IMDb RATING
6.6/10
7.8K
YOUR RATING
An aging paranoid war criminal, protected by his faithful wife, faces death while being haunted by the ghosts of his past.An aging paranoid war criminal, protected by his faithful wife, faces death while being haunted by the ghosts of his past.An aging paranoid war criminal, protected by his faithful wife, faces death while being haunted by the ghosts of his past.
- Awards
- 28 wins & 60 nominations
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOfficial submission of Guatemala for the 'Best International Feature Film' category of the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021.
- ConnectionsFeatured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Horror Movies of 2020 (2020)
- SoundtracksLa llorona
Performed by Gaby Moreno
Featured review
A Chilling Metaphor Of Guatemala's Blood-Soaked History
A slow-burn political drama that merges the real-life horrors of the Guatemalan genocide with one of Latin America's most famous folklores, La Llorona (also called The Weeping Woman) is a story about the ghosts of the past bleeding into the present to right the wrongs, and is crafted in the same vein as Issa López's Tigers Are Not Afraid & Mati Diop's Atlantics.
Co-written, co-edited & directed by Jayro Bustamante, the film is more interested in exploring the collective tragedy, trauma & terror of a nation reeling from loss & unaccountability, and applies the mythic elements to bring justice on doorsteps of those responsible for the mass slaughter. Although it is far from a straightforward genre film, its atmosphere still reeks of spectres & phantasmagoria.
The story concerns the family of a retired general on trial for war crimes, and the unraveling they undergo after the arrival of a mysterious domestic help. There is a haunting quality to the way it is filmed, plus the horror aspects are finely utilised too yet it fails to immerse us completely into its world and never goes all-in with the retribution that was always coming which is a shame, for more could've been done here.
Overall, La Llorona makes for a gripping story about the voids that never fill and scars that never heal, and also serves as a chilling metaphor of the blood-soaked history of Guatemala that's still crying for closure. Not a film for all and certainly not for those expecting something alone the lines of the terrible Hollywood take on the Latin American fable, this Guatemalan feature is a political drama pierced with thin lines of horror & fantasy.
Co-written, co-edited & directed by Jayro Bustamante, the film is more interested in exploring the collective tragedy, trauma & terror of a nation reeling from loss & unaccountability, and applies the mythic elements to bring justice on doorsteps of those responsible for the mass slaughter. Although it is far from a straightforward genre film, its atmosphere still reeks of spectres & phantasmagoria.
The story concerns the family of a retired general on trial for war crimes, and the unraveling they undergo after the arrival of a mysterious domestic help. There is a haunting quality to the way it is filmed, plus the horror aspects are finely utilised too yet it fails to immerse us completely into its world and never goes all-in with the retribution that was always coming which is a shame, for more could've been done here.
Overall, La Llorona makes for a gripping story about the voids that never fill and scars that never heal, and also serves as a chilling metaphor of the blood-soaked history of Guatemala that's still crying for closure. Not a film for all and certainly not for those expecting something alone the lines of the terrible Hollywood take on the Latin American fable, this Guatemalan feature is a political drama pierced with thin lines of horror & fantasy.
helpful•1510
- CinemaClown
- Aug 11, 2020
- How long is La Llorona?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Weeping Woman
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $294,404
- Runtime1 hour 37 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content