Demián Rugna’s latest film, When Evil Lurks sees the spread of demonic possession and the chaos that ensues.

Set in a rural town, brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jimmy (Demián Salomón) discover a desecrated corpse on a nearby farm. While searching the area, they find clues that lead them to a local neighbor. There, they find a bedridden bloated man, oozing in pus and filth. The man’s mother tells Pedro and Jimmy that he’s a “rotten”; he’s possessed by demonic forces.

Ignoring the man’s mother’s warnings that he must be exorcised in a specific manner, the brothers haul the man onto their truck, driving hundreds of miles away. However, things go awry when they discover the body is no longer in the trunk. Rather than ridding themselves of the evil, the evil becomes a sort of contagion, jumping from body to body. While trying to outrun these forces, the brothers seek assistance from Jimmy’s friend, Mirna.

The film starts off with gruesome imagery and continues to shock as the it progresses. Nobody is safe in this horrifying world, with even children and animals falling victim to the evil. There are no moments of rest in the film, as we see Pedro and Jimmy desperately try to save their loved ones.

All of the actors in the film are phenomenal. Ezequiel Rodríguez and Demián Salomón genuinely felt like brothers who loved and cared for each other. As the film progresses, you really feel for the two as they fall further into hopelessness. While family members are quickly introduced, they are developed in a way that really adds to the film’s tragedy.

Rugna really adds to the horror by keeping the film grounded and realistic, touching on topics that are all too real. It is a non-stop ride of terror, that is both horrifying and heartbreaking.

We give When Evil Lurks a 4.5/5.

When Evil Lurks will release in theaters on October 6, followed by the film’s Shudder premiere on October 27.