GOLEM opens in Los Angeles on Friday, February 1 and on
VOD, DVD & Blu-ray Tuesday, February 5

Directors of "Phobidilia" and "Jeruzalem" Conjure Up Powers of The Kabbalah in "THE GOLEM" -- See the Trailer HERE!