The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

Directed by: Michael Chaves | 93 minutes | horror | Actors: Linda Cardellini, Roman Christou, Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen, Raymond Cruz, Marisol Ramirez, Patricia Velasquez, Sean Patrick Thomas, Tony Amendola, Irene Keng, Oliver Alexander, Aiden Lewandowski, Paul Rodriguez

Director James ‘Saw’ Wan’s fare has been bought after he unleashed ‘The Conjuring’ on the world. His cheap, but very well-made horror film became a huge success and since then his name has become a marketing tool. If a movie poster says ‘produced by James Wan’ or ‘from the makers of The Conjuring’, you are assured of full cinemas. According to the makers, ‘The Curse of La Llorona’, canned by Michael Chaves, is set in “the universe of ‘The Conjuring’”. A smart way to capitalize on the success of the aforementioned film series. Unfortunately, good marketing does not necessarily make a good film…

In ‘The Curse of La Llorona’, set in 1973, a social worker discovers that there are supernatural things going on around her and her children. A demon from Mexican folklore is chasing her and her offspring. This La Llorona is dangerous and evil.

If ‘The Conjuring’ hadn’t been sprinkled so blatantly, this cowardly spin-off wouldn’t have stood a chance. Just like the equally abominable ‘Annabelle’ and ‘The Nun’, this light-horror turns out to be a toothless affair. A bit of genre fan will see every jumpscare coming way in advance. Predictability isn’t even the biggest problem facing this saltless slasher. The lack of vision is the biggest stumbling block.

Wans films are stories, stories about people. Whether it’s ‘Saw’, ‘Aquaman’ or ‘The Conjuring’, these productions introduce you to characters. Sometimes very superficial, but always with the aim of involving the viewer with them. Movies like ‘The Nun’ and ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ are intended for effect: to scare people by turning the volume knob or by making a scary face appear out of nowhere. However, without a structure it makes no sense. The film looks nice and the make-up may also be there, but you can’t save a film with that.

Chaves lacks the craftsmanship to make this film a haunting horror thriller. What remains is a boring film without tension, but with a lot of noise and a nonsensical link to ‘The Conjuring’.