The Golem (2018) User Reviews

So tired of the "Too slow" reviews lately....

[Markyajv · 7/10 · 22 July 2019]

We are living in a world that is so fast paced and so many people want some sort of super instant gratification from everything. If something on the screen isn't super action oriented it gets called "Slow and Boring" Everyone just "Slow down!" Enjoy a movie that tells a story, has character development, teaches you some things about other cultures, religions, and their differences. Not just cheesy jump scares and stupid dialog.

I really liked this movie. The acting was very good from people I have never seen before, and if you give yourself time to breathe and enjoy it you will be rewarded with a good story with an evil protagonist and some super gory outcomes for the people in the story. The scenery is great as well as the photography.

I don't want to spoil anything. I'll just say leave the world for 90 minutes and immerse yourself and concentrate and you'll realize some movies are slow for a reason.

If I listened to reviewers I'd miss out on many great movies.

not bad

[ryan_sy · 6/10 · 9 February 2019]

The movie was a bit slow, but the acting was great, and the sets and cinematography were spot on. there was nothing new as far as horror tropes go, but i enjoyed watching!

A slow burn with a decent payoff

[iam_theeridan · 7/10 · 2 November 2019]

Look we get it: the movie is slow. Though it's very unique, at least in my opinion and it seems to be super overlooked by impatient viewers. It's very stylized which you can take as you will, but pulls it off in a way that's not too over the top or anticlimactic. I feel like this movie was more a drama about dealing with your grief (albeit in a mystical way) rather than just a monster horror movie. There's not much to be said without spoiling a lot as the movie is a bit easy to figure out with a a few details.

Its actually allright

[tim-starzu · 7/10 · 12 March 2019]

I wouldn't call it a horror but it is a nice one

Its a bit of everything. But mostly drama I wouldn't spoil it but its worth to watch

Not a horror movie, so set your expectations

[segesta65-440-677054 · 6/10 · 11 February 2019]

Like The Witch or Hereditary, this is a simple, slow-moving film that's about atmosphere and isolation and creepiness, not horror or jump scares. The telling of the Golem tale is very accurate to the most common versions, so if you are a folklore fan you will be satisfied. And it's only 90 minutes long.

Slow paced storytelling which proved to be too generic...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 27 May 2019]

Granted I hadn't even heard about the 2018 movie "The Golem" before I happened to come across it by random luck in 2019. Knowing what a golem is, I was of course immediately drawn to the movie. And I must admit the movie's cover helped win me over.

And now that I've finished watching "The Golem" I must say that this movie wasn't really as interesting as I had dared hoped it to be. And after sitting through 1 hour and 35 minutes I must admit I am left with a sense of 'was that really it?'. Directors Doron Paz and Yoav Paz just seemed to squander so much potential for a great movie.

First of all, the storytelling in "The Golem" was slow, incredibly slow. And to make matters worse, then very little of any interest happened throughout the course of the movie, which only prolonged the suffering of what was already a movie that dragged on.

Then the storyline itself just seemed a bit too simplistic. The entire first segment with the massive golem showed so much interesting potential, but then the movie fell into a slowed down tempo and just trotted mundanely onwards leaving very little of any interest to the audience.

As for the golem itself... Well, the first golem that we only get to see in silhouette proved very interesting, but then that was taken away and we were left with a much less interesting golem. Sure, the concept of a child golem was interesting in theory, but in actuality on the screen it just didn't pan out all that great.

It should be said that the acting in the movie was fairly good, taking into considerations the severe hindrances the actors and actresses had to work with in terms of a very bland script and storyline.

The special effects in the movie were good, and "The Golem" was thankfully not a movie that relied too much on special effects to carry it. That was a nice treat for the audience, at least.

All in all, "The Golem" is a less than mediocre movie. It had a lot of potential really, but it was just squandered. My rating of "The Golem" is a mere four out of ten stars.

Solid slow burn low budget psych horror

[josephbrewster-88279 · 7/10 · 12 November 2019]

This is a relatively slow-progressing period piece psychological horror about dealing with loss. If you tend to enjoy movies like Witch, Mother!, The Village and Hereditary, you might like this one.

I did. But, there are some caveats.

