La llorona

In his third film, Guatemalan maverick director Jayro Bustamante has crafted a modern-day story in the backdrop of the 1982 genocide of indigenous Mayan population under dictator Efraín Ríos Montt's command. The story is of an ageing dictator (based on Montt) and his family of wife, daughter and granddaughter, that finally encounter people's wrath. Told from the viewpoint of the dictator's family members, it could have been a pretty straightforward political story of repercussions, atonement, justice and truth finally catching up. And there was enough scope in the story itself to do both -- firmly ascertain an anti-fascist political stance, and yet portray the dictator and his family with adequate empathy. But Bustamante chose to package this inside the popular mythological horror story of 'the weeping woman', exactly to achieve what - I am not too sure.

The film is beautifully shot, edited and acted. There was adequate suspense and thrill in the film's more horror-ish sequences. The blue-lit nighttime shots, tracking shots in the dark, long dark hair, overflow of water, long creepy stares, jump scares with increasing background sounds, candle-lit invocations of spirits -- all sorts of horror film cliches were used. Rather than adding anything to the story (apart from a bit increased viewership of some horror-film enthusiasts who would ultimately be disappointed), I personally felt that these kind of reduced the film into something less serious and less sincere. The film starts off excellently, but loses its focus after around an hour. To sustain its horror movie potential, the story needed some sort of unpredictability. But this is history, and we all know how histories of this nature finally turn out. There is no suspense in justice. One can only sensationalize it.

6.5/10

Despite premiering on 'Shudder', 'La Llorona (2019)' isn't really a horror film at all; it's a drama with some horror elements sprinkled throughout. I really do mean that, too, because it's seriously almost not even worth approaching as an entry in the spooky genre or even as a hybrid comprised partly of it. Doing so would set yourself up for disappointment, really. Though it has supernatural elements, the most horrific parts of the piece are purely human. It deals with the repercussions of the 'Guatemalan genocide' (which claimed the lives of literally tens of thousands of Mayan people), focusing on an ageing war-criminal who maintains he did nothing wrong even as he is found guilty of genocide in court. Most of the movie takes place after this decision, as the general and his family find themselves under a sort of house arrest enforced by a ceaseless crowd of impassioned protestors. Though the general remains cold-hearted to his actions, each member of his family finds themselves coming to terms with the situation - and who their husband/ dad/ grandad really is - in subtle but distinct ways. It's an interesting concept and its very restrained presentation is intriguing. It trusts you to know who is morally 'right' and who is morally 'wrong', never talking down to you or even presenting you with an 'easy' protagonist. At the same time, it is incredibly slow. Though it does come to a genuinely impactful conclusion, it's actually often a little dull. Its pacing feels deliberate but that doesn't mean it isn't a tad detrimental, especially since the affair has a really strong atmosphere overall. It isn't boring, per se, but it isn't as compelling as it perhaps could have been. Its themes are resonant and it seems to do exactly what it wants to, but it does have issues that make it difficult to wholeheartedly recommend to someone who doesn't know what they're getting into. Still, it's definitely worth a watch if you're willing to meet it on its own terms. It's evocative of the kind of horror that only a being of flesh and blood can inflict. 6/10.

The plot summary on IMDb doesn't do this film justice. It's a slow-burn drama about the family of a retired Guatemalan general on trial for war crimes. His daughter, an intelligent and compassionate medical doctor, is finally reckoning with what her father participated in, and her moral struggle expands to the rest of the family. At the same time, the general's sins are coming home to roost in a very literal way.

There is an element of horror here, but I was much more enthralled by the family drama of the piece. Unfortunately, it does copy one thing from other thought-provoking horror films and fails to fully stick the landing. Still a wonderful film and one that I'll think about for a long time to come. Brilliant cinematography and sound design, see it in a well-equipped theatre if you can.

A Llorna is more of a political drama rather than a traditional horror film. The problem with establishing a principle character as a convicted genocidal former dictator is the from the begging of the story it's very difficult to care what happens to him.

The plot goes some way to redressing this balance by placing three generations of women as the central characters.

The story is told from the mothers perspective. Trapped in the dictator's company they represent different levels of ignorance, innocence and hope. The wife of the despot comfortable with the political lifestyle, wilfully dismisses any suggestion of her husband's improper behaviour.

The daughter, a professional healer bound by her service and Hippocratic oath puts her in conflict with her parents and protective of her own daughter. The granddaughter, the innocent, unable to understand why people are saying such horrible things about her kindly grandfather.

In these three characters we are offered different levels of ignorance all the while the real victims scream and protest, heard but rarely seen.

Into this scenario arrives Llorona herself and it's through her that the spirits communicate and seek their retribution.

This is a subtle tale and one that some might find slow going. The horror lays not in the actions of the dead, but the injustice of the living.

A pretty bold vision on one of the most well-known figures in Latin American folklore. Jayro Bustamante's 'La Llorona' smartly reimagines the folk legend as political horror story. Unfortunately, most of its conflicts and characters are underdeveloped with the slow-burn pacing drags and the horror elements are very minimal, making it rather difficult to relate to or become attached to the whole story.