'When Evil Lurks' Is Ready to Make You Squirm and Jump Out of Your Seat

By Sara Clements | Film | October 6, 2023 |

By Sara Clements | Film | October 6, 2023 |

Just the other day in the Pajiba Slack, the topic of possession in horror movies came up. Some of our writers expressed a desire for good horror that isn’t just about a cursed object or exorcism. It’s demons galore these days, and there seems to be what you could call “possession fatigue.” It’s understandable, especially when many possession movies aren’t good. But the supernatural has been a staple of the genre for decades, and it doesn’t look like demons are going to take a back seat anytime soon. While most of these films hit tired beats, it’s still possible to take the familiar and make it original. That’s exactly what Demián Rugna’s When Evil Lurks does. Finally, a great horror thriller just in time for Halloween.

The Argentinian film, now out in theatres and streaming on Shudder on October 27th, begins with the sound of gunshots echoing through the night — and the titular evil will henceforth remain unrelenting. The brothers who own the land, Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jimmi (Demián Salomón), conclude that there must be poachers out in the forest. Getting right into the narrative’s mystery, they go and investigate. But what they find aren’t the remains of a dead animal, but of a human body ripped apart. They learn that this man is a “cleaner,” specializing in the disposal of “rotten” ones: those possessed by the devil. He had come to kill a neighbor’s son, Uriel (played by different actors under layers of latex). Rotting from the inside out, it’s a disgusting sight as puss leaks from every orifice of his body. As the proper authorities don’t seem to care much about the matter, the brothers get involved, helping rid of whatever evil is growing inside Uriel to protect their land and community. However, taking matters into their own hands makes things far worse.

There’s much to admire about When Evil Lurks. What’s immediately noticeable are the Western cues in the film’s score and nods in the cinematography. Armed with shotguns, the brothers walk across their land in a gorgeous aerial shot. It’s a showdown at sundown. Other shots capture the brothers shadowed against a sunset, their backs turned towards the camera. This vulnerable blocking continues as the camera zooms in on the back of their necks, like something is lurking right behind them, and tricks of the light play with shadows to create devilish imagery. What really impresses, too, is the makeup and practical effects. Seeing Uriel for the first time feels like the modern equivalent of Linda Blair in The Exorcist, and many of the scenes are so bloody and gnarly that it works to emphasize both what’s at stake and the severity of the situation the brothers find themselves in.

The filmmakers create a lot of tension in this way, but also in how genuinely shocking some scenes are. As the brothers make a run for it, Pedro tries to save his estranged family. The fear delivered by our main performers, as well as the absolute panic that ensues, keep the audience on edge. It’s a cat-and-mouse game, with the brothers and an invisible evil taking turns on either side. The situation seems too unreal and they begin to question their experience, just as some scenes here are so shocking and unexpected that the audience will find themselves asking, “Wait..did that just happen?” The film catches you off guard, making you squirm and jump out of your seat.

It’s commendable how Rugna is truly trying to make this film his own, carving a place for himself in the subgenre without falling into generic trappings. Along with the brothers, a character named Mirta (Silvina Sabater) introduces lore surrounding the “rotten” ones. She explains the rules that must be followed in order to rid of this evil and also provides some backstory of her experiences with the devil’s work. However, in this respect, the
story sits undercooked. There really isn’t any method to the madness, as the logic behind certain rules is unexplained. There’s also no clear establishment for why specific methods to eliminate the demon need to be taken in the first place. There’s also a suggestion that the higher powers in town, like the mayor, are hiding something regarding this case, but that’s forgotten, too.

At the beginning of the film, Pedro and Jimmi have no idea what they’re dealing with. Likewise, the audience doesn’t know what they’re in for, but it’s a wild ride of delectably disturbing devilish trickery. Feeling like a whole new experience in so many respects, Rugna’s film is not only one of the best horror films of the year but one that’s quite bold in presenting horror as an unavoidable reality that we may all have to face. As bleak as that may be, it’s a haunting thought that lingers far after the film ends.