Demian Rudga’s new scarefest will soon make its way to the Shudder horror-streaming service. Find out what we know so far about When Evil Lurks.
Shudder, purveyors of movies that make you white-knuckle your couch in the dark, have purchased the distribution rights to When Evil Lurks. This new film by Argentine director Demián Rugna is set to wrap in 2023. The jack-of-all-trades writer/director/editor/producer has been at the forefront of a new wave of horror since 2002.
Hailing from Buenos Aires, the 43-year-old director has quite a number of credits to his name. People familiar with the director's history will know that this type of psychological horror is not new to him. When Evil Lurks will be his fifth feature with credits including The Last Gateway and You Don't Know Who You're Talking To.
With an image to tide us over until its release, here's everything we know about When Evil Lurks.
Variety has released a first-look image. Its simplicity evokes a sense of dread as a small girl in pajamas stands beside a massive dog. She holds a thick, snake-like leash in her hands. With the amount of body horror and evil creatures that are par for the course in these films, the image could mean any number of things. The unidentified child may hold a central role as the story unfolds. The dog, looking protective of the child, may even be some sort of demonic hellhound, standing by much like Damien's pet in The Omen.
The enigmatic image comes with little context, although Shudder has released a brief plot synopsis:
Two brothers find a mutilated corpse near their property and convene with the locals to suss it out. They learn that the odd happenings in their village are the cause of a spirit that’s found its way into a local man waiting for the proper protocols to rid his body of the festering demon. An escape attempt ensues as the film keeps its protagonists on edge, racing against imminent danger to shake the spirit’s relentless clutches.
While no cast decisions have been announced, When Evil Lurks has entered pre-production with full production set to begin in March 2023. It's likely we will know more about the cast in the new year.
The film will be co-produced in Uruguay by Agustina Chiarino and Fernando Epstein's Mutante and by Fernando Diaz's Machaco Films and Roxana Ramos's Aramos Cine in Argentina. It will also be the first production by La Pureta Roja, a joint partnership between Machaco and Aramos.
At this time, there is no confirmed release date. Should the movie continue Rugna's trend of creating exponential horror, When Evil Lurks will be winning awards as we head into 2024.
Rugna has many themes in common with the early works of Guillermo Del Toro. In 2018, it was announced that Del Toro had signed on as a producer for the remake of Rugna’s film Terrified (also distributed in its original form to the US by Shudder). Rugna was set to direct with writer Sacha Gervasi (My Dinner with Hervé) composing the script. However, due to the pandemic and Del Toro's packed schedule, the film may take longer than expected. For many fans of Rugna's work, this has not been the worst news. Traditionally, English language remakes of horror films are seen as inferior to the originals.
Terrified (originally titled Atterados) was written and directed by Rugna and gave us the full force of this cutting-edge writer/director. No longer content to let others translate his work to the cinema, Terrified proclaims his genius across the screen with shocking imagery and stark locales.
These films create a sense of communal insecurity that permeates the work of Demián Rugna. He does not simply creep behind you for a scare. He first toys with you, lulling you into the darkness where you find yourself first smelling decay and dread only to feel a moment's respite before being overwhelmed by unabashed fear. His visuals are rank and deplorable with stomach-churning images that strain the mind and bend the will.
The director told Variety that When Evil Lurks will be “very stark for anyone who watches it. This movie will be my relief, a release of disturbing images that have been accumulating in my head over the years like a pressure cooker.” It is safe to say that when a writer of horror believes they need relief from their inner demons, the result will be catastrophic for the on-screen characters.
Shudder's acquisition of When Evil Lurks is a gold star for a director looking to bring his true vision to a wider audience. The streaming service has been enticing many up-and-coming horror auteurs with promises of the best kind of notoriety, and When Evil Lurks will be an addition that fans of foreign horror films will be clamoring to watch.
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