Evil Lurks

This 1 hour and 44-minute supernatural horror film was a trip! It has a crazy hypnotherapist who is helping Kimberly, a troubled and haunted woman, overcome her past traumas. If you want to watch something different, ominous, dark and demonic; then this is the film for you! The characters are terrifying, well thought out, and they play their roles well. We find ourselves invested in the main character Kimberly. She has a daughter Erica, who was conceived after a brutal attack. Said girl is adopted by a family, Shawn and Tiffany. James, who plays an important role in the film, is the lead detective, after Harold the crazy hypnotists is murdered. There are a bunch of twists and turns as this movie progresses. The plot turns really enhance the film. I like the use of colour that helps to set the scene and push the narrative and storyline along, in a really interesting way. There are flashback scenes, visions, people lost in their trance like states. The colour red is a motif throughout the film. It also indicates when someone is in a trance. The sound effects and soundtrack music is top notch, and some of it was composed by Chris Shern, who is also one of the writers and main actors in the film, where he plays Harold. I really enjoyed the music as it overlaps the scenes in a very interesting way. They helped to enhance the scenes. The cinematography is great, as there are very intimate close-up shots, that explore emotion on their faces. There are some great horror scenes. The surrealism of this film is intense and captivating. There is a good amount of tension and suspense splattered throughout the film to keep you guessing what is going to happen. The blood moon is an interesting plot, as we see how this comes to mean something intriguing to the film, adding depth and layering to the storyline and the overall plot. The ending is maddening and not at all what I expected to happen! I really enjoy a good film with a few twists. Leaving us to ponder the outcome and it really shows the deplorable human condition at its very worse.

I would recommend this to any horror arthouse fans, and any filmmakers out there who want to see an exploration into the independent filmmaking sphere. This is a good one to add to the collection of horror movies.

After meeting a controversial hypnotherapist, a woman trying to get over a traumatic past is soon confronted with the demonic secret he carries within him and leaves her pregnant with a child that is soon targeted by the demonic being when she comes of age years later and forces her to stop him.

There was quite a lot to like here. One of the finest features here is the means through which this one attempts to exploit the rather intriguing setup that features some incredibly original concepts within the confines of the somewhat more traditional setup. The first half here detailing the series of interactions she has with the supposedly-helpful psychiatrist who's trying to help her overcome her traumatic past but become incredibly more ominous and darker the more he's around her becomes quite fun with how it all comes together with the burgeoning sense that something's wrong with him the more they're around each other. As this is all buoyed by extravagant arthouse style sequences featuring bizarre coloring and off-kilter camera-work that creates a slew of bizarre imagery, it becomes far more immersive and engaging as the storyline unfolds. The outcome of all this, from the further trauma she endures that results in pregnancy and the birth of her daughter now beginning to feel the effects of a curse landing her in the crosshairs of the being that targeted her, brings about plenty of intrigue as the pieces come together for a lot to like here. This, though, brings about the series of slight factors that hold it down. The most obvious factor here is the unnecessarily overlong running time that drags everything out far longer than needed because it all plays out at a deliberately measured pace and tempo. There's little excuse or reason why the film needs to take a half hour before it gets to her pregnancy and hospitalization in the sanitarium following the daughters' birth as this could've been trimmed down or reduced somewhat to get going quicker as that's the main focus of the film rather than the exploits of her mother that got her there. As well, the film could also do with not dwelling again on the overblown use of grief and trauma as a starting point for a film which is wholly cliche and immensely underwhelming. The inclusion features this kind of overexposure and just doesn't automatically get a pass for its use when it does nothing original with the concept that dozens of others have used since this once again goes for the problematic past angle that has nothing creative about it. These do bring this one down but not enough based on the enjoyable factors with this one.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, a Rape, and Violence.

We start out in a group therapy session where everyone is entranced. Everyone Except Kemberly.

She is unable to relax thus unable to be possessed, yet..

Kimberly is haunted by grief. She seeks refugee with a hypnotherapist who promises to help her forget. However chaos ensues when the therapist is possessed by a a demonic spirit and tries to control Kimberly.

Will Kimberly repair her strained relationship with her dead beat dad, Shawn who is also a cop investigating the murders caused by victims of the hypnotist?

Watch this exciting thriller to find out. Filled with evil spirits, a cop on a mission, a family is turmoil and lots of graphic murders.

This movie is a trip. It's got supernatural elements, hypnotism elements. It's got a little back-and-forth Pulp-Fiction/Quentin-Tarantino-style. It's definitely an arthouse film. The best way to describe it is like a David Lynch film on bath salts. It's crazy. Reminded me a bit of Mulholland Dr. I really liked what they did with the camera work and the attention to detail that they had with this project. The acting is really good, the mood is exactly what it needs to be, and the pacing is just right. You won't get bored, that's for sure. This was extremely well done. If you like art-house films this is right up your alley!

Evil Lurks is a film that will have you laughing, gasping and hitting replay again and again. The mastermind behind this indie gem, Aaron Hawkins, is not only a talented filmmaker but also a snack for the eyes. He proves that independent cinema doesn't have to be boring, this film is a perfect example of that. It's a shame that some distributors passed on it, they missed out on a true masterpiece that will make you forget about all the mediocre movies out there. With a plot that will keep you guessing, a cast that will make you fall in love and a soundtrack that will make you want to dance, Evil Lurks is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates a good film. Don't be like those distributers, take a chance on this hidden gem and you won't regret it.