Jewish mysticism and folktales are essentially a bestiary of specifically Jewish spirits, ghosts, demons, witches and mythical creatures. You’ve got dybbukim, clinging demons who roam Earth looking for bodies to enter. There are also estries, shapeshifting female Jewish vampires. But perhaps the most famous of all spooky scary Jewish creatures is the golem. (Besides the werewolf of werewolf bar mitzvah, of course.)
The idea of golems is commonly attributed to the story of the Golem of Prague, in which Rabbi Judah Loew (known as the Maharal; 1525-1609) animated clay into a living creature to protect his Jewish community from antisemitism. He did this by gathering clay from the banks of the Vltava River and performing rituals and speaking Hebrew incantations, including writing the Hebrew word “emet” or “truth” on the golem’s forehead. Rabbi Judah Loew named the golem Yosef or Yossele and Yossele defended the Jewish ghetto, successfully. However, the story states that Yossele also went on a violent rampage of his own, and was only stopped when the rabbi removed the first letter from the word on his forehead. This transformed the word from “emet” to “met,” meaning dead.
From this one tale, many, many more stories have taken shape. Numerous novels include golems like “The Golem and the Jinni,” “Wrath Becomes Her” and the upcoming “I Made It Out of Clay.” Golems are a mainstay in sci-fi and fantasy video games and table games from Dungeons and Dragons to Minecraft. Jewish artists like Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik and Annaliese Rosa can’t stop making golems in their art. Here on Hey Alma, writers have used the symbology of the golem to talk about being queer Jews, disabled Jews, patrilineal Jews and more. And sure, we’ll even credit Gollum from “Lord of the Rings” for making people think of golems every time they say his name.
But perhaps the most notable of all golems are the ones that show up in pop culture via television and movies. Here are 18 movies or TV episodes which feature an array of golems being monstrous, heroic, romantic or just plain silly. (Note: Not all of the golems on this list are golems by Jewish mystical standards, meaning they’re not made of mud or clay. However, if a show or movie identify a creature as a golem, we put them on the list!)
“Der Golem” (1920)
It’s fair to say that 20th-century German expressionist director Paul Wegener was obsessed with the golem. He made a trilogy of movies about the Jewish clay creature: 1915’s “Der Golem,” 1917’s “Der Golem und die Tänzerin” (meaning “The Golem and the Dancing Girl”) and 1920’s “Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam” (meaning: “The Golem: How He Came Into the World”). While the first two films have been lost, the third (known as “Der Golem”) was recently restored by Reboot and is available to watch online. But even if you haven’t seen the movie, odds are you recognize the giant, straight-cut bob and the Star of David on his chest. The movie is just that iconic.
“In ‘The Golem,’ the creature is animated by a rabbi and his assistant in the hopes that it will protect the Jewish community that the Emperor has just ordered to leave the city,” Sarah Rosen wrote for Hey Alma in 2021. While we won’t spoil the ending for you here, “Der Golem” has left it’s mark not just in Jewish pop culture but in the way it deeply influenced “Frankenstein,” one of the greatest horror movies of all time. “The two old horror films have much in common: Each of them is about a genius (depicted by a rabbi in ‘The Golem’ and a scientist in ‘Frankenstein’) and his assistant as they bring an inanimate creature to life. And each of these stories devolves into horror when the creature proves difficult for its creators to control,” Sarah added.
“It!” (1967)
In this ’60s British horror movie, the Golem of Prague somehow ends up in the possession of a British museum and it’s causing death and destruction. Brought to life by Norman Bates-like weirdo and museum assistant Arthur Pimm (Roddy McDowall), the golem (Alan Seller) becomes Pimm’s partner in crime. Despite trying to destroy the golem at one point, Pimm uses him to kidnap Ellen Grove (Jill Haworth), a woman he loves. However, Ellen loves an American curator named Jim Perkins (Paul Maxwell), who coincidentally wants the golem for the New York Museum. Jim is able to save Ellen before a nuclear warhead goes off in an attempt to stop the golem. The warhead does vaporize Arthur Pimms, but the golem cannot be destroyed that way. Ultimately, the golem retreats into the sea.