It's slim on action, chock full of slow head turn shots, moody lingering shots, dark shots, and brooding expressions. It is heavy, emotional and exhausting to watch, but I enjoy slow burning, emotionally heavy psychological horror. It isn't a masterpiece, but I felt like the material was dealt with in a generally satisfactory way with good cinematography and descent acting.

That being said, there are inconsistencies in the plot regarding the monster which bugged me, and occasional over-reliance on slow motion drama shots and tedious reveals which occasionally made the film feel overlong. Without spoilers, I felt the payoff at the end was sufficient, given the plot and build, and it had a bit of cleverness woven in.

I enjoyed the backdrop of an orthodox Jewish community and the fact much of the mythology was pulled from the Kabbalah and Hebrew tradition (though grossly misrepresented, as Catholicism generally is in the horror genre).

I also enjoyed the way the movie dealt with the relatively popular theme material (at least in psychological horror) of dealing with loss. That is definitely not an original idea, and I've seen a dozen horror movies over the past year tackling the topic, nevertheless I felt this one was very watchable.

Pretty lackluster

[terrencepatrix · 4/10 · 6 February 2019]

This movie was well shot, well acted, and the special effects were adequate. The plot, action, and horror were all just missing for the majority of the movie. The story is really simple, it's centered around a small Jewish community in Europe during the 1700's when a bout of plague starts ravaging a neighboring community of Catholic's. The Catholic's blame the plague on Jewish "magic" basically because their community was left untouched due to how remote and segregated their lifestyles are.

Well an angry mob of Catholic's arrive with a very sick child and demand the Jewish folk cure her or face death. One of the towns folk takes it upon herself to summon the Golem, an ancient protector formed out of clay and tasked with defending the Jewish people. Which it...kinda does?

So far everything is fine, simple and easy to understand as that's essentially the whole plot. The problem is almost NOTHING happens for the majority of the movie and it's extremely slow paced. When the "horror" finally happens there's only about 10 minutes of movie left and they rush right through it without showing much of it. And then it ends.

So not terrible, but that's the best review I can personally write without giving any spoilers. It's watchable but you're not missing anything if you skip it.

Not what I thought

[rudygerst · 6/10 · 5 May 2019]

This movie was entertaining enough and well played. I thought it would be more "horrific". It's definitely not a horror movie. Much more a fantastic-historic one, with just a little bit of gore.

A bit slow.

[deloudelouvain · 5/10 · 14 February 2019]

I have mixed feeling about The Golem. I was up for watching a horror movie but I don't think you could categorize this movie as such. There are some gore moments but you never get that creepy tension while watching The Golem, a kid covered in mud isn't the most frightening thing to watch. The acting was okay, nothing award winning but nothing terrible either. The story is something new so that's a good point but it's also much too slow, too many moments where you just wait for something to happen and that is, if you're a bit tired, not good.

Classic horror form

[j_walking1516 · 8/10 · 27 July 2019]

The reviews of this being "too slow" or "not a horror" are honestly missing what makes a horror movie a horror. It doesn't have to be slashers or jumpscares, horror can be tales of the strange and macabre. Like the monumental classics. This film would stand right alongside the classics of the 30s, though it has more gore. This movie is an excellent example of those alternatives. A dark story of loss, vengeance, and fear. One set in a very interesting historical time period and based on actual lore. With this, the film itself has gorgeous cinematography and a wonderful score. If you love classic horror, dark dramas, or just fine cinema then ignore the unnecessarily low reviews and check this one out.

He is not your son

[TuesdayThe17th · 6/10 · 25 March 2019]

The Golem is a near good movie. It tries to give us some type of old time horror. Fictional folk lore. Similar to the witch in a way, yet not as dark, It does a decent job for what is is. The story is unique. There are some creepy parts like when the kid just stands still in the barn covered in mud all night. Also, there were some cool kill scenes including some glorious head explosions. It was Also cool how the whole village got involved. However, the end comes quick and abrupt. A movie like this should be longer. Pretty decent sophomore effort for the Paz bros tho.

Missing in Action

[PhilipGHarris · 5/10 · 16 September 2018]

Horror is a tricky genre to get right, especially since it has so many facets itself, providing a rich tapestry for its fans. The Golem seeming to wish to evoke the feeling of one of the Universal classics of old, yet failing to do so on many levels.

