Overall, this is just good enough for a pass but nothing more. It needs to get more of the feel of 1973. It needs to add exterior scenes of the era even if it's news footage. It needs more pop music than Superfly despite the costs. There is a general grimness and various period touches but it needs more.
#The curse of la llorona reviews movie#
As for the style, the movie needs more 70's. They just need a scene to develop their personalities beyond running from evil. It's also annoying to have the little girl do stupid things. It shouldn't be about Anna even if she's the bigger actress. After the success of It, one would expect a studio would be happy to do some copying. It really needs to be from the kids' point of view. There are horror moves but few actual scares. Yes, it's a part of the Conjuring universe. Later, she discovers that the supernatural force at work is coming after her own family. She rescues two boys locked in a room by her presumed abusive mother. Three hundred years later in L.A., social worker Anna (Linda Cardellini) is struggling to raise her two children after the death of her policeman husband. In 1673 Mexico, a woman in white is drowning her family.
Altogether, promising start but descends into well filmed mediocrity. The dialogue is banal and can sound very awkward, while there is an inexperienced quality to the direction, not the visuals but in generating suspense and atmosphere and making the drama interesting.
The pacing when it all goes downhill is all over the place and goes dead in the too many uneventful stretches in the middle. The rest of the acting is lacking, with Raymond Cruz giving a performance devoid of charisma or energy which gives the impression that he is not lead actor material. The general predictability of most of the film is a big problem here. Morever, 'The Curse of La Llorona' can get very silly in the latter stages, with some truly baffling character behaviours that are facepalm-inducing and an ending that is not just ridiculous and rushed but can be seen from a long way off. The dull pacing, especially in the middle, and the overuse of La Llorona herself (looking quite freaky but the characterisation had too much trying-too-hard) kill the suspense and any kind of atmosphere for that matter. There is very little new here either in the scares, there is a seen it all before and much better feel throughout. The latter is the case here and too many of them are ruined by too obvious build ups to them thanks to very predictably placed, overused and too loud sound effects. There are often complaints regarding horror films of not being enough jump scares or scares in general, there is also such thing as too much of them. Because 'The Curse of La Llorona' falls downhill quite badly too early and not only never recovers it also gets progressively worse. A few creepy scares early on, and sadly there is quite a big emphasis on moments. It started off very promisingly, with it being genuinely creepy and suspenseful with a set up that draws one in and intrigues. Also felt that Linda Cardellini and the children acquitted themselves very well here, Cardellini especially is very committed in a role that is far removed from Velma Dinkley and doesn't overact or underplay it (instead she is just right).
The photography is pleasing to look at and has an atmospheric look that one wishes was reflected in the rest of the film, 'The Curse of La Llorona' is not a cheap-looking film and the location is both beautiful and eerie. Of 'The Conjuring' universe films, for me only 'The Nun' is worse but only consider this marginally better rather than infinitely so.
However, it should have been much better and really goes downhill after a promising start. It is not as bad as has been said by others or a disgrace to film-making, it has its moments/good things. Sadly, am going to have to agree with those that didn't care for 'The Curse of La Llorona', emphasis on didn't care for, that doesn't mean outright hate. So was expecting quite a bit in a way, and really did want to like it regardless of its polarising reception. 'The Curse of La Llorona' has also been compared to 'The Conjuring' films/universe (with it having the same producers), and being somebody who really liked 'The Conjuring' and its sequel that immediately was enough to get me stoked in seeing it. The cover looked creepy and the film did look pretty good. The story sounded really fascinating and do have an appreciation for horror.
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