The Scariest Film of 2023

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ABOUT THE SHOW:
This show celebrates Ryan's love for genre, film, games, art and entertainment through personal retrospective analysis that aims to explore what made them so good or even misunderstood.
SOURCE:
Demián Rugna Q&A at Fantastic Fest by Tasha Robinson (Polygon, 2023): www.polygon.com/23935228/when...
MUSIC:
Musik Von Melodies by Mylar Melodies
Hopeless by Jimena Contreras
Goddess of the Sea by Jimena Contreras
Apocalypse by SYBS
Beginning by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/

[@RyanHollinger]

*So, what's the best horror movie of 2023?* Go to buyraycon.com/ryan to get 15% off your Raycon purchase this holiday season! Brought to you by Raycon.

[@anubusx]

I loved Thanksgiving.

[@RyanHollinger]

@@anubusx I haven't seen it yet! Heard great things!

[@anubusx]

@@RyanHollinger Hope you like it.

[@wstine79]

So many to choose from. I would say my personal favorite were M3GAN and SAW X.

[@thehitherto5348]

La mesita del comedor (The Coffee Table) is my pick. As far as horror-comedies go I don't think I've ever seen anything THAT dark!

[@Sirodemirra]

The original word that the brother use for the "Rotten" is "embichado" , more rural word for something that it has parasites inside, more akin to the word "infested". The other word that they use is "Encarnado" wich can mean "incarnated" but can also mean "ingrown" like an ingrown nail (or demon). I have a lot of other things that can add context to the film since I live in a rural argentinian town if anyone is interested!

[@monchi9000]

It was so weird for me to hear embichado since all my life i have heard "abichado" more than "embichado" but i guess it might be a rio plantese thing or used so people in other countries would understand it better.

[@Sirodemirra]

@@monchi9000 According to the director they thought that this would be the word used by someone with a rural/provintial dialect

[@monchi9000]

@@Sirodemirra i see, yeah maybe then it is prolly just a rio de la plata word that we don't use in other parts of argentina. Thanks for sharing

[@Sirodemirra]

@@monchi9000 I don't know, Im from a rural town in Santa Fe and i've heard that word plenty of times before!

[@monchi9000]

@@Sirodemirra Yeah that's why i said its weird for me tho, i have never heard "embichado" here. I'm not saying it doesn't exist tho it most surely exists since you are stating its used in santa fe, i just haven't heard it here in Corrientes, sorry if it came off as if i was telling you it doesn't exist lol have a good evening bro.

[@karlahdz04]

This movie worked for me on every level. Pedro’s need to “protect his kids” from the evil only to be the cause of their demise is even more ironic given the reason the ex wife had the restraining order was because Pedro tried to commit murder-suicide by cutting the gas line in the house. The cleaner asked his brother if that rumor was true to which the brother didn’t respond, indirectly confirming it. Pedro would have rather died and killed his kids rather than “lose them” in the divorce. He then went on to provide zero financial support, which the wife throws in his face when he came to get them, only further proving (like you stated) that he viewed his kids as “property”. This man did not make 1 single right decision from the minute he found out about “the possessed”. It made the story so much more grounded in my opinion. To the point of frustration at how this person simply wouldnt/couldnt learn from any of his mistakes.

[@jinxedangel2]

Completely agree! For me, it was interesting to view the horror at first as this disease that kept hopping from person to person to realizing that the real horror was this dude not accepting that he had made mistakes in the past, causing him to repeat them. I don't have background yet on what the director's invention was for the themes but it's fun to guess when there's so much it could be about.

[@viljamtheninja]

Just a question, but how does not providing financial support equate to seeing his kids as property? Wouldn't the opposite perspective that he has no rights to them because he doesn't pay for them more along that kind of viewpoint? I agree with your other points, but this thing in particular doesn't seem to completely align with this supposed perspective of his - although it still definitely supports his being a terrible father.

[@nolancho]

Don't care!

[@nolancho]

@@lucievelyn4866 nope! Not!

[@nolancho]

@@lucievelyn4866 shut up!

[@jaz121]

so proud of this movie being a hit outside of argentina!! the local horror scene here is small, and you only get this kind of movie from indie directors, theyre rarely sponsored by the government, so its a relief and inspiration that this was able to take off so well. i went to see it with my brother a few weeks ago, the theater was packed but everyone was SO quiet during the movie, the tension was incredible. the dog scene made everyone scream, it was really fun. thank you for covering it!

[@nachgeben]

That's awesome. Would you say that his claim that it's an allegory for the pesticides in farming needing to be used due to a failing economy/farming economy speaks out to you as an Argentinian, or did you take something else away from it? Really, something like this, there's no wrong answer at all, I'm just curious if someone from the country its from took away what the director intended, or if it ended up meaning something else.

[@jaz121]

@@nachgeben oh yeah, its definitely a big part of it. i learnt about pesticides and their damage (particularly monsanto) from a young age, though im not personally affected by it since i live in the city. some of my relatives are farmers, just like the brothers, and theyve complained about it for as long as ive known them. small towns like theirs are getting even smaller every year, that lifestyle just isnt profitable anymore, and its ruining their health. as for my other thoughts on it, it really resonates as some kind of manifesto about how being a child or young adult feels here. right now the situation feels utterly hopeless and violence is rife, and nothing we do will change it. older generations and corrupt politicians fucked us over and left us with no chance of fixing it. the only options us young people have is to leave the country, or die trying to make it better. i hope that makes sense. i have to say though, the way the demons birth is framed, against the rising sun, feels almost hopeful in a way, but i dont think i have the words to describe it haha.

