Do You Dare Venture Out of Safety to See When Evil Lurks (FANTASTIC)?

Title: When Evil Lurks

First Non-Festival Release: October 6, 2023 (Limited Theatrical Release)

Director: Demián Rugna

Writer: Demián Rugna

Runtime: 99 Minutes

Starring: Ezequiel Rodríguez, Demián Salomón, Silvina Sabater

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2023.

The possession subgenre of horror has been plagued with uninteresting regurgitations of Christian exorcism films ever since The Exorcist came out in 1973. Since then, nearly the same handful of tropes implemented are utilized to re-tell a similar story to the film that defined horror for its time. Every now and then a film comes along to subvert its predecessors just enough to be a nice fun, slice of possession horror. Then, a film like When Evil Lurks comes along to destroy that formula entirely.

Brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jimi (Demián Salomón) hear shots outside their home late at night. Concerned, the next morning they investigate and find an eviscerated corpse. Upon inspecting the body, they realize the man was headed to the home of Maria Elena (Isabel Quinteros). There, they discover why this man was mutilated beyond recognition. He was on his way to execute one of Maria Elena’s boys after he was possessed by one of “the rotten.” This discovery leads to a terrifying chain of events that showcase just how powerful and deadly “the rotten” can be.

Deliciously bleak, When Evil Lurks gives an audacious twist on possession thanks to imaginative world building and terrifying imagery.

A tale of possession unlike many others, When Evil Lurks builds a strange and dangerous world where “the rotten” terrorize unsuspecting humans. The history behind the rot is offered up in bite-sized pieces throughout the film with every character supplying bits of information to explain why the residents of this small town are so fearful of a sickly boy. There are certain rules that everyone must follow to remain safe. “The rotten” uses technology, children, animals, and possession of the possessed to amplify its hold on you. They also must not be touched or harmed by anyone. Following these rules means temporary safety, failure means death.

Dark energy permeates from the very first frame of When Evil Lurks and it refuses to let up for one moment afterwards. There’s a scene in the first act of the film that will have your jaw on the floor. By the end of the film, it’ll be easy to forget the impact that moment has because Director Demián Rugna will have outdone himself at least five more times since then. When Evil Lurks is deeply unsettling film that is lab-tested to scare the shit out of you. Never content to stick to one approach to horror, Rugna incorporates a mixture of jump scares, memorable imagery, gross outs, moody atmosphere, downbeat stingers, and overwhelming panic to keep the suspense tight and unnerving.

Perhaps the most haunting aspect of the film is its nihilistic approach to the nature of evil. What could easily be chalked up to a singular message of how easily corruptible children are becomes something much heavier. Pedro consistently takes actions to ensure the safety of his children, and others too, yet falls short. As the influence of “the rotten” spreads around him and his family, a way out is more difficult to imagine.

This leads to a showdown at a school where the possessed has decided to take root. With children being easily influenced by the evil presence, they are impressed to lie so it can remain hidden and wreak havoc. This idea that children are catalysts in their own misery by hiding the things that are hurting them is a hard one to swallow. Because “the rotten” can spread its influence through technology and artificial light, it isn’t hard to see the connections being made to reality. When hidden from their parents, children can allow darkness to grow inside them and change them for worse. Of course, one’s definition of darkness can change depending on beliefs, but it isn’t a stretch to say that the internet makes it easier to hurt people.

Easily one of the most viscerally upsetting films of the year, When Evil Lurks disturbs with its demented visuals and unassuming set design. There’s typically a set of guidelines that most filmmakers follow when making a film, horror or otherwise, to make it generally palatable for mainstream audiences. Rugna follows no such rules. No one is safe, which allows the film to continuously shock and disturb as it goes about its story. Every time you may think it can’t get more messed up; it does. Plainly stated When Evil Lurks is vile in the best way for horror fans. The normalcy of the towns makes it even more upsetting as it feels closer to what audience members experience in their lives. Before the influence of “the rotten” comes through, everything feels lived in and ordinary. This violent juxtaposition adds to the fear as it removes the feeling of safety and forces viewers to soak in the family’s misery.

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Of course, without its stellar cast When Evil Lurks wouldn’t hit half as hard. Both Ezequiel Rodríguez and Demián Salomón carry the film on their backs as two brothers trying to find safety for their loved ones. Pedro and Jimi are put through the ringer meaning both must give emotionally appealing performances to believe their suffering. And their suffering is impossible to overlook. Rodríguez breaks down spectacularly when the horror of their battle’s end settles. The defeat, the anguish, the guilt; it’s clear how much this man has gone through, and it hurts to know that it won’t end. The rest of the cast does a stellar job as well, including the exceptionally talented young actors who elevate the material beyond standard creepy kid fare.

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Imaginative, compelling, and altogether terrifying, Rugna does it again with his ambitious follow up to 2018’s Terrified. An impressively sinister film that never once falters in its execution, When Evil Lurks is not for the faint-hearted. An assault on the senses and sensibilities, When Evil Lurks combines captivating storytelling with powerful performances to horrify its audience. If you dare seek out When Evil Lurks, be sure to follow the rules and heed the warnings lest you leave the theater feeling rotten yourself.

Overall Score? 8/10