The majority of this failure seems to lie somewhere between the writer's desk and the editor's room, as there often seems to be a lack of explanation for events. Which in turn makes it feel like they were there initially and then edited out. For example, at a mid-point in the film the female protagonist, Hanna, tells her husband that the golem likes music. Yet, we never seem to have been given any evidence of that fact.

If this only happened once, it could be forgiven, but actions and sentences like this occur throughout the movie. With other unforgivable moments, including Vladimir, shooting at the golem multiple times in quick succession with his flintlock pistol. Something which caused the audience to laugh at a moment which was meant to provoke tension, causing a distraction and breaking the engagement, The film also having odd moments of extreme gore which seem slightly out of character with the rest of the movie.

Which is a shame, as many other elements in the movie work well, including the main female lead, cinematography and general direction throughout (Never have plague doctors been used so meanicingly). Leaving the real failing of the film being the dialogue, which is often trite and clumsy.

The Golem would probably have been improved if they had steered away from the named monster and created something completely new instead. As this would have given them more freedom to develop the situation, but what is left is confused and feels unfinished, making it one of those horror films which will be enjoyed for its failings, rather than its creepiness.

A good mythical story.

[yogeshevolution · 6/10 · 3 April 2019]

The story is simple still somewhat terrifying about mythical creature. It's sweet and short movie not wasting much of your time and keeps you entertain. A good one.

Slimy little mud goblin

[Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews · 6/10 · 9 December 2022]

This one proved to be decently more successful than I had originally anticipated. It is most certainly a slow burn but more in the way of tension building than boring. I definitely feel as though there could have been a few more layers to the story. It has a thorough plot line but not all THAT much happened. Could have picked up the pace and given us a little more to work with as far as character development and plot goes.

I was particularly impressed with some of the shots and the quality. Every so often there was a still that I could have hung up on my wall. Very visually pleasing with really nice lighting. Also the acting was quite good all around. One thing that I found distracting was how put together a lot of the ladies looked. Make up and perfectly styled hair brought me out of the moment at times.

All in all this wasn't extraordinary but solidly entertaining with some really strong aspects. Would recommend.

Not a bad film, but not for me.

[paulclaassen · 4/10 · 13 September 2020]

Although 'The Golem' is a well made movie with good performances, I somehow just couldn't relate to the film. I found it a bit slow and not all that interesting.

Religion and religious beliefs plays a big part in the film, and in that regard I also didn't really connect. There are some creepy moments but ultimately the film didn't capture my full attention. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad film. For various reasons it just didn't satisfy my senses...

Be careful what you wish for

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 11 February 2019]

Or what you go(lem) for ... if you'll excuse the pun. Many bad things happen with good intentions at the beginning and you have exactly this happening here too. Effects are pretty decent considering the small budget this must have had (didn't look at exact numbers, but with no big names attached it's a fair assumption to make).

If you like supernatural movies you could do worse. But you could also do better. This is a decent entry into a mythological "creature" movie. I had some issues with the pacing and with character decisions, but if you are not too nit picky you might enjoy watching this to a certain degree anyway. Otherwise do not even bother

He's just a little boy

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 18 February 2019]

This is the only horror film I have seen that takes place in 1673 Lithuania. An isolate Jewish community has avoided the Great Plague that started in 1666. They are suspect of having created it. Hanna (Hani Furstenberg) a complex character uses the Kabbalah to create a golem to protect the village from harm from the outsiders.

This is a different version of the Frankenstein theme. As I watch Hani Furstenberg deliver half-baked lines, I kept thinking how much Jessica Chastain could have added to this film. Too many dull and lifeless characters. Even the golem was a bit dull and puny. The side story could have been written better.

Guide: No swearing. Sex scene. No nudity.

This is NOT a horror but still very good

[stephenherman · 7/10 · 8 July 2019]

Wouldn't consider this as a horror, but it's a good film regardless.

Hanna

[bloodyskipper · 3/10 · 18 March 2019]

I went in there with an open mind and I can easily say that I was pretty happy with the start with all the interesting Jewish mythology. The movie was well acted and well made too. Noting all that, I must say that there was big point that I could not ignore no matter how much I tried. That is the writing and more specifically the character of Hanna. Her character did not have even one redeemable quality. All of the scenes (including the dream sequence) that showed her mourning her son seemed to so forced and out of character for her that they wrenched me out of the movie completely.

