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When Evil Lurks
Cuando acecha la maldad
2023 100 min Argentina, United States of America 18+
★7.3
Horror, Thriller
Director: Demián Rugna
Trailers
EN
EN
Teaser
EN
Description
When brothers Pedro and Jimi discover that a demonic infection has been festering in a nearby farmhouse, they attempt to evict the victim from their land. Failing to adhere to the proper rites of exorcism, their reckless actions inadvertently trigger an epidemic of possessions across their rural community.
US Gross:
$546,626
Worldwide:
$2.09M
Starring
Ezequiel Rodríguez
Actor
Demián Salomón
Actor
Silvina Sabater
Actor
Awards
10 wins & 34 nominations total
Key opinion
Cuando acecha la maldad is a polarizing, visceral horror experience that excels in its bleak atmosphere, unique folklore, and technical execution. While many praise its relentless tension and rejection of genre clichés, others are alienated by its extreme, transgressive violence and inconsistent character logic.
| Cinematography | The film utilizes striking cinematography and gritty, authentic rural settings to create a pervasive, hopeless atmosphere. | |
| Originality | The film discards traditional exorcism tropes in favor of a unique, rigorous set of internal rules regarding how demonic contamination spreads. | |
| Emotion | The film employs unflinching, extreme gore and taboo-breaking violence that some find technically impressive and others find ethically concerning or gratuitous. | |
| Pacing | The frantic, high-speed pace is praised for maintaining constant tension, but criticized by some for leaving the plot underdeveloped and the world-building opaque. | |
| Screenplay | The characters' constant disregard for established survival rules and their impulsive, incompetent decision-making frustrate many viewers. |