Releasing across multiple territories this week - hitting UK theatres on May 3 - La Llorona will hope to follow in the footsteps of the Conjuring movies ($640 million worldwide), the Annabelle series ($564 million) and last year’s The Nun ($366 million) in terms of being a low-budget horror which generates profits.
Though not exactly cursed, this film seems fated to be utterly forgotten Linda Cardellini brings a little gravitas to her role as a widowed single mother trying to protect her children from a prickly poltergeist, but Michael Chaves’ feature debut is a medley of jump scares and ominous incantations in search of a reason for being. This competent but derivative exorcism film feels like multiplex filler for undemanding audiences who will happily sample any new addition to the Conjuring cinematic universe. But the movie's humans, especially the immensely likable Cardellini, cool-as-ice Cruz (Tuco from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul), and quietly consoling Amendola, who explains the legend, help make The Curse of La Llorona a decently watchable experience.Spooky bathtubs, flickering flashlights, old wooden crosses perfect for dispensing with nasty spirits: The Curse Of La Llorona is haunted by a reliance on musty horror tropes. It's a shame that the La Llorona legend wasn't used in a more interesting way, shedding light on what she means to specific cultures, rather than appropriating her and turning her into just another standard-issue movie ghost. But overall the movie feels somewhat bloodless and not particularly edgy it's more like watching a classic haunted-house movie than anything fresh or startling. The creepily quiet sound design is enhanced by Joseph Bishara's score. The traveling Steadicam work, the lengthy shots, the establishing of three-dimensional space, and the sharp editing all contribute to a strong moodiness. And while La Llorona often feels like a copy, it's undeniably more effective than many other choppy, shaky-cam horror movies. It effectively copies the directing style of James Wan ( The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2), who serves as a producer here. The feature directing debut of Michael Chaves, The Curse of La Llorona is the sixth entry in the Conjuring universe. Though it certainly could have been scarier and made better use of its premise, this film is still an accomplished, skillful effort in terms of its crisp, fluid look and spooky sound design.
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