[@solbrotzman]

It's an amazing movie! Greetings from Zamora's Hill 📍 South Zone

[@marinasosastreletzxy87]

You are lucky man, I went to Hoyts Temperley... There weren't many people when I went to watch it, but those that were there were very obnoxious. They talked all the time and left everything full of garbage, like themselves.

[@gracex3217]

it’s my favorite horror movie of the year and it’s not even close. soooo incredible!

[@ginomatos7626]

Dude, this movie... I can't remember the last time I felt so hopeless. The final shot, where Pedro just stays there screaming after EVERYTHING went to shit because of him, hurts in different layers.

[@somevelvettmourning]

Yes!! Have you seen Speak No Evil (2022)? That killed me even more oml 😭

[@ginomatos7626]

@@somevelvettmourning Yep, this movie also killed me inside The fact that the father did NOTHING before that sad scene with the kid stuck with me

[@sarahschwartz3990]

I don't think it was necessarily doomed from the beginning - it was definitely doomed from the beginning of the movie, but Pedro finds out when he talks to the cop that they had been sitting on news of Uriel's infection for a year and only just sent a cleaner. Fitting with the theme of the government leaving rural communities to twist in the wind, if the authorities had just acted sooner then the cleaner may have been able to take care of it without Uriel's younger brother becoming possessed.

[@jackroberts2704]

I think it's just a series of people making the wrong decisions. The local government are to blame for not acting sooner and the brothers + Ruiz are to blame for not listening to anyone who might know what they're actually talking about.

[@GlazeonthewickeR]

God man, that dog scene is just unreal. What a trip. At that point in the movie I could not sit still and was pacing around my seat.

[@banquetoftheleviathan1404]

Naw you trippin that was the funiest part i busted out laughing in the theater

[@FionavanDahl]

you're both correct

[@devonmunn5728]

​@@banquetoftheleviathan1404the people in your audience must have been wondering what was going through your mind

[@cecilkeith1951]

@@banquetoftheleviathan1404 I know it looks funny, but as someone who watched a dog attack a baby, it looks exactly like that.

[@Grasses0n]

Yeah that was shockingly realistic. I kept going frame by frame to see when it switches to CGI or something, but I can't tell, it's a damn well made shot.

[@Sirodemirra]

According to the Director, three films that served as inspiration are "The Wailing", "Evil Dead" and "The Road" (so your Cormac McCarthy angle is on point)

[@zukini8763]

I found it fairly similar in tone and execution to an under the radar film called Hellhole, where the central theme is also about bringing ultimate evil into existence.

[@JBravoEcho09]

That is the exact combination of films I would have used to describe this film.

[@zhouyi1933]

I mean I see the other two but I don't really see The Road

[@mrrd4444]

You might not be aware of this, so here's another theme that struck me when you mentioned the Cleaners - If the film is allegory for pesticides and the general physical harm caused by trying to keep agriculture and thus the local economy going... perhaps the Cleaners are similar to, say, environmental activists and doctors and anyone who points this out, being killed by the "demons" or capital holders. It's a common thing in South America, and in my personal experience, the Philippines, for environmental activists, doctors, teachers, and grassroots groups trying to advocate for the local populace, to be killed to protect those with a vested interest in keeping things the way they are.

[@KeeperOfSecrets-42069]

It happens anywhere there are capitalists. The gotta make more and more money, the rest of us be damned.

[@loubloom1941]

Well, when it comes to many environmental activists, they usually have their own self-serving agenda. Or the agenda of some NGO. So they're no better.

[@Sammo212]

And quite frequently those same people admittedly lie “for the greater good” and generally never admit they were ever wrong.

[@viljamtheninja]

@@KeeperOfSecrets-42069 No, it doesn't. You don't have environmentalists killed in fucking Sweden, or people wouldn't be talking so much about Greta Thunberg. It happens usually in undemocratic countries, past or current dictatorships and/or socialist countries most of the time. China is another great example of a capitalist country with a socialist ideology disappearing people with wrong opinions.

[@Hawk7886]

It's said in the movie that the Cleaners aren't activists, they're employed by the government to handle the Rotten. The Cleaner in the beginning was sent by the Mayor.

[@Mattatiasx7]

Imagine watching a KZbinr you follow several years now doing a coverage of a film from your country. I'm so happy. VAMOS ARGENTINA!! 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷♥️♥️♥️

[@patriciogarciadamiano7469]

It really is the best country in the world. Greetings from Argentina!

[@matics898]

@@patriciogarciadamiano7469 Lmao it's not. It really isn't. Not even close. It's a third world country where almost half of the population is below the poverty line, so let's not get crazy just because we made a good horror film.

[@MassageSamurai1]

​@@matics898I'll take your word for all that, but this director alone has made TWO fucking fantastic horror films...

