Demián Rugna’s When Evil Lurks is a relentless, bleak horror film that leaves viewers with as many questions as it does answers. Its ending, in particular, is both shocking and ambiguous, demanding a closer look at its events, symbolism, and what it means for the fate of its characters-and the world.
The Final Confrontation: Evil Triumphs
The climax of When Evil Lurks centers on brothers Pedro and Jaime (Jimi), who, after a series of disastrous attempts to contain a demonic infection, track the original possessed victim, Uriel, to a schoolhouse. Here, the evil has taken root among a group of children, who now protect Uriel and have murdered the adults nearby. The school becomes a fortress for the demon, with the children acting as both guardians and extensions of its will.
Pedro and Mirta, a former Cleaner (someone trained to properly exorcise the infected), attempt a ritual to destroy the evil. However, Pedro, driven by impatience and desperation, leaves Mirta to fetch a fire axe, believing brute force might succeed where ritual has failed. The children trap Pedro, and during his absence, they kill Mirta and destroy her exorcism equipment. When Pedro returns, he finds Mirta dead and, in a fit of rage, beats Uriel to death. This act, rather than ending the evil, fulfills its purpose: the demon is born from Uriel’s corpse, appearing as a blood-covered child.
The demon taunts Pedro, marking him with blood, but ultimately spares his life, leaving the schoolhouse with its child followers. This moment makes clear that the evil has not only survived but has become stronger, now free to spread unchecked.
The Epilogue: The Cost of Failure
Pedro and Jaime regroup at Mirta’s house, collect Pedro’s autistic son Jair, and return home. Here, the film delivers its final, devastating blow. Jair, who had been acting strangely throughout the film, begins to choke and coughs up a clump of hair and a necklace-belongings of his grandmother, Sara. This gruesome reveal confirms that Jair, while possessed, killed and ate his own grandmother.
Earlier in the film, a retired preacher explained that demons have difficulty possessing autistic people; they can invade their bodies but struggle to control their minds, sometimes remaining trapped in a kind of limbo. The ending implies that the demon has finally “untied the knot” in Jair’s mind, fully possessing him. Pedro is left in utter despair, collapsing outside as the reality of his family’s destruction sinks in.
Themes and Symbolism
1. The Inevitability of Evil
The film’s world is one where evil is not only pervasive but, in many ways, inevitable. Attempts to fight it using logic, violence, or even ritual are shown to be futile when not performed exactly right. Human error, fear, and disbelief only serve to hasten the spread of the demonic infection.
2. Human Nature as a Weakness
A recurring theme is that humans are “slaves to their nature.” Even when faced with clear instructions and evidence, characters act impulsively or cling to disbelief, leading to catastrophic consequences. The film suggests that humanity’s flaws-impatience, denial, and emotional decisions-make them easy prey for evil.
3. Fear as a Catalyst
The power of the demon is amplified by fear. The more terrified the characters become, the more the evil gains strength and influence, creating a vicious cycle of escalating horror and helplessness.
What Does the Ending Mean?
The ending of When Evil Lurks is a bleak declaration: evil has won. The demon is born into the world, the exorcism fails, and the last hope for the family is shattered when Jair is revealed to be possessed and responsible for his grandmother’s death. There is no cathartic victory, no last-minute salvation. Instead, the film closes on Pedro’s despair, his family destroyed, and the world left to the mercy of an unstoppable evil.
This conclusion is a deliberate subversion of typical horror tropes, where good usually triumphs or at least survives to fight another day. In When Evil Lurks, the message is clear: sometimes, evil cannot be contained, and human frailty ensures its victory.
Final Thoughts
When Evil Lurks stands out for its uncompromising vision of supernatural horror, where the rules are rigid, the consequences are severe, and hope is in short supply. Its ending is a gut punch, but it’s also a powerful commentary on the dangers of denial, the consequences of flawed action, and the terrifying persistence of evil.
If you’re left unsettled, that’s exactly what the film intends. The evil, once unleashed, is not easily put back-and the world of When Evil Lurks is a chilling reminder of what happens when we fail to heed the warnings.
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