When Evil Lurks (2023) Review – A Gruesome Masterpiece Undermined By Immense Character Stupidity
When Evil Lurks: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A brutally effective and visually arresting possession movie that isn’t afraid to push boundaries. Demián Rugna crafts a world of absolute hopelessness, filled with some of the most shocking body horror in modern cinema. However, the film is somewhat hampered by its protagonists, whose relentless stupidity and refusal to follow simple rules leads to a highly predictable second half. Despite the logic hurdles, its atmosphere and sheer nastiness make it essential viewing for hardened horror fans. A 3.5-star experience that is as frustrating as it is frightening.
Details: Director: Demián Rugna | Cast: Ezequiel Rodríguez, Demián Salomón, Silvina Sabater, Luis Ziembrowski | Runtime: 1h 39m | Release Date: 6 October 2023
Best for: Fans of extreme body horror, lovers of nihilistic folk-horror, and viewers who enjoyed Rugna’s previous work, Terrified.
Worth noting: The film establishes “Seven Rules” to survive the infection, including not using firearms and not using electric light, both of which are central to the plot’s escalation.
Where to Watch: Amazon🛒, Shudder
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
(Visceral gore, unique possession rules, incredibly stupid characters)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at another recent movie: Demián Rugna’s When Evil Lurks. This movie released almost a year ago in October 2023. It kind of slipped under my radar a bit as I really try to avoid wasting my money on Shudder, wherever possible. You can check out our review of Rugna’s previous effort, Terrified, right here.
Table of Contents
It’s a mostly solid effort
People have really hyped this movie up, almost to a point of aggression towards people who didn’t enjoy it. While I do agree with much of the praise, I feel like many reviewers are ignoring some of the more pressing issues that When Evil Lurks has.
When Evil Lurks does a lot of things right. In fact, for the most part, it is a truly solid movie. Following the story of two brothers who live in a remote village in Argentina, When Evil Lurks sees the brothers come into contact with an infected “rotten” man who is about to give birth to the very incarnation of evil itself.
Hoping for an easy solution, the brothers decide to dump the man in the middle of nowhere. Little do they realise, their actions will unleash something more horrifying than they could have ever imagined.
A fascinating concept and utterly gruesome
Firstly, this is a brilliant concept. It immediately sets up a ton of tension and offers up some fantastic opportunities for gruesome body horror. The rotten man is truly disgusting. The special effects team have gone out of their way to make sure you are repulsed by him.
This is something that is pretty consistent throughout When Evil Lurks. There are a ton of gross-out moments and some sensational gore. Rugna has really managed to tap into a genuinely visceral type of horror that feels just that little bit more impactful than most movies.
“Rugna has really managed to tap into a genuinely visceral type of horror that feels just that little bit more impactful than most movies.”
Tension is at its peak throughout the first half, too. As the brothers rid themselves of the rotten man, you are just waiting for the carnage to begin. You know it is coming and, when it does, it is complete chaos. There’s some legitimately brutal moments and a very real sense of atmosphere and panic.
Rugna pulls no punches. Nothing is off-limits and some of the moments here are truly shocking. It works incredibly well and this pace keeps up throughout about two-thirds of the film. Throw in some fantastic pacing, some gorgeous cinematography, and a decent soundtrack and you have a lot to be happy about.
A slight problem
The vast majority of When Evil Lurks is really decent, very enjoyable, and pretty impactful. The problems start when it becomes clear that the characters are not just unlucky but, actually, beyond stupid. When Evil Lurks transforms into something of a possession movie. Not my favourite type of horror by any stretch but it is done pretty well, for the most part.
“The problems start when it becomes clear that the characters are not just unlucky but, actually, beyond stupid.”
There are a set of rules that the characters must follow to avoid things getting much worse. Simple rules; rules that are very easy to stick to. There are, also, a bunch of female characters that constantly remind the men of these rules and, basically, put the whole situation on easy mode for the brothers.
The only problem is, the brothers never ever listen to the rules despite the constant reminders and reinforcement. Every single rule is broken and it is to a point of causing major frustration. The events of this movie would never happen if the simple rules were followed.
The events certainly wouldn’t escalate if the men didn’t constantly do the complete opposite of what they are told. It is beyond annoying and reeks of poor writing. Nothing that happens is believable or organic. Every single tiny bit of escalation is forced. It never feels like bad luck, it always feels like stupidity.
I found the logic fails very disappointing
Sure, there might be an explanation for this. You could argue that the evil is compelling them to break the rules which would make sense, to a degree. But it’s a weak explanation and even that detracts from the movie greatly. Maybe it is a commentary on misogyny and the pigheadedness of some men. Who knows?
“There’s nothing fun about being able to call out, with 100% accuracy, what will happen next, especially when it is due to the characters being complete idiots.”
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. Understanding why it happens doesn’t wipe away the feeling of disappointment. By the last third of the movie, my fiancée and I had totally checked out. It just felt silly. When Evil Lurks descends into a game of woefully predictable escalation that is more annoying than compelling. It becomes enormously repetitive and wholly frustrating.
You know, immediately, that whatever situation occurs, there is little reason to become invested because someone will do something dumb and the worst-case scenario will occur. It is consistently and relentlessly predictable. It’s a shame because much of the movie is very watchable. It is atmospheric, tense, impactful, and shocking.
It just takes such a huge hit from some of the writing choices and I really feel like it never manages to recover. There’s nothing fun about being able to call out, with 100% accuracy, what will happen next, especially when it is due to the characters being complete idiots.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- The Gore: Some of the most creative and shocking body horror practical effects seen in years. Truly repulsive in the best way possible.
- Atmosphere: Rugna builds a thick, suffocating sense of dread that remains consistent from the opening frame.
- The Concept: A fresh and terrifying take on the possession sub-genre that moves away from tired religious tropes.
The Bad
- Character Logic: The protagonists are frustratingly stupid, making choices that feel like forced script requirements rather than natural actions.
- Predictability: Because the characters consistently do the opposite of what they are told, the “shocks” in the second half become entirely predictable.
The Ugly: The “Rotten” man himself. The makeup and sound design used to bring this character to life are genuinely stomach-turning.
Should You Watch When Evil Lurks?
Yes, absolutely. Despite the frustrating character choices, the first two-thirds of the movie are among the most effective horror sequences of the decade. Just be prepared to roll your eyes at the screen a few times as the logic starts to unravel.
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