Annabelle, The Nun, La Llorona. “The Conjuring” expands the universe according to Marvel’s recipe and appeals to potentially iconic horror villains. In anticipation of the arrival of “The Conjuring 3”, the “Annabelle 3” and “The Nun 2”, another hit of the lucrative Warner Bros studio franchise and producer James Wan has arrived – “The Curse of La Llorona” or “The Curse Of The” Weeping Woman ”by director Michael Chaves.
The Curse of La Llorona is designed to be fully watchable even if you have never watched any of the films in the franchise so far. The only connection this movie has to any of these films is Tony Amendola in the role of Reverend Perez (Annabelle 1 ) but he has appeared here in a rather small role so that the experience of this movie will not suffer you if you have a slight foreknowledge about this franchise. Also, the Annabelle doll will appear in one scene. Although there are generally no such physical connections with other Conjuring films, this film can be said to have certain connections to The Nun.
The connections to The Nun could be that someone be could replace La Llorona for the Nun (yellowed eyes, dried ash-colored skin, rotting blackened nails).
Okay, La Llorona is “prettier”, but the difference in their appearance is, in fact, only in “yin-yang” clothing: the nun wearing a nun’s black uniform, and La Llorona’s is in a white wedding dress. The two horror villains, though, have different mythologies and “modus operandi,” and La Llorona has a better, more interesting movie.
Three words: course, weeping, and woman, are portrayed in their full sense in this film. The La Llorona legend also exists in real life, dating back to the 17th century from Mexico, although the exact time of the origin of that legend is unknown, and there is no evidence that it was based on a real event.
In Latin American folklore, “The Weeping Woman” or “the Cryer”) is one of the most famous oral legends. The lore states a woman was abandoned by her husband and was left alone to raise her two sons, whom she instead drowned in a river out of grief and anger. As a result of her actions the woman is condemned to wander for all eternity until she finds the bodies of her children, often causing misfortune to those who are near or hear her.
How this story is conveyed to the movie.
This La Llorona film also lived in Mexico in the 17th century, but the main plot of the film takes place in Los Angeles in 1973, placing this film chronologically between Conjuring (1971) and Conjuring 2 (1977). The starring role is Linda Cardellini as Anna, a social worker and caring mother of two whose life will be forcibly changed, when she witnesses the murder of two boys who were taken away by a social service to mother who tried to warn Anna of exist La Llorona.
The atmosphere in the film is very well done with just a classic game of light and shadow, but it must be said that the film is somehow too clichéd in that aspect. The silence, the wandering through the dark rooms, the sound of doors and windows slamming, the lights suddenly switching on and off, the sound of wind, drafts, tense waiting and the sudden appearance of the ghost are all well done here, but this is nothing we have not seen before.
Some scenes are creative, or at least effective, to elevate the film above average. Chaves understood directing as a student genre exercise for Professor Wan (jump-scare scenes, long shots, children’s fear of the dark …) and paid tribute to some formative role models, such as Raimi’s “Evil Death”, with a camera in a rush toward the door of the house fromLa Llorone views.
This movie must be viewed in special conditions to get the most out of its positivity. If you haven’t watched this in theaters before, forget watching it on your laptop or, worse, your mobile. This is a movie that is viewed on as large a screen as possible, in a completely darkened room, with speakers at maximum. Anyway, it can be said that this is the rule for watching every horror with creepy atmosphere.
This movie, like The Nun, is a bit shorter and lasts for the standard 90 minutes, which is not a bad thing in this case, since although a lot of characters have changed in this movie, they are still Anne at the center , her children and La Llorona herself.
Like The Nun, the movie is a bit overkill with the number of jump-scare scenes, but although these screams are relatively well-acted, they are still not something that will affect the overall setting too much. Even though the movie is creepy, fans of the horror genre who are already used to all these creepy surprises might be disappointed because even though the movie may jerk us a little at some point, it’s not really going to make you scream or catch your heart in shock. Although La Llorona does not hesitate to attack by day, the darkness is its home ground.
The character of La Llorone himself is solidly portrayed.Scenes in which the curtains, tablecloths and things that can be associated with her white dress are very well directed, and her sudden arrivals, and even more sudden departures, are well portrayed, though it is not something we have never seen before.
The children will hear La Llorona’s cry and feel her tears burning in the form of a bloody mark on their hands. “The woman in the white dress wants us to be hers,” Chris said timidly to his mother, who, of course, would not surrender without a fight. Duel Anne and La Llorone are directed by Chaves as a duel of two mothers.
It’s not even close to being mythical in the “Aliens” rank, more in the track of “Mommy” Andy Muschietti with Jessica Chastain, but it’s pretty intriguing.
Conclusion
The movie has very good actors, great horror ambience and a level atmosphere, La Llorona is also very well portrayed, but all of this is somehow made according to the old recipe, just too many clichés and deja vu.Too many jump-scare scenes, while there is too little true fear.The movie can twitch and surprise but horror veterans who are already accustomed to all these horror aspects will not be thrilled.