User reviews

This movie was insane!

After being legitimately scared watching Runga's previous film Atterados, I knew that his follow up would up the ante and be even more brutal without shying away from what other directors wouldn't even attempt to show, but even I was shocked at the brutality shown in this film. I mean, was it too much? Some of the scenes were jaw dropping. I've honestly never seen some of the stuff shown in this movie EVER in my 30+ years as a fan of horror movies, and I hope they go over well with the majority of the audience as this new bar that was set and raised simultaneously is extremely high.

If you think this a run of the mill demonic possession film, you would be sorely mistaken. There are no catholic priests or churches, no crosses or holy water, no head spinning or contortions (there is a little pea soup, but that's just because it's the easiest thing to feed someone who is comatose). There are no catholic demonic possession tropes to be found in this film, which is a HUGE breath of fresh air for one of the stalest subgenres in horror. It's a movie about demons possessing people like a virus, and they have their own set of rules as to how they are dealt with, and a very specific way of expelling them. Honestly, it's this type of fresh and novel approach to film making that makes Runga a standout where other movies seemed to fail so miserably (I'm looking at you, Exorcist; Believer). If more writers/directors took the time to take horror staples and twist them to make an original and unique creation, we would have a more vibrant and rich selection of horror movies.

The standout of this film aside from the superb acting and the terrifying score, was the carnage and gore (as in, the use of practical special effects over CGI). It all looked so REAL. That scene with the dog was absolutely monstrous, and I shook my head in disbelief that anyone would have the gonads to show something that intense in a film. The movie rarely lets up, and you will be treated to jaw drop after jaw drop. Really, it's a spectacle, and one that is best shared with others just to see and hear their reactions.

Overall, I couldn't recommend this film more if I tried. It's beautifully shot, well acted, the horror is intense and gore hounds will be pleased. It's original, it's fresh, it's dread induced as all get out. It's just a treat of a horror film and I urge anyone who loves the genre to see this movie. It deserves all of the success it will undoubtedly receive.

So i gotta say, i was hooked from the beginning. Really intrigued by the "world" and how the rules applied to it, etc. But what the actual hell is wrong with these people? How many times does someone have to tell them to NOT do something only for them to do just the mere seconds later? Why was it so hard for anyone to, i don't know, use their brains? It was so infuriating to watch people make stupid mistakes that lead to others' deaths. I remember thinking (in the beginning) oh im leaving a great rating with this one.... and then, stupidity would strike over and over. To the point where i just gave up na laughed at how stupid it became.

High points for creativity in the plot/story/world building but jfc were the characters freaking morons.

A rare film which will satisfy both the gore hounds and the cerebral, this hidden gem is going to earn a cult following.

When Evil Lurks places us in a world where evil is so common place, it's become routine. Mundane and dismissible, this film explores the dangers of when people start to think bad things can only happen to other people, shared community and belief are lost, and the institutions put in place to protect us become complacent and disinterested.

The rules for safety are clearly stated, but watch as each character's downfall comes from the thoughtless certainty that they are the exception and nothing will come of *them* doing it, just this one time.

The unique demonic entities of this modern setting are alien to, yet play with, the tropes of just about every standard possession film: at once familiar and extremely inscrutable. Audiences are left to muddle through figuring things out as the protagonists do, and I strongly urge you to enter the film with as little knowledge as possible.

Good for when you want a little thought to your gore, or a lot of gore in your thought, are tired of stereotypical Catholic-based possession films, and those who enjoy well-executed worldbuilding. You can expect high production values (you can practically *smell* the Rotted through the screen) and a balance between the brutal shocks and the lingering creepies.

Those disturbed by the graphic harm of children or animals should steer clear.

With horror films, you're usually used to an old haunted mansion, a group of people make a visit....at night, because why not... and they do a bunch of stuff they're not supposed to. This, widely acclaimed, 2023 Argentine supernatural film is your standard *dumb decisions* but in a different setting and with some reasoning behind these dumb decisions. At least that's what it seems to be after the first watch.

Plot - Residents of a remote village/town learn that something evil among them and if it's not handled right, the whole town will get destroyed.

