When Evil Lurks

Brian Tallerico September 16, 2023

NOW STREAMING ON:

Powered by JustWatch
The most memorable aspects of Demian Rugna’s “When Evil
Lurks,” which just had its world premiere in the Midnight
Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival, have
an anarchic brutality that’s reminiscent of the work of an obvious
influence in the Argentinian filmmaker, Lucio Fulci. This film
doesn’t abide by many norms—dogs and children are not free or
innocent, for the record—and gets great power from occasionally
dropping into gory, gnarly insanity. It’s an admirably vicious piece
of work when it wants to be—although arguably could have gone
even further and more frequently. After all, once you open the
door to Hell, viewers are willing to go with you wherever the
journey leads.
ADVERTISEMENT

Brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodriguez) and Jimmy (Demian

Salomon) discover that a “rotten” has been growing or
decomposing, or I don’t even know how to describe it, in a nearby
farmhouse when livestock start acting funny. That’s usually the
first sign that things are about to go very wrong in any movie like
“When Evil Lurks.” Keep an eye on the animals—they know before
the humans do.
Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter To Los Angeles: Orchestra
(Spot)

A “rotten” is a word for a possessed being, and it's an

appropriately descriptive term. In this case, the poor possessed
soul looks like a bloated, oozing mess. But the human instinct to
show this hideous abomination the end of a shotgun is the wrong
one. That’s exactly what the demon wants because it unleashes the
evil to do more harm. Well, of course, things go very wrong after
some truly stupid decisions, and Pedro and Jimmy have to try and
put the demon genie back in the bottle as it creates grisly havoc
across their community.

ADVERTISEMENT

And I mean grisly. The first truly “whoa” scene involves an axe
and a pregnant woman. And it gets gnarlier from there. In an era
of cynical, meta-horror, it’s refreshing to see something with
a main purpose that isn’t so much “conversation starter” but
“stomach turner.” Rugna builds tension through these extreme
acts of abject horror, portraying an evil that can make humans
and creatures act in the most unexpectedly violent manner,
possessed by pure malevolence. The possession aspect of “When
Evil Lurks” adds another layer to the tension in that no one can be
trusted. It almost makes one wonder if Rugna’s film could be read
as a COVID-19 allegory in that once pure evil is unleashed, anyone
can be infected, and no one can be trusted.

Sadly, the stellar first half of “When Evil Lurks” is stronger than
the second, in which Rugna tends to overexplain what the
brothers have to do and the general lore around a “rotten.” They
even join forces with a “cleaner” (Silvina Sabater) who feels
almost like a narrator to ensure the audience can follow what
must happen next. It doesn’t help that the final act of “When Evil
Lurks” ends up hinging on a largely silent autistic young man’s
ability to withstand possession because demons can’t easily
“figure out their minds,” a choice that makes Pedro’s son (Emilio
Vodanovich) a pretty manipulative character.
ADVERTISEMENT

There’s a version of “When Evil Lurks” that leans more into the
potential chaos of the concept instead of trying to get a firm
narrative grip on it or even get sentimental with its leading men
and their families. Fulci never needed to be so blunt regarding
exposition or narrative consistency. Audiences will forgive not
understanding what’s happening if they’re too shocked and/or
terrified to care.

In the end, there's enough unforgettable imagery in “When Evil

Lurks” to overcome its unfulfilled potential. The right audience
will eat it up, ignoring both the undercooked and overcooked
ingredients in this bloody stew, if they’re not too nauseous to do
so.

ADVERTISEMENT
This review was filed from the 2023 Toronto International Film
Festival. "When Evil Lurks" has a limited theatrical release on October
6th, followed by a Shudder launch on October 27th.
THRILLER
HORROR
Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also

covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for
Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President
of the Chicago Film Critics Association.