[@florgibson9749]

@@matics898bueno mati no te calenteeeee vamos argentina

[@rebel1717]

This all kind of reminds me of The Sadness. A Taiwanese movie where a virus turns people into zombie-like psychopaths that are dedicated to inflicting as much pain onto regular people as humanly possible. I’m not a hundred percent sure on the subtext, mostly because I was too busy being horrified by the gore and torture being committed by the zombies. I think the best take I got is what Garth Ennis thought when he made Crossed, the comic in which the Sadness was based on, “Oh so, you think you can survive a zombie apocalypse? Fair enough. How about zombies that can think?”

[@jackroberts2704]

Someone said that this movie is like if the Sadness reigned itself in. That movie and Crossed is an interesting concept, but I think the goriness/cruelty of it can be too much for some people. This movie takes similar ideas of infection and adds its own unique themes. to the

[@krlosz1996]

I think this movie was like if The Sadness was actually good

[@rickyrhodes9008]

Garth's original intent with Crossed wasn't to ask: "What if the zombies could think?" It was to ask: "Why are you so scared of mindless flesh-eating ghouls when regular people can do far worse things to you with the flimsiest justification?" He based it on a dream he had where he was trapped in a farmhouse surrounded by zombies, only to look out the window and see that they weren't zombies at all, but a mob of regular people staring at him with sadistic intent, which probably terrified him even more. After all, a walking corpse could never exist, but a giggling pervert who wants to do dismember you while you're alive and do depraved things to you with your own severed limbs? Well hell, for all you know that could be your kindly old neighbor Geoff. You'll never truly know how fucked up any regular person is until you are confronted with it fully, and by that point changing your outcome is usually far too late...or if they look like Manchester United football hooligans whose team just won the World Cup.

[@kennethsatria6607]

The idea of demonic possession being the terrifying norm of that world like a disease is pretty genius for a movie concept. And I also like that it basically holds nothing back, even as I feel terrible for having heard of how things go down here. Horror of this level of nihilistic is probably a bit too much for me.

[@XxThexBitterxEndxX]

As an autistic person, I take great pride on knowing my kind is basically demon kryptonite. 😂

[@GG-kn2se]

It just took the demons like ten extra minutes to figure it out, is that kryptonite

[@jaysonwilson2697]

Hahahahhaa 😂

[@steren700]

​@@GeneralofVinceArmythey are

[@misterxar]

There is an entire spectrum of autism, and you're thinking of those who are non-verbal. There are plenty of capable autists. @@GeneralofVinceArmy

[@CorbCorbin]

@@GeneralofVinceArmy It’s become diagnosed as slight autism, within other actual diagnosis, because 10-18 year olds started going to therapists saying they think they’re autistic. The teens a decade show who were first claiming to be gender fluid, regardless of whether they were who are now young adults, or 30 something ones, that created this nonsense of autism being normal, and seemingly common. It’s just ignorant, and even more insulting to those who are actually autistic, or have psychological illness. I think it’s mostly self diagnosed people though, since most say they’re neurodivergent now, because it leaves an actual diagnosis even more uncertain, while still maintaining that “I’m special” status.

[@skyounkin]

Loved this movie, and it's ending is something I have wanted for a while where evil just wins. Outright wins. There is no open ending where the brothers might be able to stop the evil child. Evil is born and walks off into the sunny horizon. If I had any issue, it's that in the end when they pick up the autistic son and they just leave, and nothing is done about Grandma missing, she is just missing and the brothers are like "peace out!". But I thought it was phenomenal!!

[@user-bo8yg1zt9z]

arent grandma jewelry is spit by possesed child? i ve seen parralele between some lore about possesed puking devoured bodies and this child puking with grandma hair and medallion

[@skyounkin]

@@user-bo8yg1zt9z Yes, that is how the brothers find out what happened to Grandma, but it's like they don't even look for her when they pick up the son at the end. They just grab him and leave.

[@user-bo8yg1zt9z]

that is fair, whole second part of movie felt a bit uninspired and dumb

[@JDyo001]

check out "The Dark and the wicked", "Terrified" (made by the same argentinian director as "When Evil Lurks") and if you have a high tolerance for artsy movies, "Skinamarink".

[@Hawk7886]

​@@JDyo001ugh

[@DrKritter]

When I saw the mother do the thing with her kid..I literally said "She's eating his brain like a bag of popcorn". I felt sick seeing that.

[@ObiWanShinobi67]

Probably the most disturbing scene in the movie, along with the dog attack.

[@andrecarpenter2432]

I love how our cultures and realities influence our art. As a Brazilian I really love South American filmmakers talking about their inspirations.

[@lucianodiaz2931]

As an argentinian that watches your video from a lot of years now... im truly proud that your favorite movie of 2023 is the work of Rugna!

[@dropboxmoabit384]

Such a powerhouse of a movie. The whole scene around and in his ex-wife's house (involving children, a dog and a car) is absolutely bonkers and so tense!!

[@dropboxmoabit384]

LOL, just saw that Ryan absolutely spoils everything happening in that scene in great detail 😀

[@el10leo]

@@dropboxmoabit384 he absolutely leaves no scene untouched. Literally anyone interested in watching this film will get no surprises after watching this video.

[@jackroberts2704]

That scene is where the movie really stomps on the gas.