I don't think this film is scary (subjective) but this will make you feel very uneasy. Don't watch this while eating, you'll thank yourself. In this genre, you can tell how certain scenes are going to play out? You feel the same in this one but also go "No, they won't be doing it. That's too jarring. No way." and boom! They do it anyway and make you go "I can't believe they went there!" and this 'shock' adds to the experiences of watching this film. There's more gore than I'd expect in a horror movie. No jump scares - so that's a plus in my books.

Despite the idiotic decision making, the film is surely different from your regular horror movies. It did leave me with several questions but I'd have recommended it anyway. The research led me to an interview by the director and his thought process behind the film it made me look at the film in a totally different light; helped answer some questions; some still left unanswered.

If you're a horror movie fan, I'd still recommend it for you. Keeping aside some dumb decisions, this offers something different that most other mainstream horror films don't.

This Argentinian gem narrates the story of Pedro who along with his brother Jaime comes across a rotten body of a man who is possessed by a demon. He is about to give birth to it and the brothers not only have to stop the birthing but also ensure not to kill the Kan as it might spread the possession. With the authorities refusing to help and a mistake leading to the spread, it is upto the brothers to safeguard their family and also stop the demon. Will they succeed forms rest of the story.

I already used the word "gem", so adding onto that, this is by far the best horror film to release this year and I thoroughly loved it. There is no time spent on believer and non-believer, as the story is established in such a way that the characters believe the scenario of an unborn demon about to get unleashed and that alone helps sell this story. The director doesn't waste any time in getting on with the story as the brothers discover the rotting man soon and hell breaks loose thereafter.

With constant supply of scares and gore even when the film is devoid of any jumpscares, as the narrative doesn't want to resort to such gimmicks. It's a run for survival rather than fight for survival till the final act and that works the best. By the tike the final act begins, the film throws in more surprises amidst the inevitable outcome. Kudos to the make up team as well, to help elevate those not easily digestible scenes. I liked the fact that the narrative held my attention from start to finish. For this, I would strongly recommend this as a must watch to everyone.

I enjoyed the premise of "When Evil Lurks", I think that it is an original possession story, that part ways with the usual stereotypes of this kind of horror. The evil takes over the lives of Jimi and Pedro slowly and painfully. The audience assists to this inevitable ascent of the darkness that multiple times outsmart the characters, despite all the precautions and strategies that they apply. The director took a realistic approach and some elements of the story are raw and credible. There is no unjustified over the top violence and no pointless jumpscares. The script takes the time to deepen the backstory of Pedro and his family, making him vulnerable and relatable to the eyes of the audience. The narration is fervid and there are many tense sequences that deliver some unexpected moments. This is in my opinion what made the first half great. Unfortunately the film starts to lose its appeal midway. All the tension that built up completely disappeared in the second part of the film. The protagonist takes impulsive decisions that have no logic and that will cost him dearly. In my opinion this goes against the nature of the character, that from the beginning constantly warns others how to kill the possessed, without contracting the curse. The ending is very dramatic and it leaves things open for a possible sequel (that most likely will not happen). Overall I liked the general concept of this film, but the director (who is also the screenwriter) made some decisions that prevented this film from achieving its true potential. "When Evil Lurks" could be one of the best 2023 horror movies, but unfortunately it only gets a 6. It is still a solid film, but I was expecting way better.

It's a shame this didn't turn out better, because the movie is trying to be different than the usual horror. It's just not very good at being different. It's really well shot, and there are some key moments that are really good and would have been memorable moments in a better film.

The film falls down most heavily on narrative. Early on, you will start to wonder if this movie was adapted from a comic or something, since the silly dialogue has that overwrought feeling: self-serious but daft. Once you've been introduced to the collective noun usage of "rotten", the film slowly drips more jargon and symbolism until it starts to fill in the history of its world. You can tell that they decided against putting this exposition upfront because they thought it was be more sophisticated to have the characters reveal it at the gradual pace with which you might mention past events in normal conversation, but you can't wring sophistication from a story like this. Everyone is apparently aware of the enormous supernatural threat, but it hasn't changed the world one bit.

