When Evil Lurks (2023)

Director: Demián Rugna

Starring: Ezequiel Rodríguez, Demián Salomón, Luis Ziembrowski

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 spreading the chaos.

Bloody hell!! Before watching ‘When Evil Lurks’ make sure you are ready for what you’re about to see. I’ve seen a myriad of possession movies – and horror films in general – but this was by far one of the most disturbing and best in the genre!

Having heard shots the night before, brothers Pedro and Jimi investigate at dawn. They make a gruesome discovery in the woods: a man cut in half. Among his possessions, they find a map indicating he was on his way to Maria nearby. Arriving there, they find her son Uriel in dire state – to say the least!! He has been possessed for over a year, and although she reported it, no-one has come to her aid. The make-up effects are amazing, but so gross!!

In this movie, the possessed are referred to as Rotten, and there are several rules to abide by when you encounter someone who is possessed. Most importantly, you can’t kill them with a gun. The brothers and their neighbour Ruiz decide it would be best to take Uriel far away from town, where they intend leaving him to die. However, things does not go as planned, making the situation much worse.

And this is only just the start of unspeakable terror, and a living nightmare from which there is no escape. This film is brutal and holds nothing back. It is disturbing, shocking and unsettling in the most effective ways ever seen in a possession movie…. Many of the shocking moments happen suddenly when you least expect it.

‘When Evil Lurks’ is fast-paced. It grabs you from the opening moment and never lets go, never allowing the viewer to catch his breath. There were moments when I curled my legs up with my knees up to my chin, watching through parted fingers. This film will get under your skin, and in your head!

The performances from the entire cast are FANTASTIC!! Ezequiel Rodríguez in particular was just incredible as Pedro. I won’t be surprised if he receives an Oscar nomination. Speaking of which, I think ‘When Evil Lurks’ might just be a contender for Best Foreign Language Film. I can’t wait for the Oscar nominations to be announced. This is by far one of the best horror films of the year, and one of the best possession movies EVER!

In Spanish.

Would I watch it again? As disturbing as it was, hell yeah!!