When Evil Lurks
Directed by Demián Rugna
- horror
- thriller
The story
When brothers Pedro and Jimi discover that a demonic infection has been festering in a nearby farmhouse, 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.
What it’s like
Grimy, sun-bleached rural Argentina, shot with handheld, claustrophobic closeness: dusty yards, dim farmhouse interiors lit by a single bare bulb or a flashlight beam, and wide flat fields that offer no shelter. The palette leans on mud browns, sickly greens and the flat grey of overcast afternoons, with blood that reads dark and wet rather than bright. The sound design is raw and physical, with creaking timber, animal distress, and sudden shrieking silence, and the score is sparse and abrasive, so long stretches feel like waiting for something to snap. Vibe: bleak, feverish dread with dark, sour humour. It suits a late night with the lights off, not a casual watch. Pacing escalates steadily from unsettling to chaotic, with long unbroken sequences of panic. Emotionally it is cynical and tense, following two brothers whose bluster and bad judgement drag their small community into catastrophe. Intensity is high: frequent graphic gore, bodily violence and possession horror, with shotgun blasts, animal harm and grotesque transformations, and little respite. Not for anyone wanting gentleness. For fans of splattery, unsparing folk horror who enjoy black comedy in the chaos.
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