When Evil Lurks
When Evil Lurks
Inhabitants of a quaint countryside town uncover chilling news: a demon is on the verge of being born in their midst. In a race against time, they attempt to flee before the malevolent force comes to life, but escaping may already be out of reach.
Michael Heimgartner reviewedMay 1, 2025
Unrelenting, Inventive, and Truly Evil – A Modern Possession Nightmare
When Evil Lurks is one of the most unflinching and inventive horror films of recent years—a brutal reinvention of the possession subgenre that doesn’t just flirt with taboo, but smashes through it unapologetically.
Directed by Demián Rugna (Terrified), the film wastes no time establishing itself as unpredictable and dangerous. There is no plot armor for its characters—anyone can die, and often in shocking, deeply disturbing ways. This alone injects a raw tension that most mainstream horror films lack. You’re never allowed to feel safe, and that’s a rare and exhilarating thing.
The story begins with two brothers stumbling into a demonic infection already in progress, and from there, chaos spirals in all directions. Their misguided attempts to help only escalate the horror, giving the film a chaotic, helpless energy reminiscent of Evil Dead—not in tone, as When Evil Lurks is far bleaker and more serious—but in the way things keep going horribly, grotesquely wrong. The absurdity of their failures adds a strange texture that somehow makes the violence hit even harder.
The first half is a relentless barrage of gut-punch moments—each more shocking than the last. From the disturbing opening to the now-infamous dog scene, Rugna demonstrates an almost sadistic willingness to break all the unspoken rules of horror storytelling. And it works. You can feel the audience tensing up, thinking: “Did they really just do that?”
The camerawork is excellent, capturing wide, eerie shots of rural decay and panic while keeping the terror intimate. The gore is particularly inventive—gruesome without feeling indulgent. Rugna knows exactly how to make each violent moment matter.
In the second half, the film slows slightly as it attempts to flesh out its lore. While the world-building is intriguing and hints at a much larger mythos, it risks over-explaining things and somewhat diminishes the raw, chaotic power of the earlier scenes. That said, even this more contemplative stretch maintains an ominous, oppressive atmosphere.
If there’s one flaw, it’s that the film could have gone deeper in exploring the thematic core of its horror. The potential for something more profound is there, especially with its themes of generational trauma, helplessness, and belief—but these are touched on more than explored.
Still, When Evil Lurks is a gutsy, relentless piece of horror filmmaking that dares to disturb in new ways. Demián Rugna cements himself as one of the genre’s most exciting voices, following up the already brilliant Terrified with a film that is nastier, bigger, and no less memorable.
One of the boldest horror films of the year. Shudder made the right call bringing this to audiences hungry for something truly unpredictable. Not for the faint of heart—but for horror fans tired of safe, recycled scares, When Evil Lurks is a breath of cursed air.