“Golem” (1995)
Season two, episode 27 of “Gargoyles”
Never heard of this animated show from the ’90s? Neither have we! But apparently it’s about a clan of gargoyles protecting a medieval Scottish castle who are put in a 1,000 year slumber. When they wake up, the castle has been moved to New York City and they still must protect the castle, as well as new enemies. In this episode, gargoyles Goliath and Bronx and Detective Elisa Manza head to Prague where they meet a man who is trying to transfer his soul into the mythical golem. Weird!
“Kaddish” (1997)
Season four, episode 15 of “The X-Files”
Come for the golem story, stay for the respectful portrayal of ultra-Orthodox Jews! In this 1997 episode of “The X-Files,” the monster of the week is a golem who is killing the antisemitic murderers of a Haredi Jewish man named Isaac (Harrison Coe).
“From the beginning, this episode is not about Mulder and Scully. They are visitors to this world, side characters in this story. This episode is about a communal loss,” Talia Blumofe wrote for Hey Alma in 2023. “As Mulder and Scully disrupt the shiva for their investigation, we see them orbit the Orthodox community. They are moons of Saturn, following the community’s rituals. The mourning Jews are handled with care. Mulder and Scully are gentle and deferential when it comes to Jewish customs and mysticism. They are knowledgeable and empathic about the thousands of years of persecution against the Jews.”
The lesson of the golem parallels the show’s meaningful and complex portrayal of an Orthodox Jewish community. Instead of a monster of clay, the golem’s clay takes the flesh-and-bone-like appearance of a human man. But an image of something doesn’t make it real. Void of a soul and a spirit, the golem is a husk. Meanwhile, the Orthodox Jewish characters are real, fully-formed people. In the end, the golem was raised by Isaac’s fiancé Ariel (Justine Miceli) because of her deep love. In realizing her own strength to go on, Ariel is able to let go of the golem and her grief.
“The True Face of a Monster” (1997)
Season one, episode seven of “Extreme Ghostbusters”
If you see a golem, who you gonna call? The extreme Ghostbusters, of course. In episode seven of this animated one-season wonder, a group of new Ghostbusters, led by Egon Spengler, are called in when two men vandalizing a synagogue are attacked by an unknown creature. What the Extreme Ghostbusters find is that a student at Beth Shalom Synagogue named Chaim conjured a golem with an ancient scroll from Prague to protect the synagogue and community against the vandalism. Like the original story, however, Chaim is unable to control the golem and the Ghostbusters must step in to save the synagogue.
“Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge” (2001)
Remember the note saying we were including golems that aren’t technically golems? That was so we could include “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge” on this list. In the first movie, the Halloweentown’s evil mayor Kalabar attempts to rally the creatures to take back the mortal realm. However, he is defeated when Marnie Cromwell (Kimberly J. Brown), Grandma Aggie (Debbie Reynolds) and the rest of the Cromwells join forces to use Merlin’s talisman to destroy him. In the second installment of Disney’s “Halloweentown” series, Marnie and her family return to save both Halloweentown and the mortal realm once more.
This time, Kalabar’s son (Daniel Hountz) is posing as an attractive, leather jacket-wearing teen named Kal in hopes of trapping Marnie and Aggie in Halloweentown while casting a creature spell over the mortal world. But because Kal’s a teen in the human world, it would be suspicious if he didn’t have adult supervision. This is where the golem comes in. Because his real father was defeated, Kal creates a golem made of frogs named Alex (Peter Wingfield) to pretend to be his dad. (Golem Alex is not very good at pretending to be human, however, as he loves all things green and dresses up in an actual frog costume.) Marnie’s little sister Sophie (Emily Roeske) figures this out, however, and has mom Gwen (Judith Hoag) turn him back into a pile of frogs. And, oh yeah, Marnie is able to reverse the creature spell (and a grey spell in Halloweentown) and save the day, too!
