“Evil knows more about your fears than you do.”

Story: Welcome to a whole new world! Possession by demons is a thing, and it’s turned into a disease you can catch. So when brothers Pedro and Jamie find out that there’s a “Rotten” in their town, they volunteer to move that bloated, disgusting body beyond city limits. Pedro then decides to go visit his ex, his kids, and her new family, to get ’em outta town. What could go wrong? Did I mention this disease is highly, highly contagious?

Scares: An all-encompassing sense of dread, laced with pure horror.
Splat Factor:  Yes. Just…yes. Do NOT prep snacks for this one. Trust me on this.

Subgenre: Evil As Illness Horrors
Year Released: 2023
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original, though the demonic possession story is vaguely familiar.

Trick or Treat?: This one’s not for the faint of heart, y’all. Lurks fires on all cylinders, delivering a powerhouse of horror that’ll not only freak you out in the moment, but stick with you for a long time. Writer/director Demián Rugna shows that there are creators that can do it all effortlessly, delivering a film that I dare you to watch after midnight on a dark, stormy night.

Lurks is a film that doesn’t let you breathe for a second. You’re yanked into this story from the moment the film begins. Gunshots alert the brothers, who grab weapons and head outside. Meanwhile, a family desperately trying to figure out what to do with what was once a beloved family member who’s now a grossly disfigured demonic invalid is truly horrifying.

The quiet menace of a world that’s become dangerous in ways too terrifying for most to contemplate saturates this story. The slow pace of this film could lead some to believe this one’s a snooze, but you’d be wrong. The unhurried plot lets viewers wallow in the despair of the characters, and the way the camera often lingers on the dead and dying feels like a gut-punch.

The story shifts gears in the third act, with the brothers and a former friend named Mirta try to stop a possession from turning into a full-blown demonic episode. It feels like a strange shift, from how horror affects individuals to a kind of Children of the Damned vibe. But as the film draws to a close, the story gets back to the brothers and their specific horrors, with an ending that’s bleak as hell and incredibly powerful.

Score: 4 out of 5 pumpkins.