Despite premiering on 'Shudder', 'La Llorona (2019)' isn't really a horror film at all; it's a drama with some horror elements sprinkled throughout. I really do mean that, too, because it's seriously almost not even worth approaching as an entry in the spooky genre or even as a hybrid comprised partly of it. Doing so would set yourself up for disappointment, really. Though it has supernatural elements, the most horrific parts of the piece are purely human. It deals with the repercussions of the 'Guatemalan genocide' (which claimed the lives of literally tens of thousands of Mayan people), focusing on an ageing war-criminal who maintains he did nothing wrong even as he is found guilty of genocide in court. Most of the movie takes place after this decision, as the general and his family find themselves under a sort of house arrest enforced by a ceaseless crowd of impassioned protestors. Though the general remains cold-hearted to his actions, each member of his family finds themselves coming to terms with the situation - and who their husband/ dad/ grandad really is - in subtle but distinct ways. It's an interesting concept and its very restrained presentation is intriguing. It trusts you to know who is morally 'right' and who is morally 'wrong', never talking down to you or even presenting you with an 'easy' protagonist. At the same time, it is incredibly slow. Though it does come to a genuinely impactful conclusion, it's actually often a little dull. Its pacing feels deliberate but that doesn't mean it isn't a tad detrimental, especially since the affair has a really strong atmosphere overall. It isn't boring, per se, but it isn't as compelling as it perhaps could have been. Its themes are resonant and it seems to do exactly what it wants to, but it does have issues that make it difficult to wholeheartedly recommend to someone who doesn't know what they're getting into. Still, it's definitely worth a watch if you're willing to meet it on its own terms. It's evocative of the kind of horror that only a being of flesh and blood can inflict. 6/10.
Review of La Llorona
