Review by fciocca

I enjoyed the premise of "When Evil Lurks", I think that it is an original possession story, that part ways with the usual stereotypes of this kind of horror. The evil takes over the lives of Jimi and Pedro slowly and painfully. The audience assists to this inevitable ascent of the darkness that multiple times outsmart the characters, despite all the precautions and strategies that they apply. The director took a realistic approach and some elements of the story are raw and credible. There is no unjustified over the top violence and no pointless jumpscares. The script takes the time to deepen the backstory of Pedro and his family, making him vulnerable and relatable to the eyes of the audience. The narration is fervid and there are many tense sequences that deliver some unexpected moments. This is in my opinion what made the first half great. Unfortunately the film starts to lose its appeal midway. All the tension that built up completely disappeared in the second part of the film. The protagonist takes impulsive decisions that have no logic and that will cost him dearly. In my opinion this goes against the nature of the character, that from the beginning constantly warns others how to kill the possessed, without contracting the curse. The ending is very dramatic and it leaves things open for a possible sequel (that most likely will not happen). Overall I liked the general concept of this film, but the director (who is also the screenwriter) made some decisions that prevented this film from achieving its true potential. "When Evil Lurks" could be one of the best 2023 horror movies, but unfortunately it only gets a 6. It is still a solid film, but I was expecting way better.