“Grave” (2002)
Season six, episode 22 of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
Willow Rosenberg is the preeminent queer Jewish witch of all TV, so it’s frankly unsurprising that she conjured some golems on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” In the sixth season, Willow (Alyson Hanigan), one of Buffy’s best friends, becomes a main villain after losing control when her girlfriend Tara (Amber Benson) is killed. Willow then forces Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to battle with her, and in the process, conjures “earth monsters.” Per the script, “They’re made up of organic material: dirt, rocks, roots, tar, decayed matter and most, importantly, two sharp, scissoring, bone blades at the ends of their arms, which they click together menacingly.” However, paired with Willow’s explicitly Jewish and explicitly magical background, it’s hard to not see these creatures as golems.
The Fantastic Four franchise
Let’s start with a disclaimer! The Fantastic Four franchise is a monster (read: golem) unto itself. We would inevitably fail if we tried to list every TV show spin-off series and comic book the creations of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee have been in. But for the purposes of this list, let’s point to: “The Fantastic Four (2005),” “The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007),” “Fantastic Four (2015)” and their general inclusion in movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
OK, with that out of the way, Benjamin Grimm aka The Thing from The Fantastic Four is maybe the most recognizable golem in all of pop culture. “Although the word ‘golem’ isn’t used [in the first issue], Fantastic Four superhero Benjamin Grimm — also known as ‘The Thing’ and presented as a hulking figure made out of stone — is clearly designed after the golem. Like the original golem, Grimm is a hero and protector — not just of the Jewish people, but of everyone,” Sylvie Trainor Koenigsberg wrote for Hey Alma in 2024.
“Grimm is written as a Jewish New Yorker born on the Lower East Side, a historically Jewish neighborhood at the time. Due to an early taboo in comics against revealing a character’s religion, Grimm was not explicitly mentioned to be Jewish until 2002, around four decades after his conception, when he recites the Shema over a dying childhood friend,” she continues. “But Kirby’s intent for Grimm to be Jewish was clear early on, most prominently in a 1976 Hanukkah card the artist drew for his family, where Grimm was featured celebrating the Festival of Lights. Kirby has also said in interviews that he based Grimm off of himself. In a 2006 story, Grimm celebrates his bar mitzvah 13 years after being transformed into the Thing.”
This adaption of the golem myth allows golems to transform from monstrous creatures to the role of protector. And frankly, we cannot wait to see Jewish actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach take on the role in 2025’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
“You Gotta Know When to Golem” from Treehouse of Horror XVII (2006)
Season 18, episode four of “The Simpsons”
In the 1991 episode “Like Father, Like Clown,” fans of “The Simpsons” learn that Krusty the Clown is Jewish. In 2003’s “Today I am a Clown,” Krusty reunites with his father, Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, and has a bar mitzvah. And in this 2006 Treehouse of Horror episode (“The Simpsons” annual Halloween offering), Krusty introduces the Golem of Prague to Springfield. (If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice that this golem is based on “Der Golem.”) Naturally, the golem gets into the hands of Bart, who uses him for mischief, including murdering Principal Skinner. Lisa, ever the empath, theorizes that the golem probably doesn’t enjoy following commands. She commands the golem to speak and he reveals this is true. To make him feel better, “The Simpsons” make a Golem-ette. The pair, voiced by Richard Lewis and Fran Drescher, respectively, are then married by Rabbi Krustofsky.
