When Evil Lurks, Demián Rugna's gruesome demonic-possession movie, is still playing in select theaters, but IFC (via FearHQ.com) has now announced that the highly unsettling film will be available to stream on Shudder just in time for Halloween on Friday, October 27.
The story focuses on a pair of brothers who discover a "Rotten" (a possessed person) living near their farm, and decide to take matters into their own hands by removing him from the property. They don't take the proper precautions (a running theme), however, and wind up unleashing an unstoppable evil.
The Argentinian horror flick was very well-received by critics, and holds a near-perfect 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewers were less impressed, however, and the audience score has now slipped down to 57%.
Honestly, it's not difficult to understand why a lot of people were turned off by this one. Aside from the relentless gore and a couple of genuinely disturbing moments, it doesn't really offer any specific answers to certain important questions (we won't get into spoilers).
Even so, this is a truly original take on the possession subgenre, and you could do a lot worse if you're in the mood for some spooky season scares - just be aware of what you're getting into beforehand!
Have a look at the trailer below, and let us know if you plan on streaming When Evil Lurks when it arrives on Shudder next week.
"When brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jimmy (Demián Salomón) discover that a demonic infection has been festering in a nearby farmhouse — its very proximity poisoning the local livestock — they attempt to evict the victim from their land. Failing to adhere to the proper rites of exorcism, their reckless actions inadvertently trigger an epidemic of possessions across their rural community. Now they must outrun an encroaching evil as it corrupts and mutilates everyone it is exposed to, and enlist the aid of a wizened “cleaner,” who holds the only tools that can stop this supernatural plague.
A wildly original take on the possession film, When Evil Lurks is a shocking supernatural thriller from Argentine master of horror, writer-director Demián Rugna (Terrified). "
About the director:
"Born in Haedo, Buenos Aires, Argentina, director and screenwriter Demián Rugna specializes in fantasy and horror films. After making numerous short films in the horror genre and a large number of original scripts, he's directed several feature films including The Last Gateway, Cursed Bastards! and You Don't Know Who You're Talking To. His fourth film, Terrified, was multi-awarded, sold to platforms all over the world, and was the most successful horror film at the box office in Argentina. Recently, he participated in an anthology film called Satanic Hispanics. His 5th feature film, When Evil Lurks, will premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and be released this Fall."