When Evil Lurks (2023) spoiler free review
“There’s no point in praying”. When Evil Lurks (Cuando acecha la maldad) is a 2023 Argentine horror film written and directed by Demián Rugna. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 13, 2023, it was released in theaters by IFC Films on October 6, 2023, and its scheduled to be released on Shudder on October 27, 2023. It is Shudder’s first Spanish-language production along with La Puerta Roja.
In a remote village, two brothers find a demon-infected man just about to give birth to evil itself. They decide to get rid of the man but merely succeed in helping him to deliver the inferno.
Film synopsis
The cast includes Ezequiel Rodriguez as Pedro, Demián Salomon as Jaime, Luis Ziembrowski as Ruiz, Silvia Sabater, and Marcelo Michinaux.
My opinion
In 2017, Argentine director Demián Rugna released what is considered one of the best Argentine horror films: Terrified (Aterrados). Now 6 years later Rugna has returned to not only haunt your nightmares but turn your stomach and leave your mouth open with When Evil Lurks (Cuando acecha la maldad). After hearing gunshots in the middle of the night, brothers Pedro and Jaime decide to go out to investigate, opening the door to an evil that will change their lives forever.
From the moment “the rotten” appears on the screen and is brought by the brothers to civilization, evil is unleashed in a spiral that sinks you into a heavy atmosphere of supernatural horror. Not even children, animals or a pregnant woman are exempt from the consistent grotesque violence throughout the film. The gore and special effects are exceptional and surprisingly realistic, work that was in charge by Elizabet Gora (Make-up Department) and Marcos Berta (Special Effects, Art Department). The plot adds to the feeling of realism by having characters who have no idea what to do and act like it. Instead of miraculously succeeding like many other protagonists in horror films, they suffer terrible consequences.
I have seen hundreds of horror movies in my life, and yet, I was unable to predict where the movie was going and its ending. If the film had already left you with an unpleasant feeling of discomfort, the final scene will only aggravate it. Now it’s only you and your thoughts as the credits roll on the screen. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see it in theaters yet, When Evil Lurks will be available starting tomorrow October 27, 2023 on Shudder.
[Editor’s note: This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.]