It’s hard to stand out as a post-apocalyptic, survival-style horror film. That’s not due to the difficulty of the conceit, but more that there’s been so much to do it so well: from The Last of Us to Children of Men, it’s no easy feat to carve out your own niche. Written and directed by Demián Rugna and out now in a new 4K edition from Second Sight Films, When Evil Lurks certainly attempts to mark itself as a contender, but lacks the killer instinct.
The film stars Ezequiel Rodríguez as Pedro, an estranged family man in a small, fairly rural Argentinian town. He and his brother Jaime (Demián Salomón) discover a disembodied hand next to a dead body. This leads them to a Rotten, a person infected by a demon about to possess the community and wreak havoc. Their job is to eliminate the threat at source, sacrificing everything in the process.
When Evil Lurks is drenched in interesting lore tidbits and the hints of a fascinating world, but the narrative alone isn’t enough to make the most of it. Pedro and Jaime’s journey is a fairly straightforward one, and the script never gives them enough depth for you to ever feel too invested. There is some nice work in drip-feeding information on Pedro’s family life, and Rugna’s script is good at showing, not telling.
When it comes to the story, though, there just isn’t much to tell. When Evil Lurks turns into something of a road movie in its second act, as the family leaves town to try and stop the outbreak before it really gets going. Instead of expanding the scope, it makes the film cloying – going down the usual path of hunting down a threat, losing something or other along the way, and having a big decision to make. If you’ve seen any dystopian, infection-style media in the past decade, you’ll know what to expect.
It’s mostly frustrating because so much of When Evil Lurks‘ setup is genuinely engaging and brimming with storytelling potential. The world-building behind the nameless demon, and its very meticulous reproductive process, is ripe enough to be the film’s focus. There are hints of entire societies and rituals dedicated to their eradication, Van Helsing style, but instead it prioritises a stolid narrative whose bravest swings feel derivative of other media. Fans of The Last of Us in particular will feel at home with some of the twists here, which dulls their impact.
If you go into When Evil Lurks with that in mind, there’s plenty to enjoy. The visual effects are some of the best I’ve seen in contemporary horror, and there are some truly grisly monster designs and injury effects on display. Rugna’s script is constantly trying to catch you out, throwing wild and disturbing developments at you in very bold fashion. Several moments are truly wince-inducing, and there is more than one instance where you won’t quite believe what you’re seeing on-screen.
It looks fantastic too, with this 4K restoration from Second Sight Films one of the best I’ve seen lately. The picture quality is really sharp and there are plenty of new featurettes and interviews on the disc to check out. With the promise of a sequel on the way, too, there’s clearly stock behind When Evil Lurks‘ world.
For now, though, it’s a film laden with promises and interesting world-building that is less than the sum of its parts. Instead of leaning into the mythology that oozes with possibility and storytelling potential, When Evil Lurks focuses on a narrative that we’ve seen before. For every eyebrow it raises or grimace it arises, there’s even more moments that feel oddly derivative.
★★½
When Evil Lurks is out now in Dual Limited Edition and Standard Edition 4K/UHD and Blu-ray from Second Sight Films.
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