When Evil Lurks

This a film that steers clear of psychological manipulation and jump scares. Instead, it explores a different kind of horror. While it does include some gore, which I found to be the director’s most questionable decision, it’s rare for a film to feature scenes that genuinely unsettle and compel you to look away.


The film's character development is exceptional, making every scene feel incredibly authentic.

What sets this film apart is that it doesn't just tell a story; it immerses you in a world where every character is completely convinced of the reality of what’s happening. This strong belief creates a sense of tension that I haven’t felt in a long time.

The plot itself is straightforward, but its effects on the story are profound. The film’s main strength lies in its exploration of how the human mind responds under extreme pressure.

I was really positively surprised by this one. great movie

A completely different take on possession. Avoiding all the stupid cliches from American movies, director Demián Rugna takes a gruesome, intelligent, and shocking route that makes the movie one of the most original horror films I've watched in a long time. The third act slows things a little more than I would wanted, but the end leaves you satisfied and devastated.

Without a doubt, this IS the movie you should watch in October 2023 instead of the megahyped Exorcist secuel.

This movie is exactly what i was looking for as a horro fan who can't find good horror movies anymore.A unique perspective,a fresh idea,a disturbing watch which made me feel uneasy from the first minute till the last.In two scenes i was really shocked i can't remember the last time i felt like this watching a horro movie.I liked that it had nothing to do with all clichés we have been used to watch.

8.5/10 Argentina did great well done.

WOW, what an unexpected Argentinian gem of a movie, unfiltered with no care for pg rating nor tailoring to a minority crowd, it does not rely on unnecessary jumpscares, horror movie cliches or tropes either. a must-see horror movie of the 21st century!

Decidedly original, meticulously tailored suspense, confronting and masterfully written.

It is independent and relatively lower budget films like this that leave me in awe of the creative process of film. This isn't necessarily the film for those looking for 'big scares', but it is particularly tense, well paced and undoubtedly dark with many very vivid scenes of violence. The writing is a definite strong point of this film, writer-director Demián Rugna is an absolute talent, and this movie has secured his oeuvre on my to-watch list.

There were some fairly unsubtle context dumps, but not after giving a chance to piece together the narrative for yourself. It does frequently fall into the territory of 'protagonist makes repeated terrible and frustrating decisions', but given the development of the protagonist [spoiler] (such as his responsibility as a parent, and his continual personal failings towards his family)[/spoiler] this is entirely fair. The momentum unfortunately lags in the third act, with an ending that I found to be [spoiler] somewhat anticlimactic in nature[/spoiler].

While not a criticism (again, it links to themes), those with a particular aversion to depictions of child abuse or violence may want to skip this one.

I ain't never seen anything quite like this

it's weird...
the concept doesn't displease me, but...
wasn't bad...
is an idiot from the beginning, the main character.
las muertes fueron buenas...

Holy fucking shit balls craziness

This was an absolute gem of a "gorror" (gory/horror) movie. I will say from the start that this film is entirely in Spanish so some of it may have been lost in translation but come on... We don't watch these for their riveting dialogue, right? If you're looking for something that is both gruesome and just wicked evil, look no further. This takes the "possession" genre to an entirely new level; this is not a rehash of _The Exorcist_ or a twist on _The Conjuring_: this is a whole new ballgame. I came across this one from a YouTube recommendation and while I don't concur 100% with the YouTuber's opinions about "great" brutal movies, I have to give props for this recommendation. I don't know if I could have/would have found this on my own - honestly, I'd never even heard of it on any other lists - but wow, this was a truly gruesome find, one that I may very well watch repeated times.

Now, before I sound **_too_** gushy, let me just say here that the story was kind of difficult for me to follow. Maybe it has something to do with my being a white American dude and this film is steeped in Latino culture. I couldn't quite follow what "the rotten" was (well, I mean, apart from it being somewhat obvious there at the beginning, but the continued references kinda lost me), or how "the rotten" differed from "the demon" or whatever spiritual entity they were being tormented by. So yeah, in all honesty, there was a huge part of the storyline itself that I was just kind of confused by, but in spite of that, this was just a truly great movie if blood, guts, gore, and extreme violence are what you're looking for in a horror film. There were some scenes and storylines in _When Evil Lurks_ that, I'll be honest, I don't know if you'd ever see them in an American-produced film: they were just totally wicked, unexpected...and such an evil delight. The special effects will have your stomach churning and the overwhelming feel of suspense and terror...well, the entire recipe just added up to be one of the better horror movies I've watched in recent months. Streaming right now on Hulu, but wherever you can find this, if you haven't seen it and you really enjoy truly horrific, gruesome horror, you owe it to yourself. Yes, it's 100% in Spanish, with English subtitles, so it's easy enough to follow the dialogue. Some of the storyline _might_ get a bit unclear (it did for me, I admit) but that took NOTHING away from the incredible work of art that I enjoyed here. Great movie! Give it a watch and let me know your thoughts.

A good possession movie with a good story.