Possession horror has long existed in pop culture, with one of the most famous being The Exorcist, a film that not only took the world by storm, but influenced multiple imitations. The genre has evolved over the years, but as the rules of possession have become normalised, and the use of the possessed as villains, such as in the Paranormal Activity franchise, the genre has felt somewhat stale for a while. 2023's When Evil Lurks, however, might be one of the best examples of how to shake up the genre, and how to deliver one of the most shocking horror films in years.
The film begins with brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jimi (Demián Salomon) hearing gunshots in the forest near their remote farm house in the dead of night. The next day, the two of them head out to investigate, only to find the remains of a body that they at first think might have been killed by a wild animal, but soon conclude was hacked to pieces by a weapon. Along with the corpse are pieces of some old device that seems vaguely familiar to Jimi, and a folder with documents related to a nearby family.
Heading over to the family, the brothers find an old woman and her youngest son, who say they were waiting for the dead man in the woods, a 'cleaner', to come and deal with her eldest son, Uriel. The Cleaner was coming to kill Uriel, as he has become a 'rotten', someone possessed with the spirit of a demon whose influence can spread like an infection if not eliminated the right way. With no indication that another cleaner will ever be sent, the two brothers help local farmer Ruiz (Luis Ziembrowski), load Uriel into the back of his truck to transport him far away from their community. However, when Uriel falls off the truck at some point along the way they declare the problem solved and return home.
Despite removing Uriel from the community, the next day the demonic influence begins to appear, coming after those who were near Uriel, causing violence, death, and horrors in its wake. Now Pedro and Jimi must grab their family and try to escape, avoiding taking the demon's taint with them. But as twisted, dark forces pursue them, it looks like they may never be able to escape.
When Evil Lurks does something that not many horror films do, it doesn't explain everything to the audience, but allows the characters to understand the rules. Writer/Director Demián Rugna drops us into a situation where we have no idea what a 'rotten' is, yet our protagonists understand as soon as the word is said. They know what they should and shouldn't do around one, how its influence spreads, and as we see them try to react to the situation, and deal with these very specific steps we're left in a position of being a few steps behind, and that unknown makes things frightening. A lot of US productions will have things spelled out to characters very early on, the rules of the evil they're dealing with, and we learn along with them, here, we learn by seeing how afraid these people are, and how certain things they do doom them.
The film is also incredibly well structured when if comes to its more overtly horrifying moments. The film doesn't do cheap scares, there's no moments of a cat suddenly jumping into frame with a hiss to frighten us, instead the moments that make you yell out loud are earned, they're important to the story that's happening, and the brutality of them leave you questioning if you actually saw what you saw. I'm trying to be vague, as there are several moments in When Evil Lurks that are genuinely amazing that you do not want to be spoilt for, but I will say that the violence, the gore, and the shocks of the film are often foreshadowed, and it's waiting for that hammer to fall that makes the moment when it does the more shocking.
Rugna also doesn't hold things back in regards to who the evil forces in his story go after. There are no safe characters here, adorable children aren't safe just because of who they are; and at times it does feel like Rugna is going out of his way to deliver as shocking and awful an experience as possible. There are a few moments in the movie that had me yelling expletives out loud because I couldn't believe the film had the nerve to go where it did, to be as brutal as it was, but these moments were justified by the narrative, and whilst this might be one of the more disturbing horror films I've seen in a long while it never once felt like torture porn, a splatter movie, or an exploitation piece. Instead, When Evil Lurks feels like a very tonally dark movie about how brutal and destructive true evil is, and how no one would be safe in its presence.
As well as a script that packs in the horror and shocks, When Evil Lurks is an exceptionally pretty film to look at, one steeped in atmosphere. The cinematography is fantastic, particularly in the night scenes where light is avoided (one of the rules of dealing with demonic forces being not using electronic lights), where light sources and the interplay of shadows are an important element that help to shape the scene. It's these quieter, visually darker moments that are some of the most beautiful and haunting scenes of the movie, and the ones that will stick with you alongside the shocks.
Alongside the movie, the new Second Sight release also comes with some extra features, including an audio commentary from Spanish cinematic and literature lecturer Gabriel Eljaiek-Rodriguez, interviews with cast and crew such as Demián Rugna, Ezequiel Rodríguez, Actor Demián Salomón, and a video essay from Mike Muncer, host of the award winning Evolution of Horror podcast. The Limited Edition also comes with six collector art cards, a 120 page book filled with essays and writing on the movie, and a slipcase.
When Evil Lurks is a film that I missed when it was first released, but was immediately drawn to when I saw the trailer; and Demián Rugna has been on my radar since seeing parts of Terrified, as such, this new release was the perfect opportunity to discover his work. And I am glad that I did. This film impressed me very quickly, and I found myself both wanting more, and wanting to stop the film in equal measures. Rugna has crafted a film that will horrify you, yet you'll become fascinated with, a narrative of the nature of evil, how the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and why you should never think that anyone is truly safe when dealing with the forces of hell.
When Evil Lurks Limited Edition 4k UHD collection is available from Second Sight on 28th July 2025.
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