When Evil Lurks (Cuando Acecha la Maldad) – Argentina – 2023 – Horror, Thriller
Directed by: Demián Rugna
Written by: Demián Rugna
Main Players: Ezequiel Rodríguez; Demián Salomón
Gunshots in the quiet night air a distance away causes distress for brothers Pedro (Rodríguez) and Jimi (Salomón). They grab their guns. The shot number heard and quick firing rate makes them think it’s not hunters or poachers. They decide they will leave at dawn and investigate. They live in a tiny home on the outskirts of a small town.
As daylight breaks, the two men and their dog take off across fields and farm lands towards last night’s disturbance, and neighbors. Their dog eventually barks and leads them to a horrific scene in a forest with body parts strewn around. The men wonder what could do this. A puma maybe? One ate their neighbor Ruiz’s goats before…
They think the remains may even be Ruiz. Or wait… maybe Ruiz killed this person on his property, and has run off? They are unsure of what to do, but must report it. Next to a pair of legs is a briefcase with strange golden mechanical parts, but the men are not sure what the pieces are.
They do find a book and a map, and think some of it is written in Russian. There is also a picture of a local, María Elena. They trek to her home and ask if she was waiting for someone perhaps, and she confirms she sent for someone to deal with her son, Uriel. María says she needed someone to kill him. There is something wrong, something evil in him.
From here, When Evil Lurks kicks into high gear like an axe to the face. Its story has a few new and horrific spins on some horror themes and plot lines. It is quite dark, and does not leave much room for hope, as an unimaginable evil spreads across an Argentinian town.
The movie is a high-quality production, despite the dark story and bloody events. The acting is strong and the situation presented is quite scary. There is a lot of visceral carnage and it has very dark and bleak moments, so only hit this up if you are down for violence and bodily destruction. The tension and creep factors are pretty good also, so kick back and be terrified by this effective horror thriller.
We are at the end of the world. Why would there be a possessed one here?
See This If You Liked:
The Evil Dead; Evil Dead (2013); Evil Dead Rise; The Dark and the Wicked; Bring Her Back; Talk to Me; Hereditary; Smile; Smile 2; The Conjuring; The Exorcist; [REC]; [REC] 2; Sinister
Score:
8.0