An aging paranoid dictator, protected by an witch crafting wife, faces death and the uprise of his people in Guatemala.
Starring: María Mercedes Coroy, Margarita Kénefic, Sabrina de la Hoz, and Julio Díaz
Directed by: Jayro Bustamante
Written by: Jayro Bustamante and Lisandro Sanchez
Some people think of horror just as spilling a lot of blood and guts, or scaring the hell out of people. However, horror has grown a lot over recent years to include many of the issues we face everyday, and in history. “Get Out” brought together racism and horror in a way we rarely see. “Relic” touched emotions of those who have seen family members suffer at the hands of mental illness and dementia. “Host” even reminded many of the dangers of using Zoom. Alright, maybe that’s a stretch, but the movie came to life because of the current circumstances in the world. And now the legend of La Llorona will help tell the story of a society that suffered at the hands of a dictator.
Enrique (Julio Diaz) is an old man whose health seems to be declining. Before feeling sorry for him, the audience finds out that he’s a former general, and now on trial for genocide and rape of the indigenous people in Guatemala. While being found guilty of his crimes he manages to get off, and spends his remaining time in his nice house with his wife Carmen (Margarita Kénefic), daughter Natalia (Sabrina De La Hoz), and granddaughter Sara (Ayla-Elea Hurtado). It seems like a good situation for him except that most of the staff has left in fear, and protesters surround the house everyday.
They can’t go without staff so the only remaining staff member Valeriana (María Telon) calls for people from her village to help out. The only one who shows up is a seemingly young woman named Alma (María Mercedes Coroy). She’s quiet and a little strange as she gets settled in on her duties. It doesn’t take long before a bond is formed between Sara and her. A bond that’s going to help turn this family’s story upside down.
This film is really a tale of two kinds of horror. First the true horror and the most important horror displayed in the film, which is what happened to the indigenous people. The film goes out of it’s way to tell their story, and the effects of their suffering. In a courthouse scene, the audience gets to hear a reporter give some history on the genocide that has taken place. Inside the courtroom, a woman testifies on what’s happened to her people, and herself. The audience also sees it with the protesters who surround the house daily with pictures of loved ones they’ve lost.
Of course the second kind of horror and one fans probably expected to see more of is the horror surrounding La Llorona. While both the audience and the servants in the house are always aware of her presence, the family in the house isn’t at first. Much of the attention is on Enrique’s health to start, but then the sins of his past start to take over. He’s the most aware of a woman’s cry haunting him, which makes the family think he’s losing his mind. His wife is next, as she starts to have a dream that plays a big role in telling part of this story. Natalia even starts to question why Sara’s father has left them. All of these things happen because La Llorona is closer than they think. Just think of her as the orchestrator of this family’s torture for Enrique’s crimes that have gone unpunished.
As you might be able to tell by now, this isn’t your typical La Llorona horror story. It’s not built on scares, or how many children she can steal. The most important thing about this movie is sharing the story of the indigenous people with the world. To show the pain and suffering they went through, and only able to get justice at the hands of a supernatural force. A legend to some, but extremely real for believers. Yes, there are some creepy moments, but just having her around manages to make things eerie enough. “La Llorona” proves that sometimes the most important horror to show is the historical kind. With that, I cry out to give this film 3.5 pools of blood.
HorrO
More info about this film at: http://promotehorror.com/2020/08/05/la-llorona-comes-to-shudder-august-6th/
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