Directed by Michael Chaves, The Curse of La Llorona is the newest film in James Wan’s Conjuring Universe. Connected through the character of Father Perez, the film is based on the legend of La Llorona, a Latin American folktale, with the Mexican telling being best known in the United States, specifically in the Southwest.
In The Curse of La Llorona, see that the spirit of La Llorona has taken root in 1970s Los Angeles, calling for Patricia Alvarez’s character, played by Patricia Velasquez. When a social worker, Anna Tate-Gacria played by Linda Cardelini, steps into protect Alvarez’s kids, she doesn’t realize that she is putting the children in more danger, and bringing her own in to wrath of La Llorona.
Their only hope of surviving La Llorona is to seek the help of the cuandero, Rafael Olvera, played by Raymond Cruz. A former priest, now medicine man, he takes on their request to battle La Llorona and save Anna’s children.
The Curse of La Llorona had a chance to build out a vibrant world of new legends that stand distinctly against the Warrens and haunted dolls. By basing the film’s ghost on a well-known Mexican story, it was set up to hit with audiences given that Latinos buy the most tickets at the theaters and make up the largest ethnic minority in the United States. However, the fact that the film was not written, produced, or directed by Latino creatives and the choice to cast Cardelini in the lead role leaves a film that looks like every other haunting in the Conjuring universe with a monster that is the same.
Although the film aims to include Latino spiritual traditions in the cuandero’s actions, they aren’t always used appropriately. Beyond that, the costuming of La Llorona herself, played by Marisol Ramirez is nothing new. Her pure white skin and black tears mimic other images we’ve seen in The Nun and makes her a cheap PG-13 jumpscare instead of the woman who haunted the childhoods of many Mexican Americans.
As an adult who grew up with my abuelita scaring me with cries through the window when I stayed outside after dark, the film captures nothing of the dear and wonder that filled my life. It abides by the formula that has been used in every film in the Conjuring Universe and other than using Spanish throughout the film, it offers nothing new.
Rafael is a stand in for the Warrens, the children are tormented while the mother refuses to believe, the mother has her moment that proves she needs to believe and a small twist in the third act is expected. Not taking into account the terrible use of my culture or inaccuracies in the film, The Curse of La Llorona doesn’t even succeed in at least creating a new and different world to explore.
In fact, the best acting of the film is delivered by Valesquez, albeit for minutes. That being said, the use of a cuandero does offer a jumping off point to create more films that can center Cruz as the lead. While there is no hope for this film outside of a couple of well executed creepy hand scares, Atomic Monster Productions should consider greenlighting other films that use the folktales of Mexican and Latino childhoods, with Cruz as the traveling cuandero. The only difference is that they should hire Latino talent at every stage and work in bringing out the unique visuals of the cultures instead of defaulting to a veiled pale lady with black face paint accenting her look.
Overall, if you do not have a familiarity with the tale, you may find yourself pulled into the narrative. However, the string of jumpscares will quickly pull you out of the story and leave you waiting for the next jump instead of focussing on the characters or their development. The Curse of La Llorona is a run of the mill PG-13 horror movie produced by James Wan, with nothing more and nothing less.