“Poltergeist” feels fitting to watch this time of year. Although we don’t celebrate Halloween in Judaism, there’s something a little “scary” about returning to normal life after all the high holidays. Going back to school, routine and structure after weeks filled with celebration and spirituality can be overwhelming. Just as the characters in “Poltergeist” struggle to restore calm and normalcy after chaos, we too face the challenge of settling back into ordinary life after a season of meaning and intensity. In both cases, the transition reminds us that order, peace and routine are things we have to actively rebuild and protect.
Tobe Hooper’s “Poltergeist” (1982), produced by Steven Spielberg, remains one of the most iconic supernatural horror films of all time. On the surface, it’s a classic haunted house story. A suburban family is terrorized by malevolent spirits that kidnap their young daughter, Carol Anne, pulling her into another dimension. But beneath the thrills and visual effects lies a surprisingly deep exploration of American suburbs, respect for the dead and what it means to confront forces beyond human understanding– ideas that resonate strongly within Judaism.
“Poltergeist” understands horror in a way most movies don’t. It doesn’t matter how scary the jump scares or scenes are because true tension only works if you feel some level of attachment to the main characters. The best way to write characters is to make them likable and enjoyable. They don’t need to have an overly complex array of emotions or traits. The Freelings, the film’s central family consisting of parents Steve and Diane and their three children Dana, Robbie and Carol Anne, embody the classic American suburban household, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Each member has a distinct personality that makes them feel real and relatable. This makes the scares more effective because the threat feels personal. You’re invested in their safety, so even small moments of danger carry emotional weight.
Admittedly, I’m a sucker for practical effects. There’s something more immersive and tangible about them than modern-day CGI. Even though not every special effect in the film has aged perfectly, most of them still hold up incredibly well. They have an eerie, almost handcrafted quality that adds to the film’s sense of wonder and dread. It feels like you’re watching real forces at play rather than digital illusions.
At its core, “Poltergeist” explores the tension between the material and spiritual worlds. The Freeling family’s suburban home, built atop a desecrated burial ground, reflects modern society’s disregard for sacred spaces. In Jewish thought, kavod hamet, honoring the dead, is a central value. Disturbing graves is considered a grave transgression, as it disrupts both the physical resting place and the spiritual equilibrium between the living and the departed. This is why Kohanim (descendants of the priestly lineage) are traditionally forbidden from entering cemeteries or coming into close contact with the dead– to preserve their ritual purity and maintain respect for that sacred boundary. The chaos that unfolds in the film mirrors this moral rupture: when the holiness of life and death is ignored, disorder inevitably follows.
The movie also touches on emunah, meaning faith and trust. The Freelings are forced to believe in realities they cannot see in order to rescue their daughter, echoing the Jewish teaching that not everything sacred is visible. In a way, “Poltergeist” can be viewed as a modern midrash on spiritual responsibility. The film’s message is not only about ghosts or horror, but about remembering the sanctity embedded in the world, that every space, even a suburban home, can carry holiness or impurity depending on how we treat it.
So while “Poltergeist” may have terrified audiences with its special effects and eerie whispers of “They’re heeere…,” it also invites a deeper reflection: that the boundaries between life, death and the divine are not as distant as they seem, and that respect for those boundaries, a deeply Jewish value, is essential to restoring peace and balance.