“Everybody Hates Hitler” (2013)
Season eight, episode 13 of “Supernatural”
Nazi necromancers and rabbis bursting into flames and golems, oh my! In this episode of “Supernatural,” ghost/demon/generally evil mythical creature hunters Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) and Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) learn of the Judah Initiative, a group of rabbis formed during World War II to fight Nazi necromancers. When the brothers learn that the last living member of the group, Rabbi Bass (Hal Linden), recently died by spontaneous combustion, they decide to figure out why. Dean and Sam travel to Pennsylvania where they meet Rabbi Bass’ grandson Aaron (Adam Rose) and his protector, a golem in the form of a behemoth human man. The group is attacked by Nazi necromancers looking for a ledger which lists their cruel experiments and the names of their members. At one point, the golem is deactivated. But Sam and Dean are able to take on the Nazis. As the Winchesters leave to continue their own journey, Aaron reactivates the golem. He has decided to continue his grandfather’s work on the Judah Initiative.
“Dyin’ on a Prayer” (2014)
Season four, episode four of “Grimm”
The TV show “Grimm” focuses on Homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Guintoli) as he learns that he’s a Grimm. In other words, it’s his ancestral duty to guard the world from mythological creatures. In “Dyin’ on a Prayer,” Nick and his partner Detective Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby) are called in to investigate when a man suspiciously dies by asphyxiating on red clay. (Though what’s also suspicious is the fact that the clay looks more like vodka sauce than mud…) The kicker is that the audience already knows who has conjured the golem — the culprit is a rabbi named Ben (David Julian Hirsh) who prayed over the remains of a golem to protect his sister and nephew from their abusive ex-husband/step-dad. Racked with guilt over his spell actually working, Rabbi Ben confesses to Nick, who is basically like, “I can’t arrest you for praying!” OK, 1) Rabbi what did you think was going to happen when you conjured a golem and 2) Nick, this guy is an accessory to murder?! Anyway, when the golem continues to protect Rabbi Ben’s nephew David (Jakob Salvati), the rabbi and Nick team up to try to stop it from killing anyone else.
“Arthur and the Haunted Tree House” (2017)
a Halloween special of “Arthur”
Everyone knows that Arthur’s friend Francine Frensky is Jewish. (Who could forget the show’s iconic Yom Kippur episode?) But in a 2017 “Arthur” Halloween special, Francine trick-or-treats in her building and meets and old Jewish woman named Mrs. Saperstein who has met a golem. Or, at least, so she claims, with a photo of what appears to be a mud creature.
“Mrs. Saperstein goes on to tell the tale of the golem in the photograph, which was taken in a small village near Prague in what appears to be the 1940s. In the village lived a violinist who played such beautiful music that he could make dead plants grow,” Aliza Pelto wrote for Hey Alma in 2021. “One day, however, he was hit by a trolley and broke all of his fingers. Don’t worry, though, kids — no longer able to play the violin, he became wildly fascinated with magic, as well as incredibly angry and bitter at the world. After studying ancient texts, the ex-violinist learns how to make the golem, which he shapes like a rabbit and shoves a piece of his violin inside of in order to call it to life. All too soon, however, the creature becomes uncontrollable and wreaks havoc across the village.”
“But how did you escape?’ Francine asks Mrs. Saperstein.”Who’s to say I did?” the old woman responds, mysteriously. It’s a golem story that is equally parts spooky, cute and kind of hilarious. I mean, just look at what a golem looks like in the world of Arthur and his friends!
“Homecoming” (2016) and “Be the Penny” (2018)
Season one, episode 10 and season three, episode four (respectively) of “The Magicians”
Based on the novel by Lev Grossman, “The Magicians” is about a teenager named Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) who enrolls in Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy to become, you guessed it, a magician. Unlike other fantasy, sci-fi TV shows like “The X-Files” and “Supernatural” which used golems as one-and-done monsters of the week, a golem named Margolem (Summer Bishil) pops up a few times in “The Magicians.” The first time we meet the golem is in the episode “Homecoming,” when a Brakebills student named Margo Hanson realizes a former fling made a golem in her image, hence the name Margolem. Then, in the episode “Be the Penny,” we meet Margolem again when a character named Penny (Arjun Gupta) is trapped on another plane of existence and needs to communicate with other magicians. He does so by possessing Margolem’s body and speaking through her.
