La Llorona (2019 film)

La Llorona, also known as The Weeping Woman, is a 2019 Guatemalan drama film directed by Jayro Bustamante.[1] It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.

La Llorona
Film poster
Directed byJayro Bustamante
StarringMaría Mercedes Coroy
Release date
  • 30 August 2019 (2019-08-30) (Venice)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryGuatemala
LanguageSpanish
Mayan-Caqchickel
Mayan-Ixil

Plot

Enrique Monteverde is a former Guatemalan dictator responsible for the brutal genocide of native Mayans during the 1980s. Although he was brought to court and found guilty, the verdict is overturned because of a technicality that allows him to return to his home. This is met with great disgust and unrest by the general public, who hold protests outside of the Monteverde home. Despite this the family manages to live relatively peacefully with their servants until Enrique's increasingly erratic and senile behavior drives most of his staff to quit. Shortly thereafter a young woman, Alma, arrives as a new worker and supernatural activity ensues.

Cast
  • María Mercedes Coroy as Alma
  • Sabrina De La Hoz as Natalia
  • Margarita Kenéfic as Carmen
  • Julio Diaz as Enrique Monteverde
  • María Telón as Valeriana
  • Juan Pablo Olyslager as Letona
  • Ayla-Elea Hurtador as Sara

Release

La Lorona had its world premiere on 30 August, 2019 at the Venice Film Festival (Giornate degli Autori) and later screened at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.[2][3]

On 6 August 2020 the film premiered on the horror streaming service Shudder.[4]

Reception

Critical reception for La Lorona has been positive and the film received praise from the A.V. Club and New York Times.[5][6] RogerEbert.com rated it at three stars, stating that "“La Llorona” is filled with bewitching imagery and tension, even if it’s less full of surprises and jump scares than other horror movies. Bustamante uses the old haunted tale not to scare us, but to force his audience to reflect on the ways they are complicit in oppression."[7] Horror website Bloody Disgusting 2 1/2 out of 5 skulls, writing "Bustamante delivers a sobering evocation for justice, and in the case of La Llorona, it’s by the hands of a folkloric vengeance seeker. Certain aspects of the story are emotionally powerful, while other threads feel underdeveloped. The predictability of the overarching direction means the slow-burn pacing can drag, and the horror elements are very minimal. If you go in expecting something more historically relevant and genre adjacent, it’s easier to find an in to a narrative that’s not always easily accessible."[8]

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References
  1. "The Weeping Woman". Cineuropa. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  2. "Toronto Adds The Aeronauts, Mosul, Seberg, & More To Festival Slate". Deadline. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  3. "LA LLORONA". giornatedegliautori.com (in Italian). Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  4. Martinez, Kiko. "Did a Guatemalan Filmmaker Just Make the Best La Llorona Movie Ever?". San Antonio Current. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  5. Dargis, Manohla (5 August 2020). "'La Llorona' Review: The General in His Horrific Labyrinth". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  6. "La Llorona offers a more intelligent take on the spooky myth". AV Club. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  7. Castillo, Monica. "La Llorona movie review & film summary (2020)". Roger Ebert. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  8. Navarro, Meagan (5 August 2020). "[Review] Shudder's 'La Llorona' is a Slow-Burn Haunting of the Political Variety". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
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