When Evil Lurks
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Shocking, gory horror movie about an evil plague.
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When Evil Lurks
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What's the Story?
In WHEN EVIL LURKS, brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodriguez) and Jimi (Demian Salomon) hear gunshots ringing out in the darkness near their remote farmhouse. Investigating the next day, they come across a mangled body near some strange equipment. The men deduce that the victim was a "cleaner," whose job is to safely dispatch victims who've become "rotten" -- i.e., possessed by some kind of evil plague. The brothers head to another nearby farmhouse and discover the diseased man who was the cleaner's intended target. Accompanied by another farmer, Ruiz (Luis Ziembrowski), the brothers decide to remove the "rotten" body and dump it far from both of their properties to keep its inherent evil from spreading. Pedro then decides to round up his children and estranged wife and flee. Unfortunately, the family doesn't get far before the malevolent force finds them. With the help of another cleaner, Mirta (Silvina Sabater), they must make a stand.
Is It Any Good?
Kind of a zombie movie and kind of a demon-possession movie, though also quite unlike anything you'd expect from those genres, this potent chiller is truly shocking, as well as clever and knowing. Written and directed by Argentinean-born Demián Rugna (and presented in Spanish with English subtitles for U.S. release), When Evil Lurks doesn't pull any punches. If the icky, bloated, pus-oozing body of "Uriel" doesn't get you, then a sudden animal attack -- totally out of the blue -- will.
But while the shock and gore are extremely well done, the movie's real strength, not unlike the films of George A. Romero, lies in its social themes and canny presentation. There are rules around the "rotten," such as that they can't simply be shot with guns, because that causes the evil to escape and spread, as we see in another bruising moment involving a woman with an ax. The three protagonists' decision to dump their problem into "somebody else's problem" territory, thinking it won't come back to bite them, is emblematic of the tragic, shortsighted way many humans deal with global issues, handled here with a modicum of subtlety and straightforward grimness. Indeed, the title When Evil Lurks doesn't necessary apply to the diabolical force sweeping the countryside in the story -- it could be referring to humanity itself.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about When Evil Lurks' violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
What's the issue with the way that the characters take care of the "Uriel" problem? How does their decision apply to real-life situations?
How is the character on the autism spectrum depicted? Positively? Negatively? In between? Does the movie use stereotypes?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 6, 2023
- On DVD or streaming: October 27, 2023
- Cast: Ezequiel Rodriguez , Demian Salomon , Silvina Sabater
- Director: Demian Rugna
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Shudder
- Genre: Horror
- Run time: 99 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: October 9, 2023
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