is a 2023 supernatural horror film written and directed by Demián Rugna. An international co-production of Argentina and the United States, the film stars Ezequiel Rodriguez, Demián Salomon, Luis Ziembrowski, Silvia Sabater and Marcelo Michinaux.
When Evil Lurks premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 16, 2023. It received a theatrical release by IFC Films on October 6, and debuted on the streaming service Shudder on October 27.
The morning after hearing gunshots in nearby woods, brothers Pedro and Jaime discover half the body of a man which leads them to a nearby shack, where María Elena, an elderly woman, and her two sons are in hiding. The eldest, Uriel, has become a Rotten, a being possessed by an unborn demon who is awaiting physical birth. The corpse was that of a "Cleaner", a person called by María Elena to kill Uriel and abort the demon before it possesses others.
The authorities dismiss the demon as not their problem. The brothers approach the landowner Ruiz, who attempts to deal with Uriel by dumping the possessed man outside his land. After narrowly avoiding a young boy in the road, the three men realize Uriel has fallen out of the truck. Ruiz declares the matter resolved and returns home. The next morning, Ruiz's pregnant wife Jimena discovers one of their goats has become possessed. Against her warning not to use guns because they help to spread the possession of the Rotten, Ruiz executes the animal, just to be quickly murdered by his wife, who then commits suicide by hitting her head with the axe multiple times.
The next morning, Jaime and Pedro agree to leave the town, take their family members, and escape to safety. Jaime gets their mother, while Pedro goes to the home of his ex-wife, Sabrina. This leads to an argument between him, Sabrina, and her new husband Leonardo, when Pedro tries to collect his two children, Jair and Santino. While they are distracted by the argument, the family dog, who previously licked Pedro's demon-mucked clothes, savagely attacks Vicky (Leonardo and Sabrina's daughter) and drags her outside. Leonardo and Pedro chase the dog and the former shoots him. Pedro returns to Sabrina but sees her daughter is back unharmed and threatening Sabrina, so Pedro steals their car. As Pedro drives away with his sons, he witnesses Leonardo crash his car into Sabrina and Vicky. Vicky is then shown alive and dancing.
After Pedro picks up Jaime and their mother, the assembled family leaves town and arrives at the house of Mirta, a former Cleaner and friend of Jaime, who invites them to stay overnight. Mirta warns Jaime about Jair, who is autistic, as exhibiting signs of possession which Jaime dismisses. The possessed corpse of Sabrina kidnaps Santino and Mirta advises that Jaime chase after her while she and Pedro search for Uriel to end the demonic plague. While seeking out Sabrina, Jaime discovers that she has killed Santino and runs her over in a fit of emotion. In doing this, he collides with a tree. The brothers' mother stays at Mirta's house and waits with Jair, who returns to the house, now speaking clearly and without impediment.
Pedro and Mirta's search leads them to a schoolhouse filled with possessed children who boldly lie to the pair in order to enable the demonic birth. The pair find Uriel under the stage in the small auditorium and Pedro tries to properly unearth him as Mirta sets up the demon killing equipment. Losing his patience and believing one of the children's lies about a fire axe nearby that might help, Pedro runs to the office while Mirta screams to not leave her. While he is away, the children trap Pedro, kill Mirta and dismantle the equipment. Enraged, Pedro beats Uriel to death with a piece of the broken equipment but is too late to intercept the birth. The demon inside Uriel is born soon after, shedding his corpse and presenting itself to a defeated Pedro. After taunting Pedro by sparing him, the newly born demon walks out into the morning sun followed by the children.
Pedro, Jaime, and Jair return home. Jaime finds Uriel's possessed brother who tells him he killed the original Cleaner four days ago, devouring him. He also reveals he did the same to his mother the night before and alludes that Jaime's mother has suffered the same fate. Inside, Pedro feeds Jair ice cream but he begins choking and coughs up Pedro's mother's hair, having been possessed as well and tricking him under the veil of his autism. Pedro walks outside, collapses, and wails in grief.