[@SpecialAgentMothman]

As an autistic person the concept of a demon not being able to navigate our minds is actually pretty intriguing. At the very least it acknowledged that our minds literally do not work the same as everybody else’s, that it’s a completely different neurotype

[@thatkidwiththehoodie]

As an autistic person, I think about it the same way I think about, like, using computers. I’ve grown up using Windows since day 1, but I have to use a Mac for some of my classes at the moment. It’s far from impossible, of course, but it’s taken some getting used to and I’d still prefer to use Windows wherever possible.

[@EddieM1994]

to be fair, though, you could make that argument about any human. Our minds all work in slightly different ways, even with a neurotype in common. I'm not autistic specifically, though, so I might be talking from ignorance here.

[@thatkidwiththehoodie]

@@EddieM1994 I guess you’re not wrong. Everyone’s different, certainly. I suppose autistic people are different in a distinct way. More similar to each other than to anyone else, y’know what I mean? Autism varies wildly too, that’s why it’s called the spectrum, but there are broad similarities that unite us as a community. Now, what about an autistic mind, exactly, causes the demons so much trouble… that’s a different question lmao

[@skeletonsinscarves3965]

It's a concept I've never thought about, but I kinda wanna dip into

[@wstine79]

A Rotten could've been cleanse with a good HOYEVER heard through some Ray-Con Ear Buds.

[@crizmeow8394]

This one was interesting. It felt like a small story set in a complete world, even if the vagueness gets a bit frustrating. I liked the touches of real life horror, like the distrust of the family of the infected. I feel weird about the autism thing tho and the way people behave may hit a bit too close to home. It wasn’t nearly as brutal as people were talking about was which I appreciate also!!

[@MrMetalforever5]

I really enjoyed the movie, but I think the really well written bullheaded/selfish/abusive behavior from the main characters gives away to the entire cast actually taking stupid pills in the second half. It was really frustrating to see characters that at least had a grasp on what they were doing to split up between takes, leave the elderly person with someone they know is possessed, and basically do EVERYTHING wrong that can be done wrong in the last thirty minutes. Don’t get me wrong, still thought it was pretty good, but that last half an hour in particular really miffed me.

[@el10leo]

Lmao same, and I'm from Argentina. There's an argument about how the evil had an influence over people they had yet to possess. My first and foremost example of this is the scene with the possessed goat. There's literally no reason to shoot the goat, it even reveals itself to the person weilding the gun. Yet the dude kills the goat. My interpretation of it is that there's a very urgent, acute impulsion to do what they know it's wrong, and that people around them can only hope to dissuade them from carrying away with the deed. The movie then makes you wonder how strong the pull must be for people that have already been possessed. Perhaps they are still in that body, but are very much powerless to the demon.

[@emoluver619]

Keep in mind they also thought the demon wouldn’t be able to do much of anything in the older son’s body. They said the demons get ‘lost’ in the minds of autistic people and so it was assumed she would be safe to look after him while they did what they needed to do. It was ignorance and naivety that did them in, along with Pedro’s bullheadedness. If he hadn’t left Mirta alone and had instead worked to reveal the nape of the neck it would have worked.

[@jackroberts2704]

Halfway through the movie I knew I wasn't rooting for these guys. It's just a shame they had to bring others down with them.

[@jjenk911]

This is the horror movie of 2023. Such a gut punch ending. Pedro should have listened, but no, he needed to protect his family at all costs. And Pedro's cry of anguish at the end of the movie had me feeling genuine sadness. Holy shit. I want to see a prequel of sorts about how Cleaners cleanse evil. Have it lead up to the beginning of When Evil Lurks.

[@SmeegForBran]

I'm always thankful hearing about stuff like this. Films that I've never heard of, but the premise alone sounds awesome! Your channel is always a great way to find out about a bunch of horror that tends to go under my radar. (Plus the videos of those that I'd never watch, but like to hear about.)

[@eliotmccann2589]

First "hoyevver" drops at 10:06. We have displeased Him, and He punishes us with the delay...

[@Ev1L0rd]

In regards to the Autistic son being affected differently... I think its actually a cool idea. Don't get me wrong, I understand Ryan's reaction and uncertainty/unease but for me as an AuDHD person, it makes perfect sense that something not used to living in the brain of someone with AuDHD would struggle to make sense of it all. I struggle to make sense of it all and its MY brain!

[@phantomfenrir4976]

Honestly, the idea of neurodivergent people having different effects to supernatural phenomena is quite fascinating. But got to admit it is one also filled with landmines and to be taken with a good degree of tact.

[@TheBoboSamurai]

Addressing the confusion of our own brains; I believe this would be seen as a common struggle if people were more honest with themselves! Consciousness is confusing, we all live in our own simulations.

[@peggy237]

Hey brother i would REALLY recommend you check out the movie "Pontypool", its basically a zombie movie about language, fr one of the most interesting and unique horror movies ive seen in some time, thinking back on it its got so many layers and meaning that can easily go over someones head if theyre watching it with their brain shut off, for example the fact that it takes place on valentines day and all the shallow words of endearment that people use or that the movie starts with a monologue about a woman who lost her cat "honey" and that the outbreak could have started with her as she was calling for her and in time the word "honey" was repeated so many times that it lost all meaning, and became just a noise, as do all words if you repeat them over and over again. Anyways if you see this comment its probably not making much sense because it really is just such a weird concept and without watching the movie it sounds like nonsense but i really think youd enjoy it and would love to see your take on it.

