Spoilers are not trick or treating in this town.

One of the best ways to invigorate the horror genre is to bring in filmmakers and ideas outside Hollywood. I am definitely biased here, but Latin directors usually bring something fresh to film when they explore the mythos and legends of their own roots. It doesn’t hurt to allow social commentary not because it’s relevant but because it is a part of our lives. Don’t worry, this one has horror and gore right up front.

(Credit: Shudder)

When Evil Lurks (2023) is written and directed by Demián Rugna (original title: Cuando acecha la Maldad). In a small rural community lost somewhere in the countryside of Argentina, Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jaime (Demián Salomón) hear shots in the middle of the night, the next morning they will find a dead body that will lead them all the way to a man that has been possessed by a demon. This is the beginning of the one of the most merciless and suspenseful horror films dealing with possession in recent memory. The filmmakers add one of the most deadliest ingredients to the mix: despair. Yes, there’s gore and there’s suffering and strife mixed in. But this film does have a brilliant portrayal about desperation that is relentless.

The movie starts with a cold open that will wet any cinephile’s appetite by using an uninterrupted following cam shot from the inside, around the room and outside. Yes, the filmmakers are showing off but the take is justified and the fact that they can pull it off already tells me this is not going to be popcorn fare. In most other horror films, any shot where violence brings the gore cuts out before the actual slash and lets the blood dribble after just to make that PG rating. This film follows the action throughout from the first kill. You will not be let off the hook here.

It works brilliantly. The performances are more than adequate here. There is rare a moment that this film give us to breathe, and we don’t know when things will pick up again. Normally in horror films there’s this pseudo-karmatic justice in introducing people as jerks to kill them later. No, pretty much everyone can be a target in this film. Mothers, kids, dogs, young and old, nobody is safe. More important than that, characters that survive are psychologically shaken and broken as they should be, giving the surreal situation a grounded feel.

Extremely recommended for a true horror film audience. This one’s a strong experience, so casual moviegoers should abstain. It almost feel like one of those possession films of old where the film would put its characters through hell. A psychological horror and thriller chaotic bomb, it brings their character close to madness and despair that is conveyed very effectively. Worth a watch if you dare, but it’s a strong mix.

That will do for now.