When watching most horror films released nowadays, you’re often reminded of the old saying, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” Especially when it comes to horror, you can easily lump films together based on subgenres, and thus, you know what to expect. Possession films fall into this category quite easily. Typically, there’s a person (probably a child) who is possessed by an evil demon, and we wait for a priest or expert to come along to cure them. Horror ensues. We’ve all seen “The Exorcist,” we get it. But when a film comes along and takes a wildly overdone subgenre, such as possession, and flips it on its head, people take notice. And if that film is also incredibly disturbing and absurdly entertaining, such as with Demián Rugna’s “When Evil Lurks,” you celebrate it. 
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The world in which “When Evil Lurks” exists is unlike anything we’ve seen before. This is a world where possession isn’t shocking and unique. Imagine a situation where you replace zombies with “possessed ones,” and instead of humanity trying to escape the bite of the undead, people reach out to experts (dubbed “cleaners”) to vanquish demons and prevent them from spreading. And if a “possessed one” is found in your town, you better get rid of the spirit correctly, or all hell is going to break loose—quite literally. And that’s where “When Evil Lurks” picks up.
Two brothers, Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jimmy (Demián Salomón), discover the body of a “cleaner” who was on the way to their small town to exorcise a demon-possessed loved one who is being kept by a family in their home. Unfortunately, after a horrifying series of events, the possessed one isn’t taken care of properly, and these two brothers have to flee the town and attempt to outrun a demon on their tails, possessing people along the way. And it’s in that first 45 minutes of the film where Rugna’s filmmaking truly shines. (We’ll discuss the last half a little later.)
It’s not an exaggeration to say there are moments in the first half of “When Evil Lurks” that will stay with you long after the film is over. Without spoiling the shocks and horror, Rugna is unafraid of flirting with taboo deaths and showing images you are not expecting (and probably don’t want to see). As mentioned above, in a world where most film fans have seen every variation of possession films, watching scenes that truly surprise you and leave your mouth agape is a welcome thing. 
There is one scene, in particular, involving a dog, where you know something terrible is about to happen. The framing of the scene doesn’t hide the fact that you are supposed to expect something horrible. And then the scene plays out and takes longer than you’re anticipating. The suspense builds. You wonder what’s going to happen. You think you have an idea, but you’re not completely sure. Is it a fake-out? When is the action going to happen? Then, as you sit back and convince yourself, nothing bad will happen… BAM! It happens! Rugna punches the viewer in the gut, leading to a sequence that will haunt your dreams. This is next-level horror filmmaking. 
Thankfully, the two leads, Rodríguez and Salomón, are up to the task. Not only are they able to express the terror their characters would be feeling throughout this film, but their chemistry together really sells the sibling bond. These are two men who will do anything for each other, and you never think twice about it while you enjoy the thrills. Horror isn’t a genre known for strong acting performances, but there’s no denying these two men really bring the goods to this film.
Perhaps it’s the fact that the first 45 minutes of “When Evil Lurks” is so great, but the dopamine rush does fade quite a bit in the second half of the film. That doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s just that Rugna does fall prey to some classic horror missteps towards the end of the film. The latter half of “When Evil Lurks” slows down quite a bit, getting bogged down in the dreaded “rules” explanation of this world. What are “cleaners?” How does the evil spread? What happens if you don’t dispose of a body properly? The rules-heavy exposition is laid out in a way that not only derails the momentum of the film but also gets overly complicated. It’s nice that Rugna has really fleshed out his world presented on screen, but the mystery and mild confusion felt early on only heightened the terrors. And when you pull back the curtain, lay out all of the rules, and then force the characters to collect certain objects to do certain actions at a certain time, it just feels a bit dull.
It must be said that at no point in “When Evil Lurks” will the viewer feel like this is a bad film. The filmmaking is still great. The performances of the cast are solid. And most notably, the use of practical VFX is truly refreshing (and grotesque, in the best possible way). Rugna just can’t keep that intensity felt in the first half going for the entire run-time. That’s a shame. Ultimately, the outstanding first half far outweighs the exposition-heavy final act, and “When Evil Lurks” is easily one of the very best horror films of 2023. [B+]