[@noiseagle1593]

ohboi i think there rings something in my memory that ryan mentioned this one in a video a few years back. hoyever my mind could just trick me on this one. either way good recommendation. its pretty unique in its approach to the genre.

[@Dainihonheikitaionna]

Hi there! I wanted to add some theories I have and movie explanations that could be interesting: - Santino (Pedro´s youngest child/ child pop-corn) is actually Jimmy's son and that is the reason behind him being so adamant about searching for him, and also why he couldn't take it and run over Sabrina. In the call that Demon-Sabrina had with Pedro, she revealed that she slept around, and when she was lying over the car's hood, she whispered to Jimmy "You told me that you loved me". I think this helps you understand better why they choose to separate in the end. - There seems to be an underlying and subtle commentary regarding the male role in that society. Rural Argentina is really stuck in old ways, so men dictate what to do and what is their "property" (as you pointed out). Not a single one of the men listened to what the women said and ended up in bigger messes because of that (from the pregnant lady, Uriel's mom, Mirtha, and Sabrina). - I know a lot of people have something to say regarding the decisions the characters make in the film, but the essence of the plot is that all of this happens in a rural and far-away place; we are talking about a rural population that is not used to deal with sanitary (or possessed in this case) protocols and they don't matter enough to the institutions to actually do something for them. Besides that, don't we all have stories to share about people making stupid and selfish decisions during COVID times (not wanting to use a mask, having parties, not disclosing symptoms) while the rules of what you should and shouldn't do were available in all formats and languages? We think we are better, but the harsh reality is that we showed we are not. - When they are all in the car escaping from the town and Grandma starts talking about the rules, she talks about demons' names when one of the rules clearly states you shouldn't mention them. When she does this, Jair starts repeating one of the names (Azrael) and becomes possessed. - Throughout the movie, we see a lot of pictures foreshadowing the ending: the spawn and the kids walking towards the dawn. We see that Jair drew about it, we also see it in the school. - The kid that shows up at night with his bicycle is the same one that they almost hit at the beginning, and most probably the one that helped Uriel into the school. Remember that Mirtha states "The evil loves kids, and kids love the evil". - One of the few good decisions that the brothers have is to not let Uriel's little brother in that night. He's just eaten his mom and appeared when Jimmy saw that horn shadow on the wall. He also had a gun, so maybe his real intentions were to do the same to them. I want to say that if he did, the movie would have ended well, but Uriel was already in the school waiting to give birth to the spawn of evil, so they were doomed from the start. - Uriel is an Archangel and the one that expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise, and also that would carry the fire for the Apocalypse. There are no churches left and cleaners are scarce. In the film's universe, God's forsaken the world and that is why they know possessions happen, although it seems like is something that only happens in big cities. It seems like the Uriel is ready to unleash the apocalypse, whipping all adults first.

[@ladyluna457]

I've been suscribed to your channel for years, and I can't believe you pick a movie from my country as your favourite of the year. Thank you Ryan for bringing attention to Argentinian cinema. 🇦🇷

[@deanscordilis7280]

If I had a nickel for every Argentinian horror I’ve read/watched that involved some form of cannibalism in 2023, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice.

[@yupitsjessbbyx3]

Just a heads up Jaime is pronounced more like “Hi-mey” not “Ha-may”

[@Simple_Drake]

This is how I imagine Nurgle would behave in a more realistic modern setting

[@usuariopromedio963]

El abuelo nurgle..nos ama a TODOS..haahahaah

[@belisauriusfish9406]

I do kinda like the idea of demons having trouble possessing neurodivergent people. It’s kinda the opposite of the trope of mental illness and possession being linked.

[@jleggett5995]

The Black Mass is the most impactful horror I've seen from this year. I went in expecting a goofy slasher, but it turned out to be a legitimately disturbing serial killer movie comparable to stuff like Angst and Henry.

[@gagalover2k10]

Are you sure it’s called that? I looked it up and all I’m getting are results for the Johnny Depp gangster movie that came out a few years back

[@jleggett5995]

It's directed by Devanny Pinn. Bit of an obscure one, saw it at a film festival.

[@gagalover2k10]

@@jleggett5995 cheers bud

[@el10leo]

go ask for a review about that film then.

[@abdellnunez1403]

​@@gagalover2k10yeah they might be talking about Black Mold or something, I'm not for sure

[@aryanbhati7874]

just finished watching this today and honestly it was a breath of fresh air from those cliché horrors. The axe and the dog scene made me sick to my stomach, overall an excellent film.

[@jackroberts2704]

My feelings exactly. I thought it was gonna be another by-the-book possession movie, but the treatment of possession as a sickness and the unexpected violence really surprised me.

[@danielg8472]

What a great movie, would love to see more high quality foreign horror films like this!

[@the_ximenes]

Looking for the originals that had american remakes is a great start. Most are waaaaay better than the remakes. Off the top of my head, REC and A Tale of Two Sisters are incredible.

[@Omni-Blast]

The director of When Evil Lurks directed another movie that came out in 2017 called Terrified. I loved it too. It's available on Shudder and AMC+ currently.

