{"id":5342,"date":"2019-03-18T20:45:22","date_gmt":"2019-03-18T20:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/?p=5342"},"modified":"2019-04-19T22:06:47","modified_gmt":"2019-04-19T22:06:47","slug":"the-curse-of-la-llorona-review-three-reasons-to-see-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/the-curse-of-la-llorona-review\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;The Curse Of La Llorona&#8217; Review: Three Reasons To See It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The generations-old curse of \u201cLa Llorona\u201d has been passed down throughout Latin American cultures to keep sneaky children from running away at night, but for stateside crowds, the James Wan-produced Conjurverse spinoff is an introduction. Director\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Michael Chaves<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0&#8211; who\u2019s already slated to helm\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Conjuring 3<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0&#8211; treats\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/the-curse-of-la-llorona\/276113\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Curse of La Llorona<\/span><\/i><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0as his first crack at\u00a0Wan\u2019s\u00a0signature brand of haunted\u00a0ghosthunter\u00a0horror, but it comes with responsibility. Previous specters \u201cThe Crooked Man\u201d and \u201cThe Nun\u201d unveiled themselves alongside other exorcized demons housed within\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Conjuring<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0universe, but\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Curse Of La Llorona<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0starts on fresh footing &#8211; no previous cameos &#8211; as an import with rich Latin histories worth mining. A legend that boasts such inherent identity could bolster the \u201cConjurverse\u201d even further while representing wider moviegoing audiences with assured scares to boot.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uOV-xMYQ7sk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Warner Bros has\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Curse Of La Llorona<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0set to terrorize on April 19th, so she\u2019ll be here before you know it. In the meantime, here are three reasons to get excited about The Weeping Woman and her impending international scream-a-thon tour.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">1. What Lurks Beneath The Surface Will Getcha<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As legend states &#8211; visualized during Chaves\u2019 1600s-set opening &#8211; La Llorona (&#8220;the weeping woman&#8221;) was a beautiful woman who drowned her children out of revenge for her husband\u2019s disloyal treatment. Now, she hunts fresh meat as a pale figure with bloody tears who snatches kiddos away from distraught mothers. In this specific case, social worker Anna Tate-Garcia\u2019s (Linda\u00a0Cardellini) two charges find themselves pursued after she provokes the wicked witch\u2019s curse during an investigation of the Vasquez family. La Llorona\u2019s mark is that of cigarette burn rashes on your arm, scalded instantly by her touch, but Chaves\u2019 most dreadful visions come after La Llorona\u2019s already reached her targets &#8211; dragging helpless boys and girls underwater.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Two instances make me think Chaves is auditioning for\u00a0Wan\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/aquaman-sequel-jason-momoa-dc-warner-bros\/\">horror-focused <em>Aquaman<\/em> spinoff<\/a><\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0based on the Trench, in specific. First, as Samantha (<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen) receives a shampoo massage and dunking from La Llorona in the bathtub, holding Anna\u2019s daughter underwater as suds splash while Samantha\u2019s arm\u2019s flail. Second, when Samantha is yanked outside during one of La Llorona\u2019s many supernatural attacks, Anna then forced to dive into her swimming pool\u2019s deep end to battle La Llorona &#8211; Anna\u2019s flashlight cutting through the murky nighttime waters to spotlight La Llorona\u2019s screeching face. They&#8217;re wet and wild accents that deliver\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Curse of La Llorona<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2019s most memorable encounters while not wasting aquaphobia manipulation.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2. Linda Cardellini Slays As The Mama Bear\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/images.atomtickets.com\/image\/upload\/h_960,q_auto\/v1549927557\/ingestion-images-archive-prod\/archive\/1549927557293_276113_cops_1.jpg\" width=\"2293\" height=\"960\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As of late, Ms.