Bad dog. No! Sit. Stayyyyyyy… Drop it.
…too soon?
Ho-
-ly
shit.
When I tell you that nothing could’ve prepared me for this movie… this absolute grinder goes from 0-100 in an actual millisecond. Wow.
“When Evil Lurks” (aka “Cuando Acecha la Maldad”) is an Argentinian possession horror film. Aptly named, the story follows two brothers who encounter an evil presence lurking in their rural town. The two must escape the town before the evil corrupts their entire community. And the clock is ticking.
There’s a lot to comment on here, but I feel there are two key components of this film to touch on:
- It’s brutality.
- It’s unique take on the possession trope.
1. Brutality
Exhibit A:
Apologies for the spoilers, but even I went into this viewing experience knowing vaguely about the “dog scene” and even then I was still not prepared for what I was about to witness. Also, sorry to say, but you’d have to be an absolute moron to not realize something fucked up is about to happen with this dog when it appears on screen. That’s part of what’s so masterful in this film. It doesn’t hide the fact that something bad is gonna happen. It doesn’t have to. Simply because the execution is so fucked up good that you’re gonna squirm no matter what. Brutal is the only word to describe it.
On that same note… the brutality is what I would (somewhat cautiously) call tasteful. It’s not over-the-top, non-stop, gore porn like the Terrifier franchise. Instead, the brutality is woven thoughtfully and effectively into a much richer narrative along with some truly stellar performances. A film that’s not afraid to kick you when you’re down, but like, intentionally.
2. a unique possession
Now, I must admit that what I’m about to say is not an original take…
but, I think one of my favorite aspects of this film was the creative way it portrayed possession. Possession in this film spreads like a sickness. It’s somewhere between zombie contagion and demonic possession, and honestly, I don’t know if I’ve seen anything quite like it.
The possession sub-genre has been fairly hit or miss for me over the years. I thought “The Conjuring” was supremely horrifying all the way up until the possession finally takes place, but as soon as it reaches the climax it falls utterly flat for me. Just corny nonsense. I think this is why “When Evil Lurks” has stuck with me so strongly. I didn’t feel like I could guess what was going to happen next, which kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. And I love edging.
Also who would’ve guessed Brendan Fraser was in this movie???
What are you even doing down here? Go watch this movie!
Gimme a P!
Gimme an O!
Gimme an S!
Gimme an S!
Gimme an E!
Gimme another S!
Give this film an…
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