Two brothers make a startling discovery after hearing gunshots in a patch of woods near their land. That kicks things off in Argentinean writer-director Demián Rugna’s unsettling chiller “When Evil Lurks”. The film blends elements of psychological horror with the supernatural in telling a smart and original story that I guarantee is unlike anything you’ve seen this year. And coming from a genre that has often struggled when it comes to good original ideas, that is certainly high praise.

From the very outset there’s something alluring about Rugna’s story. It’s dark, uncomfortable and insidious, but alluring nonetheless. It doesn’t take long for him to jolt us with the first of several gruesome shocks. And as he cleverly unpacks and defines his horrifying dystopia, we get a movie that’s as unpredictable as it is horrifying. That’s because no one in his grim and sinister world is safe.

The movie opens with gunshots in the middle of the night. Brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jaime (Demián Salomon) try to gauge the distance and prepare to investigate. But they wisely decide to wait until morning. Shortly after daybreak the two make their way through their field and into some woods where they come across a grisly scene. I’m hesitant to say much more about the opening because experiencing the scene-by-scene setup within the first fifteen minutes or so really leaves a mark.

Suffice it to say the brothers discover that a malevolent entity has settled into their small rural town. They learn that Uriel, the son of a poor elderly woman, has turned “Rotten”, which is a name given to those possessed by a sinister evil spirit. Pedro and Jaime quickly notify the police who don’t seem concerned. “There’s a protocol for cases like this”, they’re told. That protocol involves people known as “Cleaners” who are able to kill the doomed host without unleashing the demon. But here’s the problem – the Cleaner summoned to their town never showed up.

So with the help of a coarse and concerned neighbor Ruiz (Luis Ziembrowski), Pedro and Jaime attempt to take care of the Rotten themselves. But we quickly learn that in Rugna’s world there are very specific rules for dealing with a Rotten (use nothing electric, no lights, don’t use bullets, etc.). The rules don’t always make sense, but they emphasize the need of Cleaners. And the tension certainly ramps up once the brothers and Ruiz inevitably break them. The evil spreads and infects with gruesomely violent results. Meanwhile Pedro and Jaime race to gather their family and escape from the horror they’ve unleashed.

Even at a tight and fleet-footed 99 minutes, Rugna makes time for his characters, specifically the two brothers. There is a compelling dynamic between them. Pedro seems to have the most to lose as the father of two sons, the young Santino (Marcelo Michinaux) and his autistic teenager Jair (Emilio Vodanovich). The responsibility of protecting them and the weight of losing them at times seems unbearable. Jaime is the loyal brother who not only stands by Pedro, but who keeps him together when he starts to crack.

As you might have gathered, “When Evil Lurks” is not for the faint of heart. It’s bleak, gory and disturbing. Rugna and his team often broadside us with several squirm-worthy moments, most of them realized though some gnarly practical effects. You rarely see these instances coming which makes them all the more effective. Not all of the pieces fit firmly into place, mainly in the second half. But Rugna sticks his landing and ends his film in a way that only seems fitting. It’s yet another example of good instincts from a filmmaker who is sure to get a lot more attention.

VERDICT – 4 STARS