The Golem is a 2018 Israeli period supernatural horror film directed by Doron and Yoav Paz, and written by Ariel Cohen.

The idea was soon abandoned, however, after realizing that it would not fit with the story they wanted to convey, deciding instead to reimagine the classic tale for a more contemporary audience while staying true to its original themes.

Principal photography for The Golem commenced in the summer of 2017 near Kyiv, Ukraine, for a month and a half, with the majority of the film was shot in an isolated outdoor set, "in the middle of nowhere".

The Golem received positive reviews from critics, who praised Furstenberg's performance, cinematography, and atmosphere; and was nominated for several awards by the Israeli Film Academy.

Dismissing his father's advice, Benjamin smuggles a Torah for Hanna and warns her that it is a Kaballah; many men have gone mad after reading its texts.

Enraged, she sneaks into the synagogue and finds the 72 secret names of God hidden in the Torah in order to reveal the code of merkabah, which could summon a Golem.

She forms a mud sculpture of the Golem, and places a Shem HaMephorash inside its mouth, completing the ceremony by setting ablaze a Star of David.

Rebecca's husband is killed in the ensuing fight with the invaders, and Benjamin is saved by the Golem, who is acting upon Hanna's emotions.

Hanna kisses the Golem goodbye, removing the scroll of God's name from its mouth, killing it and finally ending its rampage.

[8] The Paz Brothers felt that the legend, which they referred to as "the Jewish Frankenstein", had never been properly developed into a film since the silent 1920 version The Golem: How He Came into the World.

In an interview with PopHorror, the brothers also stated that they were drawn to the elements of Cohen's script which they felt was a very dark, and emotional drama.

The idea was soon abandoned, however, after realizing that it would not fit with the story they wanted to convey, deciding instead to reimagine the classic tale for a more contemporary audience while staying true to its original themes.

"[4] Unlike their previous effort JeruZalem, which they felt relied too much on jump scares, the Paz Brothers stated that they wanted the film to be "a slow burn", focusing more on building atmosphere, and tension as well as the development of the lead character Hanna.

As Doron Paz stated in an interview, "Having a much bigger budget this time allowed us to create the scope needed to re-tell the legend of the Golem."

With Yoav Paz further adding that the film's producer Shalom Eisenbach and Epic Pictures "believe in our vision and excited to get it in front [of an] audience".

[12] The Paz Brothers had originally contacted Furstenberg about starring in the lead role, feeling that she was the right person for the part.

[13] Furstenberg later recalled, "A friend finally urged me to be a part of the project and read the script … I fell in love with the heart of the story.

[13] Referring to her character in the film, Furstenberg called her "a feminist before her time", further explaining "she’s underneath the floorboards of the synagogue, studying secretly, and she just happens to be much smarter and much braver than all the men above her".

The filmmakers later stated that the language barrier between the cast and crew actually proved to be beneficial, as it gave them more time than usual to prepare.

[29] Noel Murray from Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, calling it "A well-crafted and idiosyncratic supernatural thriller".

In his review, Murray praised the film for its sense of unease, performances, and surprisingly detailed old-world European setting which he called "[a] rich, realistic background adds a tragic dimension to what happens when Hanna tries to play God".

[30] Anton Bitel from SciFi Now praised the film, writing, "Beautifully shot in the magic light of Central Europe, The Golem feels all at once classical in its storytelling, and yet unfamiliar in its particulars, as it delves deep into Jewish esoterica for its mythological underpinnings.