When Evil Lurks (2023)
Argentine horror has a quietly distinguished track record, even if English-speaking audiences have tended to encounter it only in fragments, a festival buzz title here, a streaming recommendation there. Films like Monos demonstrated that Latin American genre cinema can operate on its own terms, with its own rhythms and preoccupations, and When Evil Lurks arrives carrying similar expectations. Written and directed by Demián Rugna, it had its world premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival in 2023 and was picked up by Shudder, the horror-focused streaming platform that has become a reliable home for exactly this sort of ambitious, difficult-to-categorise genre work. The tagline, "There's no point in praying," tells you something about the film's attitude from the off: this is not a story interested in redemption or divine intervention. It is interested in what happens when ordinary people, confronted with something genuinely malevolent, make a catastrophically wrong call.
The premise is fairly stripped back. Two brothers, Pedro and Jimi, discover that a man on a neighbouring farm appears to be in the advanced stages of some kind of demonic possession, a condition the film's world treats less as a supernatural anomaly and more as a festering rural problem, like a disease that's been left untreated for too long. Their decision to deal with the situation themselves, without following whatever proper rites exist for this sort of thing, sets off a chain of consequences that spreads across their isolated community. It is, at its core, a film about the fallout from a bad decision made under pressure, which is a sound enough foundation for horror. Rugna had previously made Aterrados (known internationally as Terrified) in 2017, a film that earned him genuine cult credibility and demonstrated a real flair for atmosphere and dread. When Evil Lurks represents a larger canvas, co-produced between Machaco Films, La Puerta Roja, Aramos Cine, and Shudder, with Argentine state support through Cine Argentino. It is, by the standards of this corner of the market, a polished production.
The cast is largely unfamiliar to international audiences, which in a film like this is almost an asset. Ezequiel Rodríguez and Demián Salomón play the brothers at the centre of the story, and both bring a workaday, unglamorous credibility to their roles. There is no action-hero swagger here, just two men in over their heads. Silvina Sabater, Luis Ziembrowski, and Marcelo Michinaux round out the supporting ensemble, all contributing to the film's grounded, rural texture. Fans of Macca's coverage of Latin American cinema, including his thoughts on Silence Is a Falling Body and The Fire, will find familiar territory in the way the film roots its more extreme material in recognisable, unglamorous human behaviour. Whether the material itself holds up is, of course, another question entirely.
When Evil Lurks (2023), directed by Demián Rugna, is a visceral Argentine horror film that arrives with considerable technical craft and a willingness to push boundaries. The makeup and practical effects are genuinely impressive. Grotesque, inventive, and unflinchingly detailed in ways that elevate the body horror beyond typical genre fare. The acting, too, is largely above average: the cast brings a grounded, believable intensity to their roles, selling the panic and desperation even when the script doesn't fully support them. For viewers who prioritise visceral impact and technical execution, there's certainly something to admire here.
But admiration doesn't equal enjoyment, and When Evil Lurks struggles to cohere as a satisfying narrative experience. The story operates on a set of supernatural rules that are never clearly defined or consistently applied, leaving the viewer to piece together the logic amid escalating chaos. There's minimal world-building: you're dropped into a rural community under siege with little context, expected to absorb the mythology through osmosis rather than exposition. The result feels less like deliberate mystery and more like narrative carelessness. Tonally, it invites comparisons to films like The Sadness, The Wailing, and The Crazies, but where those films earned their extremity through character or thematic depth, this one often feels like shock for shock's sake.
That brings us to the film's most contentious element: its graphic content, particularly in scenes involving children. There's a fine line between horror that challenges and horror that exploits, and When Evil Lurks frequently crosses it. These moments don't feel essential to the story; they feel designed to provoke a reaction rather than serve the narrative. It's a bold choice, but one that can alienate rather than engage.
When Evil Lurks is a technically proficient, well-acted horror film that's ultimately undermined by a muddled story, inconsistent rules, and a reliance on graphic extremity that doesn't always earn its impact. If you're a fan of unflinching, boundary-pushing genre cinema, you may find enough to appreciate. But if you're looking for narrative clarity, emotional resonance, or restraint? You'll likely leave as unmoved as I was.
When Evil Lurks is the kind of film that will find its audience, and that audience will likely be vocal about it. For horror devotees with a high tolerance for graphic content and a taste for the uncompromising end of genre cinema, it offers enough craft and sheer nerve to merit attention. For everyone else, it sits in a more awkward position: technically assured, clearly made with conviction, but narratively messy in ways that undercut its own ambitions. Rugna remains a director worth watching, even when the film he has made is a frustrating one. Sometimes the most interesting filmmakers are the ones whose reach exceeds their grasp, and that, more than anything else, might be the most honest thing you can say about this one.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 2023 | Watched: 2026-05-30
Trailer
▶ Watch the official trailer for When Evil Lurks (2023) on YouTube
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Shudder · Shudder Amazon Channel
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