[@spioussasm]

Hi Ryan, big argentinian fan of yours here! What happens with pesticides here in the regions where we live of off the agriculture is that usually the fields with crops are mainteined not by the owner of the land but by workers that are usually really poor families that used to live in those lands before they were sold to one big owner. So the workers reakky don't have a coice about it. And here we have a bunch of little towns and schools that are near the fields, and the pesticides are spread usually by planes, which makes it spread really easily towards the places where the people live. This has been done for years and years and just some time ago weve really started to try and bring conscience about the effect it has on people, like cancer obvs, but we dont really have any legal regulations about it because its not useful to the governement to ban the use of pesticides cause you know the ones with big money are the owners of those lands. But yeah, I got really emotional when I heard the director talk about it because its such a local issue that is not usually talked about. And in the movie, the house of the embichado looks just like the ones we see here everyday, so its really really representative of our contry

[@MattRedgrave]

Hey Ryan! I've been following you for around an year and a half so far. I'm from Argentina and, over here, we're pretty proud with what Rugna has achieved with this movie. It's not perfect, but it has shaken the proverbial beehive quite a lot overseas and that's huge, considering that horror is such and under and indie thing here. I'd recomend you to check out Rugna's other ''big'' movie, if you haven't already, 2017's Aterrados (Terrified).

[@peggy237]

Just watched Terrified like 2 days ago, had a pretty good opening, especially that bathroom scene of that woman getting slammed back and forth and had some good momments in between like the kid comkng back was def very creepy but as it went on it really did go downhill more and more, like the last 1/3 is pretty terrible imo lmao.

[@captnghosteyes]

IM SOOO EXCITED TO HEAR YOUR REVIEW! This film left me SHOOK!!!

[@haunted14]

Okay so I finally watched this last night with my husband and I honestly am incredibly conflicted on my feelings. That scene…and you know the one, I don’t need to say which…as a parent…I’ve never screamed like I did at a movie before. It literally brought tears to my eyes and I had to stop the movie and take a break. My god. The way the film was shot, especially that scene, was so anxiety inducing that it truly affected me more than I could have expected. I hated the feelings this movie gave me. I never want to see it again. But as I said, I’m conflicted because the fact that it truly bothered me on a deep, deep level (I had nightmares and swore I saw shadows moving when I got up to pee in the middle of the night; I am not someone who is easily frightened at horror movies, they’re my favorite genre for a reason) means it is an absolute masterclass of horror cinema. Masterfully done and I am trying to reconcile this with also knowing that I will never watch the movie again lol

[@kv1293]

Feel the same as a parent, but I really didn't care what happened after that point in the movie. The main character's objective was failed in the most maliciously gruesome way possible so the rest just didn't matter.

[@Mr.WarwickBot]

One thing we noticed after watching the movie, and talking about it.. apparently those bullets were “special” at least as far as I know they never explain it but there is real world beliefs that special bullets can kill Demons. If I’m not mistaken they find those bullets on the cleaner dude. It wasn’t until we started looking into the real life lore that we found out that rid bit. Granted this brand of Spanish is not my native language, but I don’t think they explain this. So it was kinda cool that we as the viewers discovered this outside the film.

[@Mr.WarwickBot]

Also the ending made me think of the quote that the mom says, about babies that don’t make a sound when they cry. And how that’s a sign of a demon being around.

[@hayvok64]

Perfect for the holiday season. I’m sure this’ll get my spirits up.

[@atomicstbernard]

I like this. Good ending. Happy endings in horror movies are no fun. Drag Me to Hell. That ending is one of my faves.

[@NightWolf4223]

I have heard about this film. One of the reasons Ryan is one of my favorite channels. I can always rely on Ryan to remind of the crazy films I like. Plus I love Ryan's veiws and take on these films

[@marchingham]

HOLY CRAP. What did you watch as a palette cleanser after that one? I feel like my soul needs a bath. 😢

[@The_KlaVra]

I was on Twitter and saw your recommendation a few weeks ago. I am from Argentina and our horror scene isn't that big that a movie like this will get love in the cinema. I immediately went to watch it and loved every second, recommended and made everyone watch it... Been waiting for your video ever since. Edit: Loved the video, you should check out his previous one TERRIFIED, not TERRIFIER, TERRIFIED. Not as great but still a fucking cool movie.

[@Nuked519]

Coming into the year with Skinamarink and ending it with this movie feels like the ushering in of a new era of horror movies.

[@Keldoh3ad]

Easily the best movie of the year. A horror movie where the characters make poor decisions out of ignorance and desperation rather than just being written poorly tropes or typecasts as in most horror flicks.

[@31webseries]

Yes! Can't wait to hear your thoughts. When this film was recommended to me they used the word "brutal." Oh how right they were!

[@franciscoduran4618]

The pregnant girl axing herself was what got me first. Great film! Could you cover the animated miniseries Infinity Train and/or Nicholas Roeg's Don't Look Now?

[@robertopulitano8093]

Another day, another coronation of glory

[@RinneAvicula]

Another thing to consider with the pesticides is that along with the pests being killed, the beneficial species are also affected. A small population of aphids can explode into an infestation if there are no ladybugs alive to control it. If there are no dragonfly nymphs to consume mosquito larvae, only continued use of pesticides can keep them from becoming an epidemic. Once you start, the cycle can only continue

[@jesusyanez1865]

YESSSSS!!! i was hoping you’d cover this!!

