The Curse of La Llorona (also known as The Curse of the Weeping Woman in some markets) is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Michael Chaves, in his feature directorial debut, and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. It is the sixth installment in the Conjuring Universe franchise. Based on the Latin American folklore of La Llorona, the film stars Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, and Patricia Velásquez, and follows a mother in 1973 Los Angeles who must save her children from a malevolent spirit who is trying to steal them. The film was produced by James Wan through his Atomic Monster Productions banner.
The Curse of La Llorona premiered at South by Southwest on March 15, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 19, 2019. It received mixed reviews, with criticism aimed at its reliance on jump scares, and grossed $123 million worldwide against a budget of $9 million, becoming the lowest-grossing film in the Conjuring franchise, though still successful at the box office.
Plot
In 1673 Mexico, a family plays in a field, and the youngest son gives his mother a necklace. The boy later finds his mother violently drowning his brother in a stream. Horrified, he runs, but his mother catches him and drowns him, too.
300 years later, in 1973, Los Angeles, caseworker Anna Tate-Garcia investigates the truancy of client Patricia Alvarez’s two children. Arriving at Patricia’s house for a welfare check, she finds the children locked behind a door. Patricia attacks her and is taken away by the police. Patricia’s sons, Carlos and Tomas, tell Anna to keep them in the room, so they are protected. Ignoring their warnings, she takes them to the child-services shelter. There, Tomas sleepwalks, and Carlos follows him until both boys see a woman in a white dress who attacks them.
The boys are found drowned in a river, and Anna is called out to the scene. She brings her own children, Chris and Sam, and they stay in the car while she investigates. She hears Patricia, accused of her sons’ murders, screaming that it was Anna’s fault for taking her sons and that Patricia had tried to stop the malevolent force of “La Llorona.”
Chris leaves the car out of curiosity and encounters La Llorona (The Weeping Woman), who seizes his wrist and leaves burns. The next day, La Llorona also grabs Sam and leaves identical burn marks. Anna interviews Patricia, who has an alibi for the time of her sons’ deaths. Patricia reveals that in her hatred for Anna, she prayed to La Llorona to bring her own boys back and take Anna’s children instead. Anna encounters La Llorona when the spirit attempts to drown Sam in the bathtub. The ghost leaves burn marks on Anna’s arm too. Anna seeks help from Father Perez, who relates the case to his previous experiences with a haunted porcelain doll. Perez tells Anna about former priest Rafael Olvera, who can help them. Rafael arrives at Anna’s house, setting up items for protection. In the night, La Llorona repeatedly attacks them and attempts to drown Anna and Sam in the pool. Anna pulls off La Llorona’s necklace in the struggle.
Patricia arrives with a gun and tries to give Anna’s children to La Llorona. Sam and Chris flee, and Patricia comes to her senses and releases Anna, allowing her to help her children. Chris delays La Llorona by showing her the necklace that La Llorona’s son had given her. This makes La Llorona briefly assume her human appearance and caress Chris. However, Sam accidentally unveils a mirror, and La Llorona reverts and proceeds to attack them. Anna stabs her through the chest with a cross made from a Fire Tree: trees that grew by the river where La Llorona drowned her children and was the only “witness” to her crime. The spirit is destroyed.
Anna and her children thank Rafael for his help; Anna sees what looks like a puddle of tears.
Cast
Linda Cardellini as Anna Tate-Garcia
Roman Christou as Chris Garcia
Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen as Samantha Garcia
Raymond Cruz as Rafael Olvera
Patricia Velásquez as Patricia Alvarez
Marisol Ramirez as La Llorona
Sean Patrick Thomas as Detective Cooper
Tony Amendola as Father Perez
Oliver Alexander as Carlos
Aiden Lewandowski as Tomas
Irene Keng as Donna
DeLaRosa Rivera as David Garcia
Madeleine McGraw as April
Sophia Santi as Bocanegra / Female customer
Jethan Camarena as Simon
Fontana Sim as Carol
Scarlett Black as Millie
Don Roberson as Wealthy Man
Reviews
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