When it comes to cinematically approaching the folklore of the so-called “weeping woman,” La Llorona, the difference between something like the new Shudder exclusive La Llorona and the glossy Hollywood production, The Curse Of La Llorona, from last year is totally night and day. While I felt the 2019 film was a perfectly adequate picture, when it came to digging into the roots of its central premise, it fell short. Instead of using folklore as window dressing, Guatemalan filmmaker, Jayro Bustamante, instead uses the story to inform the themes and atmosphere of his film.
The story of the film La Llorona centers around an aging and sickly dictator, General Enrique Monteverde (Julio Diaz), who is on trial for the genocide of indigenous Mayan Ixiles communities during his reign. A technicality allows for him to go free despite being found guilty by the judge. Now he is stuck at home with a family that isn’t really united in support of the man. His wife, Carmen (Margarita Kenéfic), harbors prejudice against the indigenous population while his daughter, Natalia (Sabrina De La Hoz) is struggling to reckon with the truth. During all this the house staff has largely fled as protestors surround the home, the only remaining maid brings in a newcomer, Alma (María Mercedes Coroy), to help.
It should be made clear that while horror is definitely a key element of this film’s DNA, it’s not really an overt horror film, it is much more understated and restrained in its approach. Its connections to anything remotely supernatural are dubious at best. Basically, there are no big scares to be found here, if that’s what you’re looking for. In fact, not a lot really happens in the film. It’s not driven by plot mechanics or complex story beats as much as it’s driven by its themes and emotions.
What the film is about is the horror of injustice, about the way folklore can be used to make sense of and reckon with the darkest periods of a culture’s history, and the way acts of evil comes back to haunt you. When I received the screener for the film, I was also given a document that gave some historical context regarding the lasting effects of Guatemala’s military dictatorships, especially in relation to their treatment of Indigenous populations, specifically the women. It did provide some interesting insight, but the film itself does a good job at painting a bleak picture of atrocities committed by General Enrique. There’s a breathtaking sequence early on where a woman from the Mayan Ixiles community is giving gut-wrenching testimony in one long, drawn out shot. It’s very effective.
The film is also incredibly well made. I like how the design of the house is filled with all these details that imply a sense of extravagance, but utilizes a muted color palette to give it a lifeless feel. The cinematography by Nicolás Wong is patient and reserved, but very effortlessly captivating in the way it captures the the space, and the way these characters inhabit them in relation to the frame. The sound design is appropriately eerie, and not just in the scenes meant to evoke a chilly atmosphere; even moments of casual conversations are often made more off-putting by the sounds of protestors outside the home.
La Llorona might deal in very heavy subject matter, but it’s actually a very engaging watch. Strong performances and a haunting atmosphere work in sync with Jayro Bustamante’s efforts in modernizing the folklore. Unlike other low-key horror films where the horror element is often left either ambiguous or purely metaphorical, La Llorona substitutes its fictional horror with real horror in making the original story of La Llorona relevant again. It’s compelling work that comes together really well, and it definitely makes me want to check out Bustamante’s previous films, as well as keep an eye out for whatever he does next. La Llorona might not satisfy every horror fan because of its restrained nature, but what I love about the genre is how flexible it is, and at its best, horror is a genre that allows filmmaker to say a lot. This is a film that definitely has a lot to say, and I think it’s worth hearing out.
La Llorona is now available to stream on Shudder.