[@julesrules7297]

Just saw this the other night. Some really good jumpscare/shock moments. Loved the ending and even the children's acting.

[@ALaughingMagician]

Loved this movie. Rugna's other movie "aterrados" was filmed where I lived my childhood, so it was the first time I really felt close to a horror movie. its not as good as when evil lurks but is fun.

[@d1ctum]

something I thought about is the paralelism with the real Argentina when someone on the movie says this "plague" or infestation occurs on the city the most, at that time being a urban legend and laughing about that topic. In real life, in Argentina there's a lot of "urban legends" that a lot of people in rural places claims to happen a lot but in the city we laugh about them bc we think that might be kinda ridiculous to think about like El Pomberito, la Luz Mala, etc.

[@jefftobi4510]

Let’s go I’ve been waiting for a big channel to cover this movie

[@clicliw]

This film was incredible, glad to see you covering it!

[@misterxar]

Absolutely love when I watch a movie and spend weeks telling everyone to watch it, then see you make a video reiterating how good it is

[@KharonDeLune_vtb]

There's some other thoughts that Ruiz's wife doesn't actually get possessed in that scene, since she ends her own life afterwards instead of turning on the animals to continue the destruction and bloodshed. She knew that after Ruiz killed the possessed goat, the possession would spread, and instead of allowing that, merc'd her husband and then herself to contain the spread. It kind of mirrors what Pedro should have done, because by going and getting into contact with other people, he doomed them all.

[@DJ-wl5qo]

One of the only movies I’ve seen recently that actually made me go “holy shit” out loud when watching it.

[@mrflipperinvader7922]

This dude managed to kill his whole family...

[@gianinamorales8597]

Ryan, I do hope you're still taking it easy. Waking up to this was a treat, thank you ❤

[@chrissysky01]

I'll come back and finish the video after I check this one out. The concept sounds good enough that I gotta watch it for myself first. XD Thanks for the heads up.

[@woketacha6112]

2:07 Bro legit roasts himself twice in a span of 10 seconds

[@Maeinli]

I'd love to hear your take on Pontypool someday!

[@TimZoet]

Is there any chance you'll do Alien? I know we all saw it and it's a classic, but I'd just love if you covered it

[@LukeKimmell]

I saw the dog attack scene while scrolling through KZbin shorts. I had no idea what movie it was from or even that the dog was possessed. Had no clue to figure out what movie was from without googling "dog attack little girl movie"and I hope I don't have to explain why that's a bad idea

[@frankopful]

This is pure argentinean folk horror 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷

[@iamzeppoluvr]

These movies, where the writers, directors, etc., have the guts to "go there" are seldom created. 😮 It's a good thing when movie lovers are treated to these films, so it may actually also be a good thing that they are so rare. 🤔 Thank you for the video, sir

[@karlipeters3472]

Ive been searching for a good Horror movie that I havnt watched already for half an hour now. This Looks perfect

[@TyroneBruinsmaFilms]

Horror films I enjoyed most this year: Renfield, Talk to Me, Beau is Afraid, Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter, A Haunting in Venice, Skinamarink, No One Will Save You, M3gan, Evil Dead Rise. Honorable Mentions: 65, The Boogeyman, Cocaine Bear, Dark Harvest, Craving, Knock at the Cabin and Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham.

[@sibren9874]

When I heard of a "dog scene" I waited with baited breath to witness a poor pooch being brutalized by a demonic entity. What I got instead was a modern retake of KUJO and it did the job of shocking me much better than any amount of animal violence would.

[@patriciogarciadamiano7469]

7:06 the possession didn't spread to the wife. You have to use a firearm to get possessed. But she knew he was done for so she killed him.

[@PlasticDragon3d]

it has been a war between the actual goberment and farmers for decades, where they are taxed hundreds and prevented from progressing. The government uses farmers as a source of income through taxes. It's pathetic and sad coming from a primarily agricultural country. My country has a lot of issues sandly. There is also a REALLY big barrier between the Capital city of Buenos Aires and the rest of the country, where the Capital is the center of the country that functions as its own province within the province of Buenos Aires (the place where everyone goes as tourists, the large city) and the rest of the country, including Buenos Aires itself, are left in the hands of each governors to put it in basic terms. Creating small monarchies in each province that leads to these type of problems that the movie talks about, focusing government subcides only in Buenos Aires, etc. The country has a great imbalance in monetary, educational and quality of life in general.

[@fatalisblack7213]

Uriel: I've been talking with god... Exorcist: Is he telling you to kill everyone? Uriel: No. Exorcist: Is he telling you to sleep with everyone? Uriel: No. Exorcist: Is he telling you the secrets of the universe to drive everyone mad? Uriel: No. Exorcist: Is he making everyone sick and telling that it's a good thing? Uriel: YES Exorcist: Okay, yeah, that's not god, that's Nurgle. HI NURGLE! GRANDPAPI NURGLE: H̵̢̖͎̉̋̀̓i̵̦̖͈̊͘ ̴̮̫̬̯̀b̷̬͖͖̈̀̀͘o̵̼̺̟̓͋̒̈́y̵̛̯͌ͅş̸̓̒̓͠!̴̫͖̙̐

[@StreyX]

My take on it is that Pedro is evil. He literally falls to his worst impulses every time. I question whether he's truly broken up by the loss of his family or if he's just not able to cope with the world not being the way he wanted it.