“The Golem” (2018)
“In the beginning, when we just started on the idea for the movie, we tried to tell the story as it is. That is with the real giant creature made of mud and clay, but then we realized that this is not the story we want to tell,” Israeli filmmakers Doron and Yoav Paz said in an interview of their 2018 movie “The Golem.” Thus, a golem child was born.
Set in 1673, “The Golem” is a story of loss and pushing back against hatred. When nearby villagers accuse the residents of a Lithuanian shtetl of starting a Black Death epidemic, Jewish villager Hanna (Hani Furstenberg) decides to fight back. She creates a golem, who bears a resemblance to her dead son, and the clay child protects her and her husband, Benjamin (Ishai Golan), from violent, antisemitic villagers. However, the golem child goes too far. It kills other Jews on the shtetl when one flirts with Benjamin and when another tries to deactivate him. Only after the golem child goes on an even more violent rampage does Hanna finally kiss the golem and kill him.
“The Scorpion King: Book of Souls” (2018)
The original “Scorpion King” movie from 2002 is a spin-off and prequel to “The Mummy.” “The Scorpion King: Book of Souls” is the fifth and final installment of that series, in which Mathayus, The Scorpion King (Zach McGowan), is called upon to help end an evil empire and bring peace to Egypt. In order to do that, Mathayus and Tala (Pearl Thusi), the warrior who called him on the quest, must find and destroy the Book of Souls. But, plot twist! The Book of Souls is actually a person protected by a golem named Enkidu (Nathan Jones).
“Legacies” (2018-2022)
A part of “The Vampire Diaries” universe, “Legacies” follows Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell), a descendent of vampires, witches and werewolves as she learns to control her impulses at the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted. Throughout the show, one of the main antagonists is Malivore (Douglas Tait), a golem who was created by a vampire, a witch and a werewolf to absorb threatening supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, Malivore became self-aware and too powerful for its original creators to destroy. A lesson about the perils of AI, anyone?
The Order (2019)
Season one
In season one of the short-lived Netflix horror drama “The Order,” college student Jack Morton (Jake Manley) pledges a magical secret society called the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose. But then, neophytes, or pledges, start mysteriously dying. Later, when one is attacked by a mud monster, Jack and his friends conclude that the culprit is a golem and someone is using it to help their chances at getting into the Order. Quickly, Jack figures out his roommate Clayton Turner (Dylan Playfair) is the golem and is able to deactivate him by erasing the Hebrew word “emet” scrawled on his forehead. Yay for Jewish mythical accuracy! Later, a member of The Order revives Clay’s head so that Clay can reveal the identity of his master.
“Made for Each Other” (2023)
Much like “I Made It Out of Clay,” “Made for Each Other” is a story about a woman who falls for a golem of her own creation. Rachel (Alexandra Turshen) is an art teacher who sculpts the ideal man that she then brings to life with the help of her neighbor Doris (Illeana Douglas). (Doris ever so conveniently happens to have Jewish amulets on hand to get the job then.) Thus, Clay the golem is born.
“Clay is everything on Rachel’s list of the perfect man and despite discovering a passion for culinary arts thanks to Doris’ rugelach, he is even willing to go to law school for her so he can truly embody every part of her ideal,” my colleague Lior Zaltzman wrote for Kveller in 2023. However, there’s one problem: after she makes the golem, Rachel starts falling for her human friend, David (Matt Cohen).
Though Zaltzman says the movie falls into tropes when it comes to the depiction of Rachel’s mom (Teryl Rothery), she still loved it overall. “It’s a delightful Hallmark movie about building the life you want for yourself,” she wrote. “All three main characters have artistic aspirations, and they all feel the tension between wanting to please those around them and taking risks to make the life of their dreams.”
She adds: “It also offers a lesson about how all the made-up criteria about love and romance can fall to the wayside when we meet that person who truly sees and loves us for who we are — and who really, really makes us laugh.”
