The Curse Of La Llorona

There is a curse in Sweden that has been haunting us ever since the 80´s. The story goes that when you play the Herreys album Crazy People ( released in 1985 ) backwards, it would summon the demons of known as " Skärm Stänkare ". For those of you who are not familiar with these demons, they would usually be found infront of a TV screen, hoping to enter the world of Solsta Café with Bengt Alsterlind. But what the demons did not know, was that TV host Bengt Alsterlind had his secret weapon against demonic powers, known as Hajk. This is a story that is well known for people who live in Sweden, and even until this day no one wants to play the Herreys album Crazy People backwards ever again. Just to make sure that the " Skärm Stänkare " would not return from the other side. Folklore tales in horror films is something we have seen in a lot of titles. But let´s talk about one specific film that has a folklore story, and actually turns 20 years old this year. Tim Burton´s magnificent 1999 film Sleepy Hollow, tells the story of the folklore of The Headless Horseman, that returns to chop off heads in the city of Sleepy Hollow. This is a very well made horror film, with a wonderful cast of Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Casper Van Dien ( much better than i would have expected ) and Christopher Walken. Sleepy Hollow is one of those horror films you can return to, and it still looks really good 20 years later. And i have to say, Johnny Depp as the lovely character Ichabod Crane is one of the biggest highlights of this film. If you have not seen Tim Burton´s classic horror film Sleepy Hollow, you need to check it out. Just a few months ago i heard about a horror film under the name of The Curse Of La Llorona, based on a story of a Mexican folklore. Since i am a big fan of horror films, and appreciate films based on local stories, is The Curse Of La Llorana exactly what we need on VOD this summer, or is this a horror film you will forget as soon as you finished watching it ?

In 1673 Mexico, a mother of 2 children drown her two sons to hurt her cheating husband, taking away what he loves most. She regret what she did, and kill herself in the same river where she killed her sons. 300 years later, in 1973 Los Angeles, Hispanic caseworker Anna Tate-Garcia ( Linda Cardellini ) investigates the disappearance of client Patricia Alvarez ( Patricia Velásquez two children. Anna arrives at the home of Patricia, for a welfare check. Inside, she finds Patricia´s children locked inside the door. Patricia attack Anna, warning her not to open the door, and not let the children out. A police officer arrest Patricia, and her two sons are taken to a police station. The young boys of Patricia are found dead, after seeing a woman dressed in a white dress. Anna is called to investigate the murder of the boys. It seems that a the woman who is known as La Llorona, who lived in 1673 in Mexico, has come back to take the life of other children. Now, Anna´s two children could be the next victims, unless Anna find a way to stop this evil spirit.

If you are a fan of The Conjuring films, or if you enjoyed the remake of The Amityville horror film from 2005, then i have a feeling you will enjoy The Curse Of La Llorona. This is the kind of horror film that is set out to make you feel an haunting environment. I think it is a good idea, telling the story of an old Mexican folklore, and mix it up with a horror story. That way it feels more natural to understand why La Llorona keeps coming back. One of the things this film has is a great main female character. Actress Linda Cardellini ( who i especially remember from the 2011 film Kill The Irishman ) as mother Anna Tate-Garcia is exactly what a film like this needs. A woman who will do anything to protect her own children, no matter what she has to do. I am so happy to see actor Tony Amendola return as Father Perez, from the first Annabelle film. He gives a performance that fits well with his character. I have to mention actress Marisol Marinez ( who you might have seen in the interesting 2015 horror drama Circle ), who plays the evil La Llorona. She does a wonderful job with her character, and make her feel very creepy in several scenes. Even if this film is well made, and i enjoy the folklore story, there is one problem i have with The Curse Of La Llorona. There are no big surprises here, where something completely unexpected happens. I would have liked to see a surprise twist among the way, to make the story more interesting. Director Michael Chavez have directed several short films, but this is his full feature directorial debut film. I think he clearly have an eye for how to make a horror film work, and i recently found out he is the director of The Conjuring 3 ( i hope he will give us a worthy sequel ). If he only would have made an unexpected twist in the story, i have a feeling this could have been an even more effective horror film. With that said, i still think this is a film that will especially please fans of The Conjuring. Don´t know what to Watch on VOD this weekend ? Why not give The Curse Of La Llorona a chance, and you might be pleased. If i ever hear a crying mother wearing a white dress, i won´t be standing around for long, i guarantee that.

Rating: DDD