La llorona

A slow-burn political drama that merges the real-life horrors of the Guatemalan genocide with one of Latin America's most famous folklores, La Llorona (also called The Weeping Woman) is a story about the ghosts of the past bleeding into the present to right the wrongs, and is crafted in the same vein as Issa López's Tigers Are Not Afraid & Mati Diop's Atlantics.

Co-written, co-edited & directed by Jayro Bustamante, the film is more interested in exploring the collective tragedy, trauma & terror of a nation reeling from loss & unaccountability, and applies the mythic elements to bring justice on doorsteps of those responsible for the mass slaughter. Although it is far from a straightforward genre film, its atmosphere still reeks of spectres & phantasmagoria.

The story concerns the family of a retired general on trial for war crimes, and the unraveling they undergo after the arrival of a mysterious domestic help. There is a haunting quality to the way it is filmed, plus the horror aspects are finely utilised too yet it fails to immerse us completely into its world and never goes all-in with the retribution that was always coming which is a shame, for more could've been done here.

Overall, La Llorona makes for a gripping story about the voids that never fill and scars that never heal, and also serves as a chilling metaphor of the blood-soaked history of Guatemala that's still crying for closure. Not a film for all and certainly not for those expecting something alone the lines of the terrible Hollywood take on the Latin American fable, this Guatemalan feature is a political drama pierced with thin lines of horror & fantasy.

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.

Talking about a political event with a horror twist, La Llorona isn't a horror movie per say, but more of a political drama with some horror overtones here and there. The first half can be overly slow, but the second half is quite dramatic and impactful. This serious movie above all else painfully depicts the atrociousness of the event that was the Guatemalan genocide of Maya civilians with some scenes being suitably tragic and angry to boost.

La Llorona is far from the film I expected it to be. Going in to what I thought was a horror, I soon realized was more of a drama, and a political drama at that. That isn't to say that is a problem with the film, but a very different take on the infamous story of La Llorona which has been done quite a few times before. The biggest problem with this film is the pacing. Its slow for the majority of its runtime, and although it's only about 90 min long, it feels a lot longer. The film also feels like it doesn't get to the point fast enough, dragging out its story as best as it can to make the film a decent length. The actors are fine, nothing truly stand out about them, but they make a decent cast. The cinematography is often unique, interesting, and even mesmerizing at times- which is refreshing to see throughout the film, as it takes such a new angle to a classic tale. Parts of the film can feel played out, or simply obvious, but there are decent moments of suspense towards the beginning and end of the film, and altogether, it wasn't too bad. In the end, La Llorona may not be deserving of the International film Oscar, but it does prove to be a unique and brutal political drama with some good moments.

My Rating: 6/10.