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.
What We Thought:
I first saw When Evil Lurks last year and I can’t say I was disappointed in it, it just wasn’t my type of horror. I wanted to give it another try because so many people were talking about it before then and since then. I knew there were things I liked about it so I thought I’d give the new 4K release a try.
The second viewing went pretty much the same as the first, I just already knew what to expect. I’m not a supernatural/possession horror type, but if you are, you’ll love this film. The major positives are the effects. I forgot how much I enjoyed those the first time around. It has an 80s vibe to it with great practical effects and styling that worked for me. It reminded me of A Violent Nature with the use of the effects and throwback feel. I liked that one more than this, but they would make a great double feature.
Even though I’m not a supernatural horror fan it gets major props for using local folklore for its story. I will always support projects that use stories and folklore that are native to their area. Without knowing anything about that folklore, the story feels fresh despite just being a possession/exorcist type flick.
I’ll also say that along with the fantastic practical effects, I loved the use of the Autistic boy as a real character. He serves a real purpose to the plot and is a pretty fleshed out character. He’s not there just to be there, but is needed for the story.
When Evil Lurks isn’t the movie I was hoping for, but those into the supernatural subgenre of horror will surely like it. It has great style and direction and the practical effects shine, I just wish I liked it as much as everyone else. The 4K looks great and sounds even better and comes with a Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery.
The Nerds Templar 