Movie made it pretty obvious from the start that she was a selfish character with huge ego. Selfish because she used birth control and lied to her husband who was nothing but kind and understanding towards her (even breaking the cultural and social norms by helping her study). Egotistical because she couldn't take the insult from the Rabbi and had to create the Golem (I know the movie tried to justify it by making the invader kill her sisters unborn child but to me it looked like she was gonna create the Golem no matter what).

After Hanna sees Benjamin with Sarah she gets so angry forgetting that she had been lying and manipulating Benjamin for the last 7 years. Thus killing Sarah. Even though it was unintentional but she understood the power she had over the Golem. So when the Golem kills Perla later she still denies it and tries to shelter the Golem.

The overall vibe that I was getting till that point was that she was happy about the power and recognition that the Golem brought her and when the movie tried to shove the 'mourning her son's death' down my throat I hated it very much.

Watching the movie became a struggle for me because she was such an unlikable character that I couldn't empathize with on any level.

I am a big horror fan and only watched the movie because of the rating that you guys gave here but I must say that this movie does not deserve more than 3 stars. Ruined my night.

pretty original

[ops-52535 · 8/10 · 6 February 2019]

Actually i would rather have genred it as a mystery drama.(horror) film , just to lower the expectations from the nerdiest of the horror nerds.

the film is taking place in the 1600's lithuania, were the plague are racing its razorblade through the population, and a jewish village where all the inhabitants are sound and healthy. they are accused for cursing the plague over the others and the battle is on.to defend oneself. the lead actress makes a golem to take revenge and seek protection for what has been done to them.



there are slash and gore, and the golem takes the job wholeheartedly aka with hearts in his hand. the story about golem is not good enough explained in the script, and i think the film are slowpaced at some spots, and there are a few editor glitches inbetween , but overall it does the job good enough to make a grumpy old man look away from the screen at its worst slashermoments. the visual product are brilliant, also the decor and settings. and we have all got a new ''spittin image'' of Liv Ullmann in Hani Furstemberg. do watch out for her acting, it is good. this is a film i recommend very much.

Sleepy....

[dmatiik · 6/10 · 24 July 2019]

I think it was a good movie but I couldn't help falling asleep watching it. It takes a while to get going. Also I didn't understand the connection between the opening scenes and the rest of the movie.

Bored me to tears.

[Labowski69 · 2/10 · 19 February 2019]

What an incredibly dull and boring and predictable pile of hogwash. There were some creepy moments which could've been taken advantage of but were not. Some nice kill effects. Too much lame o story. Was waiting for it to end so I could make fun of my friend who chose it.

Close but no cigar....

[dmsl-22193 · 6/10 · 3 March 2021]

Engrossing but borderline too drawn out; the story developed well and held my interest. I do wish the actual Golem was actually a scary monster of some kind since the build-up to the character was pretty good. The Golem represented in the very beginning of the movie (the big clay monster) would have been much better to use in the bloodiest scenes, but then you would lose the storyline of Hanna reconciling herself to her dead son. All in all not bad but had the potential to be much greater.

Beware of what you wish for

[okpilak · 6/10 · 28 December 2023]

Hannah and Benjamin live in a Jewish village in 17th Century Lithuania. It was seven years ago that she lost her son Joseph. The village is quite isolated, and the nearest one is a Catholic village. Hannah has a fixation with the Kabbalah and sneaks to read it at every chance. When the plague hits the Catholic village, the men of that village threaten the Jewish village, saying that since no one is sick there, they must be using spells against the Catholic village. That the two villages are isolated from each other doesn't register. And one of the Catholic men demand they heal his daughter. Hannah feels that if they create a golem it will be the protector of their village, but the Rabbi refuses. So Hannah takes it upon herself to create a golem, and it comes in the form of a young boy, just like her Joseph. But a golem is very powerful, and who protects who from a golem? A golem can simply reach in and tear out a person's heart. I think anyone who has zero understanding of the Jewish faith or practices will be lost in this movie. There are no background or revelations to assist. The movie really fits the mood of the story. Some may consider the movie too slow moving but it is paced to tell the story for the times it is set in.