WHEN EVIL LURKS (CUANDO ACECHA LA MALDAD)
****
Directed by Demián Rugna.
Starring Ezequiel Rodríguez, Demián Salomón, Virginia Garófalo.
Horror, Argentina, 99 minutes, Certificate 18.
Released in the UK on 4K UHD & Blu-ray Special Edition by Second Sight Films on July 28th
“We’re at the end of the world,” states one character early on in Demián Rugna’s no holds barred possession shocker. Whether he means in a geographical sense or a literal, apocalyptic one is left to the viewer to judge in this no holds barred film that reinvents the possession film by throwing out all of the expected tropes in favour of setting up its own doom laden mythology that somehow seems more immediate in the post COVID world, and is also oddly prescient regarding the political situation of the films home country today.
Released towards the end of 2023 on Shudder after only gracing a minimum number of cinema screens, this 4K special edition hammers the immediacy of Rugna’s dark vision with a clarity that is somewhat lacking while viewing on a streaming service with all the pitfalls of your internet connection. Telling the tale of Pedro and Jamie, two brothers played by Ezequiel Rodríguez and Demián Salomón respectively, they soon find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of bloody madness after discovering a disembowelled corpse in the forest behind their remote country home. Discovering the presence of a “rotten”, a possessed person whose body decays and festers at a rapid rate, in a neighbours house, the brothers find themselves in a race against time to save their loved ones and contain this supernatural and sadistic menace which can pass virus like without warning from victim to victim, leaving a shocking tide of violence in its wake.
Rigna throws us into a world that is at once both familiar and strange with “rottens” and “cleaners”, specialised exorcists with their own arcane equipment, and its own set of rules for dealing with the possessed. That those rules are broken repeatedly adds to the film's mounting sense of panic and also seems to mirror the attitude of cynical naysayers in medical crises. Although written before the social upheaval brought on by Covid and filmed in the days when we started to venture out more, the comparisons seem earned giving it an extra edge that goes along perfectly with its extreme stylings.
Like the director's previous film TERRIFIED, there are shocks and scares that are expertly designed and engineered, even managing to get a reaction on repeat viewings. Rugna shows a world and characters bound for Hell, no matter what they do or how much they struggle against it. It is a pitch black vision that hints at a grander scale beyond this tale of two desperate brothers trapped in a horrifying set of circumstances. By forgoing any religion, especially of the Christian variety, the film's approach to possession, as a virulent disease, is far more immediate and terrifying as a result, suggesting something far more cosmic and unsympathetic to humanity. It is enticing stuff, leaving you eager to see how Rugna will expand upon this in the recently announced sequel.
Second Sight, as ever, release the film in a stacked and sturdy special edition. From the cheeky cover art, to the in-depth interviews with Rugna, Rodríguez, Salomón and actress Virginia Garófalo, where they discuss the film's real world influences, the difficulties with special effects and stunts as well as the films popularity in its home country before calling a halt to proceedings to go off and eat their Choripán sandwiches. Mike Muncer, host of the Evolution of Horror podcast, narrates a visual essay examining the nature of evil within Rugna’s work, while an audio commentary from Gabriel Eljaiek-Rodriguez explains the film's relevance within its Argentinian culture that deepens the film's themes and storyline. The limited edition also comes with exclusive art cards and book with essays and behind the scenes galleries, and storyboards.
A more than welcome physical release, Second Sight have done an exemplary job presenting the film in such a manner with its cleaned up picture and audio that captures the gory madness in spectacular fashion. While pitch black in tone and execution, WHEN EVIL LURKS still manages to thrill and captivate with its portrayal of a world going literally to Hell, proving that Rugna is one of the most distinctive and exciting writers and directors in the horror genre today.
Iain MacLeod