It’s officially “spooky season”, and if you’re looking for something scarier than Hocus Pocus, the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival has a watchlist for you! Jewish cinema has plenty of chills, thrills and supernatural surprises lurking in the shadows and under the bed. Grab your favorite black-and-white cookies, and get ready for some serious shpilkes.
Modern Chills & Ancient Terrors
If you like your horror dripping in genuine Jewish folklore, turn off the lights and stream these:
- The Vigil (2019): Rooted in Jewish mysticism and the ancient tradition of shemira (watching over the dead), this one is genuinely creepy. Don’t watch it alone.
- The Golem (2018): Because sometimes you just need a giant creature made of mud and clay to fix your community’s problems (spoiler: it gets messy, and not in the Ahava Clarifying Mud Mask way). Want a history lesson? You can also stream the original 1920 German silent film classic, The Golem: How He Came Into the World (1920)!
- The Offering (2022) & The Unborn (2009): Both films are equally packed with ancient demons and nasty attitudes.
- The Possession (2012): Featuring a creepy dybbuk box and a cameo by Jewish reggae superstar Matisyahu (who we were thrilled to feature in Song of Ascent at our 2025 Festival!).
Horror with a Wink
Maybe the films above were just a bissel too frightening. Prefer your scares with a big dose of laughs? Jewish horror and Jewish comedy are like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups—two great tastes that go great together!:
- Blood Relatives (2022): Imagine a 600-year-old Yiddish vampire schlepping across Texas in a beaten-up muscle car with a teenager he suddenly discovers is his daughter. It’s quirky, weird, and wonderful.
- Shiva Baby (2020): Proof positive that the scariest place on earth isn’t a foggy graveyard or an ancient tomb—it’s an anxiety-choked shiva with your entire extended family interrogating your life choices.
Sweet dreams, movie lovers! You might want to leave the nightlight on. 🍿👀
*movies are available to view on various streaming services.