[@Fant]

I really like the idea of an autistic mind being too hard to navigate for a demon. I'm autistic and neuro divergency is usually really hard to represent. I'm tired of giga smart people that are socially awkward.

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

Same. Hard same. I don't think a demon would enjoy being in my head, it's a prickly and uncomfortable place. And I'm the one who's used to it!

[@lucalovespopculture3743]

For me it was the oppsite. I agree that im also tired of the Savant, but also of the non verbal autistic kid. Thats mostly the only two kind of autistic people we see in movies.

[@Stand_By_For_Mind_Control]

@@lucalovespopculture3743 Yeah that's what I came to say is you either have one or the other extreme end of the spectrum. It's like from a story writing perspective that it's a malady that's boring if it's mild. It's a lot like Tourette Syndrome which only ever shows up as the 'yelling profanities' kind in fiction when in reality it's really broad spectrum that can be as mild as occasional tics. But you'll never see it represented in a story as just a person who's constantly clearing their throat in a weird way or randomly has the urge to whistle.

[@lucalovespopculture3743]

@@Stand_By_For_Mind_Control I don't wanna sound like a know it all, but there is no mild autism. The autistic spectrum is not a line from mildly autistic to strongly autistic. But yeah, you're right. It has to be in extremes, that writers find it interesting. The only good autistic representations i saw are Abed from Community and Ben Affleck in The Accountant.

[@leadpaintchips9461]

I'm almost positive I'm not neuro divergent (just an unhealthy case of clinical depression), and I honestly think it's _brilliant_ that the demons have an issue possessing those who are. Like someone who got ready for their Christmas vacation in Brazil but got dumped in the backend of Norway. Eventually they'll figure it out, but it's not going to be what they thought it was.

[@Force_Of_Habit]

Greetings from Argentina!

[@bipolarewok]

This is one of my favorite films from this year. The only thing that kept taking me out of the movie from time to time was thinking one of the brothers looks like argentinian scoot mcnairy

[@DannBP1]

Just watched it on SHUDDER. Man, this film is brutal!!

[@gabe608]

Thanks for another excellent upload

[@youknowg001]

If you liked this movie, I recommend watching Terrified by the same director.

[@techmons]

beautiful accent you have

[@mattgilbert7347]

Meanwhile, South & Central America celebrates the recall to Hell of the demon Kissinger. Now there's a rotten.

[@Grasses0n]

This was a really interesting horror movie with great writing and characters, and wasn't afraid to have a bleak ending. We need more horror like this, it's a breath of fresh air compared to what we usually get these days.

[@RochuBlack]

oh my GOD ryan come to argentina

[@havic667]

That Flick sounds intense.

[@dreamhunter695]

Would love to request a video on Australian Gothic genre horror films. Would love to hear your take on movies like Wolf Creek, The Loved Ones and other films where a large antagonistic force is the Australian outback

[@limonx6778]

MUCHAAAAAAAACHOSS

[@juggalochef2399]

Definitely one that's stuck with me since viewing. Harrowing would be a severe understatement about this film to be sure. On a side note, hope you're doing alright Ryan, happy holidays to you & yours, stay safe & take care!

[@gearjacky]

Gonna have to give this one a watch. Absolute banger as usual! Cheers mate! EDIT: Humble request to cover the French horror series Marianne!

[@monkaWGiga]

The fact that Marianne got cancelled before season 2 hurts me every time I remember.

[@Mattatiasx7]

Lost in Translation specifics from an Argentinian: -The Rotten are not called "rotten" literally in the movie, theey are colled more like "bewitched" in a countryside slag -The Demon is not "in limbo" for trying to possess the autistic kid, they say that is more like "entangled" trying to figure out the kid's mind and thats why his hands are contorted.

[@bravo561]

This movie is incredibly similar to the Wailing. The ways in which both protagonists, both fathers were undone by either their own lack of faith or pride is really heartbreaking and fascinating.

[@rodribara]

Muchaaaaaacho'!!!!!!

[@stockingcake7607]

Please cover Terrified it's by the same director but provides even less answers. I also find it to be scarier in place of disturbing. It's a great film, but I would love to hear your take on it and any theories you come up with that explains wtf happened.

[@StuntmanDanHemi]

The only thing that still makes me wonder, is why did the brother showed no emotions whatsoever in the entire movie, until he saw the kid's brain getting eaten, not only he finally showed emotion, but he SNAPPED, that was too radical of a change and I think that's because the kid was lowkey his. The wife did claim she cheated on Pedro with a bunch of people, the brother has high chances of being one of those lol

[@krlosz1996]

He didn't actually see firsthand most of the fucked up events of the movie, only knew them from his brothers testimony, seeing his sister in law eating his nephew was his first actual confrontation with what was happening

[@bigdadybojangls9219]

Bearded guy looks like Nathan fielder to me and I can’t unsee it

[@CakestheCheese]

Saw this film at Monster Fest 2023 at Cinema Nova, Melbourne. Great Film

[@jackroberts2704]

I watched this after hearing about it on Dead Meat and I was really surprised. The idea of possession as an infection is really interesting. The amount of child violence was shocking but effective. Jaime slowly driving by the mom chomping on her son gave me chills.