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When Evil Lurks is Dark, Bloody, and Riveting

Jason Henderson and Tony Salvaggio chat with Demián Rugna, director of When Evil Lurks about how to reinvent the demon possession movie.

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Article Summary

  • Chat with Demián Rugna, director of the Argentinian horror film 'When Evil Lurks'.
  • The film explores a demonic infection triggering an epidemic of possessions in a rural community.
  • Described as shockingly grisly and delighting in unspoken terrors by renowned publications.
  • Rugna shares his unique take on demon possession movies, stating there's no hope in battling evil.

This episode of Castle Talk, Jason is joined by Castle of Horror co-host Tony Salvaggio to chat with Demián Rugna, director of When Evil Lurks (Cuando acecha la maldad), which streams on Shudder starting Friday, October 27th. 

The producers describe the film:

When brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jimmy (Demián Salomón) discover that a demonic infection has been festering in a nearby farmhouse — its very proximity poisoning the local livestock — 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. Now they must outrun an encroaching evil as it corrupts and mutilates everyone it is exposed to, and enlist the aid of a wizened "cleaner," who holds the only tools that can stop this supernatural plague.

A wildly original take on the possession film, When Evil Lurks is a shocking supernatural thriller from Argentine master of horror, writer-director Demián Rugna (Terrified).

When Evil Lurks is Dark, Bloody, and Riveting
When Evil Lurks poster and Castle Talk logo used with permission

 When Evil Lurks been called "shockingly grisly" by the New York Times and "delighting in unspoken terrors" by the Los Angeles Times. The Argentinian horror film is the director's follow-up to his often-shocking 2017 ghost horror Terrified (Aterrados.)

The director chats about his theory of how to reinvent the demon possession movie, saying "I always hated the concept of a dagger that you could get to kill the demon and you must find the dagger! Right? Because you cannot win against evil. There's no hope in the battle." In Rugna's world, all humans have is each other and it may not be enough. Rugna manages to find humor in the absurd stories of demon possession, and the film is often darkly slapstick, and yet never, ever camp. Sometimes it's also shocking in ways the viewer can't possibly expect, such as when a demon-infected dog attacks a child. When asked how the effect of the dog tossing the child around in its muzzle was done, Rugna shrugs and: "The secret was to use very similar little girls. We [went through] eight little girls but the ninth, the effect was okay."

You can find When Evil Lurks on Shudder.

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Jason HendersonAbout Jason Henderson

Jason Henderson, author of the Young Captain Nemo (Macmillan Children's) and Alex Van Helsing (HarperTeen) series, earned his BA from University of Dallas in 1993 and his JD from Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C., in 1996. His popular podcasts “Castle Talk” and “Castle of Horror” feature interviews and discussion panels made up of best-selling writers and artists from all genres. Henderson lives in Colorado with his wife and two daughters.
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