The other giant failing is those very people. With the exception of two women who try to warn idiots not to do the idiotic things that everybody knows not to do, everybody is incredibly stupid. The film's protagonist, Pedro, is hands-down the stupidest character ever to appear in a horror film. I don't care who just popped into your head in a challenge to me saying that; there is no halfwit teenager in the crudest slasher who even comes close to the stupidity of Pedro. It is impossible to care about him because he is so detestably dim. Evil does not need to conquer a world that contains Pedro, for it is already lost.

This is a frustrating film. It shows so much potential and throws it away.

Seriously underrated movie. I watched the original version with Spanish subtitles, and in my opinion it is the best way to watch. Anyway, if you expected cruelty and horror prepare to not be disappointed because seriously, this movies delivers! With that being said, it does have it's lacks, first of all this is obviously meant to be the beginning of a franchise (you'll realize that after watching the cliffhanger ending), nonetheless, this small production Argentinian movie is not afraid to hurt anybody's feelings. What I can tell you for certain is that this is the best it gets, just don't expect the sequel to be half as good.

The movie stars with a great sense of mystery, minimal dialogues which only builds up the somber. But then it downright starts to fall flat. The characters start to scream and shout - clearly some actors overacted. The protagonist acts like a true simpleton throughout the movie. It feels like even a dumb person won't make lame mistakes as he does.

This movie is unique and different though. It doesn't try to copy any other horror movies out there and creates its own horror subgenre. There was significant potential with quality writing and direction.

Unfortunately, what we get is a actually a rotten piece of dish that might have appeared okay but is just not consumable.

Ok.

I love old school horror movies that don't rely on BS jump scares and CGI.

This movie isn't perfect.

In the second half you may notice some plot contradictions like I did. And yet every actor gave it their all.

This is a new take on possession horror.

The pacing is perfect.

It's really hard to not put spoilers in the review because some of them might convince you to watch this!

As a southern American surrounded by churches of all types, and having known many Catholics, this take is refreshing. In a messed up way lol.

I won't say this is a 10/10 movie. BUT. If you're tired of the same old gore Schlick then this is for you. I appreciate the actors giving their all even though the screenplay isn't perfect. Hope you don't like dogs.

I watched the Argentinian horror film 🇦🇷 When Evil Lurks (2023) at the theater tonight. The storyline revolves around a pair of brothers and their friend who come across a demon-possessed body and are determined to eliminate it to prevent the infection from spreading through the village. However, this task proves to be far more challenging than they initially anticipated.

Written and directed by Demián Rugna (Terrified), the film features Ezequiel Rodríguez (The Road), Luis Ziembrowski (The Rotten Link), Federico Liss (Wild Tales) and Demián Salomón (You Don't Know Who You're Talking To).

Demián Rugna once again displays his mastery in crafting a unique and refreshing horror film. The storyline of this picture is exceptional and reminded me of Talk to Me in terms of plot, intensity, suddenness and shocking violence. The film delivers an array of incredible and relentless sequences that are both shocking and brutal. The kills are filled with gore, blood splatter, and unrelenting ruthlessness. The scenes involving the goat and children pickup at mother's house are a dream come true for horror enthusiasts. While the ending is somewhat open-ended, it works effectively.

In conclusion, Demián Rugna has created another masterpiece for the horror genre. I would rate it an 8-8.5/10 and strongly recommending it.

I know it's blasphemy, but I LOVED this possession horror movie way more than 1973's The Exorcist.

Yes, I know. I'm in the 4% who doesn't prop The Exorcist up as the greatest horror movie ever made. I just recently watched that now-50-year-old movie only for the 2nd time and unbelievably, my rating dropped for it. (I explained IN DETAIL why in my review, so seek and find that for my thoughts.)

This one gets RIGHT to the action with NO time spared. Immediately, you're thrust into the action and world-building. And let me get this straight: while I'm not fully understanding the ending at this point (I REALLY need to watch one of those "Ending Explained" YouTube commentators to fully grasp this finale,) I absolutely loved this tense, suspenseful and most of all, ORIGINAL tale of possession. Talk about NOT being spoon-fed this plot to the audience. You're gonna have to piece this one on your own.

When Evil Lurks tells the tale of two brothers who will stop at nothing to protect their family and hopefully village/friends from an evil, travelling spirit hellbent on corrupting their isolated village, friends, family and livestock. Much like The Thing invading, how will they stop this threat before all their loved ones...or the WORLD...is demonized?

