‘When Evil Lurks’ TIFF 2023 Review: Genuinely Shocking Old School Mayhem
Josh Korngut
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One of the most genuinely shocking movies of the year comes out swinging like an axe to the face. Written and directed by Demián Rugna, the horror mastermind behind Terrified, When Evil Lurks is a bold and sickening new vision of monstrous mayhem from a filmmaker unafraid to linger in the graveyard of bad taste. This title is a recipe for dangerous art, and that’s exactly what we get in the end. Not intended for inexperienced horror fans, this disturbing waltz of brutality and madness is a welcome scream-at-the-screen addition to the extreme horror cannon.
The story here is conceptually in the clouds while simultaneously staying grounded in a realistic, sweaty, and brightly lit world. The population of a small town realizes they’ve been infested with an evil entity, and they attempt to flee, only to discover that it’s far too late. The film primarily focuses its gaze on two adult brothers, one of whom is a father and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his family safe. But this proves to be a difficult task when his community tumbles into delusion, denial, and distrust.
Ezequiel Rodríguez, Demián Salomón (Satanic Hispanics), and Luis Ziembrowsk deliver standout performances in a horrifying tale that is unafraid to brutalize and pulverize men, women, children and animals alike. Truly, no soul is safe in When Evil Lurks, and this is something I so appreciate when done well in horror. Real-world nightmare scenarios don’t discriminate, so why should cinema? There’s something so macabre and anti-Hollywood about killing children characters in horror, and When Evil Lurks shows no fear in this department. So, if you’re uncomfortable with kids and animals being targets of unspeakable violence, I suggest skipping this title. However, if you’re a genre fan interested in pushing boundaries, then this is an unmissable Halloween release.
Tonally, I tend to prefer campier and more stylish fare in contrast to the often serious and gritty real-world vision offered here. While the film does reach a ghoulish and traditionally spooky finale, most of the horror takes place in unabashed daylight in a world that looks no different from our own. And there’s something discomforting about expertly achieved daytime horror. In fact, there was one brightly lit scene in particular that had me uncharacteristically screaming in a packed cinema. And while I would have enjoyed more moments of levity from this hard-to-watch shitshow of blood and gore, I know for a fact that there are countless fans who will eat this up like a bowl of bright green apple ice cream.
My only complaint boils down to the script, which sometimes feels like it’s pulling the viewer in too many directions to keep a firm eye on the full picture. There’s a splintered family, a small town in crisis, and a series of undead characters who are all demanding attention. I believe a more streamlined connection with the lead brothers on their respective journeys could have simplified matters and helped to hone in on the horror even better. But this was not my film, and the cornucopia of madness stitched together by Rugna turned out to be unlike anything I’ve seen before.
By the end of this film, I found myself cupping my mouth in gleeful horror on more than one occasion. Its anti-Hollywood choices of violence and disturbing imagery left me and the audience around me shrieking. At the same time, while this won’t be for everyone—especially not the causal genre fan—When Evil Lurks is a bold and dangerous vision from a bonafide master of his craft.
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When Evil Lurks
Summary
‘When Evil Lurks’ is a disturbing waltz of brutality and madness and a welcome scream-at-the-screen addition to the extreme horror cannon.
