'La Llorona' is a supernatural horror drama that follows a family experiencing odd occurrences once the history of the patriarch of the family is examined. The film establishes that Enrique, the former dictator of Guatemala, is due to be tried for his alleged war crimes, including genocide against the native Mayans during the 1980's. His family, wife Carmen, daughter Natalia and granddaughter Sara are with him, as the now elderly and sick Enrique has to go on trial. After being found guilty but circumventing punishment due to his ill health, Enrique and his family are confined to their home, as protesters surround the premises and effectively trap them there.
Prior to the trial, the house staff had quit, with only Valeriana remaining as the help. Soon after the judgement and Enriques return home, a new maid called Alma starts working for the family. Her arrival correlates with odd occurrences around the house, - Enrique hearing weeping around the house, Carmen experiencing vivid nightmares and other odd happenings.
Events take a turn for the worst when Sara sleepwalks one night, takes Enrique's oxygen tank and dives into the pool. Not understanding what he is seeing, Enrique wanders out by the pool and starts firing at the water where he thinks he is seeing a supernatural spectre. Natalia and Carmen rush to the commotion, and are lead to holding a seance, lead by Valeriana, to figure out the cause of the unrest. Following on from her recurring nightmares, Carmen sees that Enrique was responsible for his war crimes, focusing on Alma as she is interrogated, her children drowned and eventually she is shot. Carmen proceeds to strangle Enrique whilst in the dream-like state. The film concludes with Enrique's funeral. The screen cuts to black as Alma can be heard screaming for her children.
The film takes on the legend of La Llorona, or the Weeping Woman, commonly known as a woman that had drowned her children in a fit of rage relating to being either wronged by her lover or husband, or for fear of having her children taken away from her. The tale tells of her inability to enter the afterlife as she is plagued by guilt and proceeds to roam the earth, crying out for her children.
'La LLorona' uses the legend to illustrate the real-life horrors that occurred in Guatemala during the early 1980's, where military attacks were held against the Maya people and genocide was committed. The film introduces us to the Monteverde family, initially focusing on the anxiety and concern Natalia feels for her father, questioning his past and trying to figure out what exactly happened during the war. We are further invited to contemplate the past with her, as she discusses the mater with Carmen, who out-right disbelieves the severity of what is being alleged. However, as the film progresses, the nightmares that Carmen experiences allow us to doubt her belief in what Enrique has told her. The shock of seeing the brutality of the military attacks and her children being drowned is what eventually breaks Carmen, as she proceeds to kill Enrique.
The journey to uncovering the truth is intense and enthralling as 'La Llorona' presents the information at pace, revealing each characters motivations and traits slowly, allowing us to piece together what happened on our own. The beauty of the film lies in that it does not try to overcomplicate its premise, namely that there is a man who has done wrong and there is a force that wants to settle the score with him. By showing Alma as a quiet and reserved individual, it can be deciphered instantly that there is something more to her, yet that does not diminish her motivations and she remains true to her goal to the end, without harming any other parties. More akin to retribution rather than revenge, Alma's actions can be understood and justified, without leaving any doubt in the viewers mind of the fact that it has been the right thing to do, as Alma is presented as a neutral character, exacting her actions without any strong emotions one way or the other.
The film is a slow-burn, but that does not impede on its ability to deliver a number of suspenseful scenes that are truly petrifying. In contrast to a standard horror film, 'La Llorona' does not rely on jump-scares or nose-bleed levels of auditory scares, rather making use of dimly-lit, extended and quiet scenes to which the anticipation of a scare works more effectively that actually producing one on screen. The use of scenes where characters are alone during the night, wandering in the dark, truly cut to the core as everyone has been there, wondering what may appear around the corner. In parallel to the dark and quiet scenes, 'La Llorona' also exposes us to the horrors of military attacks, as presented through Carmen's nightmares. These act as a powerful message in telling us that we should not fear what may lurk in the darkness at night, rather understand that humans are capable far more horrific things.
The film stars María Mercedes Coroy as Alma, Sabrina De La Hoz as Natalia, Margarita Kenéfic as Carmen and Julio Diaz as Enrique Monteverde. 'La Llorona' is anchored largely by the female actors, focusing on the fear, anxiety and despair that they feel regarding the crimes committed by Enrique. The interactions that they share truly amplify the full extent of their dread as the situation in their home deteriorates over the course of the film, highlighting each oncoming scare and effectively culminating in a satisfying conclusion as the built up tension is released by exacting justice on Enrique. Truly a testament to the abilities of the cast, 'La Llorona' is a success as the actors manage to combine subtlety and nuance to deliver a truly memorable film.
Written and directed by Jayro Bustamante, the creator has managed to deliver both an imaginative and exciting way to acknowledge the history and appreciate the ingenuity of using a well known legend to inform people of past atrocities. By using the legend of 'La Llorona' to tell the world about the genocide that occurred in Guatemala, the film successfully delivers a scary and insightful story, allowing its viewers to be both entertained and educated on the horrors of the past. Truly a memorable film, 'La Llorona' is a must-see that will stick with you long after it is over.
Score: 4/4
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