It's rare for me to recommend a movie not to be seen, but with 'When Evil Lurks' (original title is 'Cuando acecha la mandad') by Argentinian director and screenwriter Demián Rugna, I'm very close to doing so. I think this movie resonates with the word 'evil' in the title. It is a horror movie in the category of movies with demons taking over people, animals, entire cities, etc. I love horror movies, and while the demon and exorcism genre isn't my favorite sub-genre, I'm okay with them as long as they either stick to the level of metaphor or treat the subject matter with enough humor. Horror effects don't scare me. This film, however, has absolutely none of the elements that allow horror to become entertainment for the fans of the genre. First of all, there is a complete lack of humor and of any attempt at detachment. The film has as its heroes two brothers who live in a remote rural region, but neither they nor any other characters have a minimum of qualities that could make the audience care about them or identify with them in any way. Horror scenes seem to aim to break as many taboos as possible, including avoiding graphic violence when it comes to children or pregnant women. The 'demonic' part is also taken very seriously, at some point even, one of the characters recites a full manual of behavior about what one is supposed to do when Evil lurks. From a technical point of view the film is well made and shot with expressiveness, but even these qualities seem to be put entirely at the service of the viewers' disgust. This kind of film probably has its audience who appreciate it enough, but I deeply disliked it. There are good movies, bad movies and evil movies. 'When Evil Lurks' belongs to the latest category. Avoid it!
Review of When Evil Lurks
