Keith Thomas, who has directed the horror film "The Vigil", has opened up about what drew him to making a movie on Jewish pain, holocaust and antisemitism.

Thomas has said that a part of making a Jewish film comes from his own family history. He said he lost family not only in the Holocaust but also in pogroms before and this is something that always struck him as a child.

"We conceptualise the Holocaust as this indescribably devastating event, but there were lots of other incidents. In my mind, even in the film, we are only showing the tiniest moment of the Holocaust through one man's experience, and it's just as powerful and destructive as what happens to Yakov's brother on the street," the filmmaker said.

"The Vigil" is about a man named Yakov (Dave Davis), who is hired by his old rabbi to watch over the body of a recently deceased community member and has to survive a night tormented by a demon in the chiller, steeped in Jewish lore and historical connections. The film also stars Menashe Lustig and Malky Goldman.

The horror film comes from Blumhouse Productions, makers of films such as the "Paranormal Activity" franchise, "The Invisible Man", the "Insidious" franchise, "The Purge" franchise, the "Halloween" franchise, the "Happy Death Day" franchise, "Split", "Glass" and the "Ouija" franchise among others.

The film released on Amazon Prime Video on July 9.