‘Evil Lurks’ movie made by Kane County residents now streaming online – Shaw Local

After opening last summer at the Charlestowne 18 Theater in St. Charles, the first feature from Fox Valley residents Aaron Hawkins and Chris Shern is now streaming online.

The horror movie “Evil Lurks” is now streaming on Tubi and Apple TV and is expected to stream on other platforms in the future. Hawkins, a 1993 Batavia High School graduate, co-wrote the script with Aurora resident Chris Shern, who also fronts the band Invisible Cartoons.

When Hawkins first found out that Tubi was airing “Evil Lurks”, he was overwhelmed with emotions.

“I just saw it there,” Hawkins said. “I jumped up and almost accidentally threw my phone across the room. I was pretty excited about it.”

The film was released by Hawkins’ company, Crazy Rock Films, in association with SSH Man Productions and Kissing Kastles. Shern is also a producer on the film and worked on sound editing in addition to appearing in the film. Hawkins also has a small role in “Evil Lurks.”

Shern was also excited to see it on Tubi, noting that the platform focuses on a lot of independent movies, especially in the horror genre.

“That’s a big problem,” he said. “I am an independent filmmaker. I love being an independent filmmaker. At this point in my life, I like to have a sense of control over what I’m doing. Opportunity is what I focus on.”

The fact that the film is streaming online is also an early birthday present for Shern, whose birthday falls on January 10.

“That is the best birthday present I could have received,” he said. “We started working on the film in 2018. Now it’s there for the world to see.”

“Evil Lurks” is the story of a troubled woman who seeks the help of an unscrupulous hypnotist, which in turn triggers a series of events.

Both Hawkins and Shern are fans of the horror genre.

“The movie presents what could and does happen in the real world,” Hawkins said.

Shern agreed.

“‘Evil Lurks’ is all around us,” he said. “Everyone can have that dark place where something they’re doing affects a lot of people they care about.”

The official extended trailer for “Evil Lurks” was named Best Trailer at the Hollywood Blood Horror Festival in 2020. It also received Best Trailer at the Rome International Movie Awards.

That made Hawkins feel good.

“It created a lot of buzz within the horror community,” he said.

In addition to being a writer and director, Hawkins has played different characters in various short films and has been a supporting actor in television shows and movies such as “Chicago Med” and “Captive State.”

“Evil Lurks” was filmed in the area. The first scene of the movie was filmed on River Street in downtown Batavia.

“We filmed a news reporter scene there,” Hawkins said. “Every time we filmed, we had a small audience behind us watching us, which was cool to see.”

Both Hawkins and Shern hope the film will spark discussion.

“I hope people have conversations about what all these elements mean,” Shern said.

Hawkins said that watching “Evil Lurks” more than once can provide some of the answers to questions people may have.

“There are Easter eggs (hidden references) in the movie,” he said.

More information on “Evil Lurks” is available at evillurksmovie.com or on the film’s Facebook page, facebook.com/EvilLurksTheMovie.