La llorona

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.

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.

This movie needs a certain appreciation of history to really understand the depths of. It talks of a deep suffering that has scared latin-america for decades. A Subtle ghost story that deserves a chance.

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 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.