I haven't seen such a bold, in your face, right-away horror that demands your attention and put the pieces together yourself in such a long time. You are in the almost-the-same shoes as these characters with trying solve the riddle and save everyone involved. And the fact that no one is safe while you try and solve this riddle, including children, you better act fast.

I loved this movie even without fully understanding the ending for now. Either those "Ending Explained" YouTube vids will open my eyes, or I'll do it on my own from future revisits. With any route, Director/Writer Demián Rugna did an EXCELLENT job of opening a new door of horror.

***

Final Thoughts: YES, this movie is from Argentina and has subtitles. Suck it up. Some of the best horror films are outside the system. Especially serious horror.

This movie didn't live up to the critic and fan praise after going in knowing it would be a different movie and giving it plenty of generous leeway on quality and expectations. The first 40 minutes are solid, but it often fails to execute. After that the movie drags and drags on with many dull moments that never pay off, or provide a thought provoking ending such as gems like Suspiria 2018, Neon Demon, Drive, etc. Characters make predictably dumb decisions as usual to drive a plot forward.

This is a filmmaker with potential, and a great influence for future Spanish horror. However, I believe this film was given too much credit and acclaim because it wasn't held to such high standards as other horror films. After leaving the film, you may try to grasp onto a theme or message, but the ending is not one to impress. I'm glad I waited to watch this on Shudder vs traveling 2 hours to a theater. This falls in line with the many IFC films I find interesting and unique, but fail to be entertaining or interesting enough to maintain attention. Be careful and don't go in with expectations set by people raving about the film.

Unpleasant characters who garner no sympathy, combined with a loosely constructed plot, make this movie difficult to watch.

There are many positive reviews of this movie on IMDB, so this review is in the minority. How one reacts to a movie is subjective of course.

But an objective fact is that the writer and director of this movie are the same person. Far more often than not this kind of arrangement results in excesses and shortcomings, presumably because there is no one to check or balance the work of the other.

I saw this movie's score among fans so I had high hopes. (I never read the "critics" anymore.) This movie was a disappointment I'm sorry to say.

(TW: Violence involving kids and animals) Containing both shock value and substance, "When Evil Lurks" is a plague movie unlike any other I've seen. The idea of demonic possessions spreading like a virus is more terrifying than an illness or the undead. The acting is great across the board (including the child actors) and the filmmakers do not hold back when it come to violence or who falls victim to it - and it isn't just the gore, it's the way the violence is enacted that leaves us disturbed. Now I'm really interested in seeing writer/director Demián Rugna's previously film, "Terrified" (2017), which seems like a fresh take on supernatural and crime horror.

I was ready to recommend this movie to all my friends until I saw the last 10 minutes of it.

Those last 10 minutes ruined the movie for me. A typical example of the cliche trope of the main character making the worst possible choice even though he knows better, but the movie plot needs to happen so he has to do the worst thing imaginable which does not suit the character at all.

So if you can stomach a trash ending, then I recommend this movie to you. It has really good moments, but again, be prepared to have one of the most unsatisfying movie endings in any horror movie to date.

A shame really.

Without divulging spoilers, this film contains some of the best concepts I've seen in a horror film recently. It's the execution of the concepts that was a little off (along with the murderous executions). The first half is definitely superior to the second half, as you get drawn into the stylistic choices, especially those car scenes and a scene with a goat and a ravenous dog. If the film kept that same level of intensity it would've been a 10 for me. But I understand the choices made and why they were made. (Read: budget and production and development meetings). But it's definitely one of the most interesting horror films you'll see and deserving of taking it to a whole...nother...level.

I was able to perfectly understand Dark, but not this movie. I love the folklore stories but, the thing that makes the horror a huge success is the possibility that is a thing that actually might happen. In this movie you are going to see great especial effects, but also a complicated set of rules to follow, a song, 7 laws, a complicated artefact, possession, zombies, cannibalism, human mind control, animal mind control... The first half of the movie is great. After that is a down fall from there. I put six for the effort, because doesn't makes any sense. Lacking motivation and conduct thread. Sometimes less is more.