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After so many positive first reactions, When Evil Lurks is a solid disappointment for me. The premise of demonic possession spreading like an epidemic is great, but as is unfortunately the case, the translation of a promising premise to the screen and especially the ways they chose to go with it went more and more off the rails as the minutes ticked by. Characters make bizarre decisions influenced by motives we don't understand, they disappear from the plot and reappear as the script sees fit, and the whole thing is so oddly constructed that after the climax of the entire film, I was convinced that there had to be at least one more act to follow to pull it out of its lackluster sub-par state and add some proper resolution. It didn't. (10.10.2023)

I was apprehensive that this would be just another run-of-the-mill horror flick, rehashing tired tropes. Boy, was I wrong. This film had a fresh take; the creators didn't recycle anything I'd seen five times before but instead crafted an original story featuring Uriel, who could very well become a new sex symbol in our modern, highly tolerant world, along with a pair of well-meaning losers. I appreciated the polished atmosphere, which kept me on edge throughout, as well as the stellar cast (I genuinely liked all of them). Additionally, I liked how the creators were restrained with violence (reserving it for occasional, brief outbursts), but when it did occur, it was brutal. I have to admit, I had a blast. / Lesson learned: Don't attempt to digest indigestible materials. 4*+ (20.01.2024)

I went for a full meal and got a full meal. INSANE!! Demian Rugna has already managed to shine once with the awesome creepy Terrified, and this film clearly makes him a strong player in the horror field with unprecedented talent (Flanagan could learn). This is some really thick horror fodder, properly off the rails that was right down my alley. But it's a very evil film, unpleasant, dark, it crosses genre boundaries, the director knows how to shock and there's some very nasty things happening to everyone, including children and animals, so weaker characters watch out! This is rural demonic horror from Argentina set in a village where two brothers find an infected man (possessed by a demon). The demon possession spreads like a plague and the man rots alive! I have to say that the premise is not only original but also quite realistic, if there ever was a demonic possession I believe it could have manifested itself in these symptoms. I really liked that the movie gives seven rules to avoid the evil. From the very beginning, the director throws an uncompromising atmosphere, from which you can feel the hopelessness, despair, helplessness against an unknown evil. It has a very fierce pace, which I appreciate, excellent music that perfectly complements the tension and the atmosphere. The characters are well acted, the direction is of course top notch, and now we come to the most important thing: the horror scenes themselves. They are so good that every single one would be a highlight in another film. On the one hand there are scenes that I have never seen in my life, but then they shock in such a way that they are hard to breathe (the dog scene is really something crazy!). The obese Uriel, rotten to the bone will probably haunt my dreams, and eating the brains out of his child like popcorn is also a pretty good freakout and it definitely doesn't stop there. For me, an absolute horror beauty that scores on all fronts. It has an original theme, great gore, great make-up effects, good pacing, great visuals, it’s shocking, it's uncomfortable, it has a sultry atmosphere, it breaks down cinematic boundaries. I don't know what more to ask for, this is what a Horror movie with a all the trimmings should look like. In short, the demons have taken over the horror fair this year. Oh and by he way, complaining about characters behaving illogically when the town is being eaten by plague, rot and demons is really logical. It's like some introvert accidentally strayed from drama to horror. My only regret is that the film wasn’t half an hour longer. 9/10. (27.10.2023)

When Evil Lurks is the most original and most well-rendered manifestation of the devil on earth in many years. Though we follow only a handful of characters fleeing the devil in the vicinity of a small town, the film is of almost apocalyptic proportions; the plot is packed with twists and changing locations; a desperate feeling of constant danger from an unpredictably hidden evil; superbly executed gore scenes that Hollywood wouldn’t dare to shoot; solid directing like that seen in a high-quality family survival drama. Not everything in the film makes sense, but its urgent sense of drive in combination with the believability of the supernatural threat is excellent. (20.01.2024)