\u00a0Cardellini\u2019s\u00a0been relegated to playing housewife characters in everything from\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/green-book\/273307\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Green Book<\/span><\/i><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(Tony Lip\u2019s personal chef) to Hawkeye\u2019s better half in <em>Avengers: Age of Ultron<\/em><\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, but\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Curse of La Llorona<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0allows the powerful performer to clench her fist and take center stage. Anna\u2019s single parent balances childcare, day job dependencies, <em>and<\/em> battling paranormal entities like if\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Scooby-Doo<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2019s Velma (who &#8211; fun fact &#8211; she portrayed in the 2002 live-action movie) grew up into a choice-cut badass. Unafraid to do whatever it takes when La Llorona comes calling, maternal in her urgency when pleading for her children\u2019s lives. You\u2019re here for\u00a0Cardellini, that\u2019s for certain.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Anna cycles through every conceivable emotion as La Llorona shifts her focus from\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Patricia Alvarez\u2019s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Patricia Velasquez) offspring to wee ones Samantha (Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen) and Chris (Roman Christou). Denial, disbelief, anger, fear &#8211; but her actions inspire courage without becoming another leading genre stereotype. As ousted exorcist Rafael Olvera (Raymond Cruz) enters the picture, Anna\u2019s scoffs at inexplicable magic&#8217;s turn to blind faith when twirling chicken eggs explode in bloody bursts.\u00a0Cardellini\u00a0does it all, but once primality kicks into natural instincts, she\u2019s never better. Let\u2019s hope these roles keep coming for Linda\u00a0Cardellini.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">3. \u201cAnd now, for something completely different\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Viewers can learn so much about other cultures through cinema, and studios &#8211; given proper means &#8211; have a responsibility to tell stories from all different walks of life. James\u00a0Wan\u2019s\u00a0desire to expand his Conjurverse into different countries, pulling from nightmares in foreign traditions, proves a chilling constant: horror is a universal language.\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Curse of La Llorona<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0may be set in 1970s Los Angeles, and follow a Caucasian lead character, but it\u2019s an unsettling introduction to a character most American audiences aren\u2019t yet familiar with (unless you walked Universal\u2019s dynamite Halloween Horror Nights La Llorona maze). Truthfully, more could have been done to explore the Latinx heritage on a lesser whitewashed scale &#8211; we\u2019re still talking about a studio film here with so, so many decision makers, after all &#8211; yet there\u2019s still distinct value in opening such a door.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Raymond Cruz\u2019s portrayal of a ritualistic man of God who\u2019s excommunicated by the church for his demonic\u00a0seekings\u00a0allows for diverse influences to seep in. Fire tree seeds, native crucifixes, points of view that are typically delivered from other directions &#8211;\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Curse Of La Llorona<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0translates far-away horrors for mass viewership (as much as a studio picture seeking to appeal to all can allow). Michael Chaves begins his Conjurverse grooming process, crosses borders to mine a new horror villain, and establishes some creepy child endangerment along the way (that umbrella reflection, fam). Once you hear La Llorona\u2019s whisper, you\u2019ll understand why\u00a0Wan\u2019s been so successful in the business of producing period placement horror with international flavors.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>You Might Also Like<\/h2>\n<hr style=\"color: #000; width: 95%; margin-left: 0;\" \/>\n<!-- The Grid Plugin Version 2.7.4 --><div class=\"tg-error-msg\" data-grid-name=\"Home Featured\">No post was found with your current grid settings.&#xa;You should verify if you have posts inside the current selected post type(s) and if the meta key filter is not too much restrictive.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The generations-old curse of \u201cLa Llorona\u201d has been passed down throughout Latin American cultures to keep sneaky children from running away at night, but for stateside crowds, the James Wan-produced Conjurverse spinoff is an introduction. Director\u00a0Michael Chaves\u00a0&#8211; who\u2019s already slated to helm\u00a0The Conjuring 3\u00a0&#8211; treats\u00a0The Curse of La Llorona\u00a0as his first crack at\u00a0Wan\u2019s\u00a0signature brand of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":5344,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58,52],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-5342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-horror","category-review","tag-featuredpage","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5342"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5345,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5342\/revisions\/5345"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}