You know that feeling when a movie tries so hard to be part of a "cool kids" club that it almost forgets its own identity? That’s basically the legacy of The Curse of La Llorona movie. Released in 2019, it arrived with a massive weight on its shoulders because it was tangentially linked to the Conjuring Universe, a franchise that has basically printed money for Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema. But if you talk to die-hard horror fans today, they’ll tell you it’s the black sheep of the family.
Some people love it for the jump scares. Others hate it because they feel it "Disney-fied" a terrifying Mexican legend that has been used to scare kids into behaving for centuries.
The film follows Anna Tate-Garcia, a social worker in 1970s Los Angeles played by Linda Cardellini. She ignores the warnings of a mother suspected of child endangerment, only to find out that a literal weeping ghost is now hunting her own children. It’s a classic setup. But the execution? That’s where things get messy.
The Weird Controversy Over the Conjuring Connection
Let’s get the elephant out of the room first. Is The Curse of La Llorona movie actually a Conjuring movie?
Technically, yes. Tony Amendola reprises his role as Father Perez from Annabelle, and he even mentions the creepy doll. There’s a flashback. It’s explicit. However, if you look at the marketing or even the Blu-ray boxes now, the "Conjuring Universe" branding is curiously absent.
Director Michael Chaves, who eventually went on to direct The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, has been pretty open about this. He’s mentioned in interviews that the film was intended to be a standalone piece that just happened to exist in that same world. It’s like that cousin you see at Thanksgiving who is definitely related to you, but your parents don't really talk about them in the family newsletter.
This creates a weird rift. Fans went in expecting the high-tension, slow-burn atmosphere of a James Wan production. What they got was a more traditional, jump-scare-heavy slasher film. It’s not necessarily bad, but it felt like a bait-and-switch for some. Honestly, the lack of official "Universe" branding today suggests the studio might have realized the tone didn't quite fit the Warrens' investigator-vibe.
Why the Legend of La Llorona is Scarier Than the Film
If you grew up in a Hispanic household, La Llorona isn't just a movie character. She’s a trauma.
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The legend usually goes like this: a woman named Maria drowns her children in a fit of rage after her husband betrays her. Then, she’s consumed by guilt and drowns herself. She’s cursed to wander the earth, weeping and looking for her lost kids, often snatching up other children to replace her own.
The movie takes this and turns it into a "jump-scare machine."
While the film's design for the Weeping Woman is visually striking—the yellow eyes, the black tears, the tattered white dress—it loses the psychological weight of the folklore. In the oral tradition, La Llorona is a ghost of grief and regret. In the movie, she’s basically a supernatural Terminator. She’s everywhere. She’s in the bathtub. She’s in the car. She’s under the bed.
By making her so physically present, the film loses the "dread" of the unknown. When you see a monster every five minutes, you stop being afraid of the dark and start waiting for the next loud noise.
What the Critics (and the Audience) Actually Thought
The numbers don't lie, but they do tell a confusing story.
- The Box Office: It was a hit. It made over $120 million on a tiny $9 million budget. From a business perspective, it's a home run.
- The Reviews: Critics weren't kind. It holds around a 28% on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus was that it relied too heavily on "clichés."
- The Cultural Response: Many Latinx viewers were excited to see their folklore on the big screen, but felt let down by the fact that the lead character was a white woman (Anna) while the Mexican characters were relegated to supporting roles or the "mystical healer" trope.
Raymond Cruz plays Rafael Olvera, a "curandero" or folk healer. He’s easily the most interesting part of the movie. He uses unconventional methods, like dragon's blood and specialized eggs, to fight the spirit. But he feels like he’s in a different movie than the rest of the cast.
Technical Highs and Lows: The Craft of the Scare
Visually, Michael Chaves knows how to frame a shot. There’s a scene involving an umbrella—opening and closing it to catch glimpses of the ghost—that is genuinely clever. It uses the "now you see me, now you don't" trope effectively.
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But the sound design? It’s loud. Really loud.
This is the "loud noise" school of horror. You know the one. The music swells, everything goes silent, and then BAM—a violin screech and a ghost face. It works for a casual Friday night out with friends, but it doesn't linger in your brain like the scratching sounds in Hereditary or the silence in The Witch.
The acting is actually quite solid, which saves the film from being a total wash. Linda Cardellini is a powerhouse. She makes you believe her desperation as a mother. If the script had focused more on the domestic tragedy and less on the CGI ghost, we might be talking about a classic.
The "Curse" on Set: Fact or PR Stunt?
Horror movies love to market themselves as being "haunted."
During the production of The Curse of La Llorona movie, the cast and crew reported weird occurrences. Patricia Velásquez, who plays the distraught mother Patricia Alvarez, mentioned feeling a cold "energy" on set. There were stories of objects moving and unexplainable noises.
The production even brought in a priest to bless the set.
Now, is this true? Probably. Is it also a great marketing tactic? Absolutely. It’s part of the horror movie mythos that started with The Exorcist. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, these stories add a layer of "forbidden" energy to the film that helps sell tickets.
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Why the Movie Failed to Launch a Sub-Franchise
Unlike Annabelle or The Nun, La Llorona hasn't seen a sequel.
There are a few reasons for this. First, the legal and branding confusion with the Conjuring Universe made it a bit of an orphan. Second, the story is pretty self-contained. Once the ghost is defeated (spoiler: it involves a cross made from a "fire tree"), there isn't much room for a "La Llorona 2" without it feeling like a total retread.
Also, the market got crowded. In the same year, we had IT Chapter Two, Midsommar, and Us. The bar for horror was being pushed higher, and a standard jump-scare flick just didn't have the staying power.
Actionable Takeaways for Horror Fans and Creators
If you’re a fan of horror or someone looking to understand why certain movies land and others miss, there are lessons to be learned from this film.
- Folklore requires nuance. If you're going to use a cultural legend, respect the psychological roots of that legend. Don't just make it a monster; make it a metaphor.
- Atmosphere > Jump Scares. Building tension through lighting and silence is always more effective for long-term scares than a loud orchestral sting.
- Cast matters. Representation isn't just a buzzword; it changes the texture of the story. Having a lead character who actually belongs to the culture the ghost is from would have added layers of internal conflict that the film sorely lacked.
- Context is King. If you're going to link a movie to a cinematic universe, go all in or stay out. Being "half-in" just confuses the audience and creates expectations that the movie might not be designed to meet.
If you haven't seen it, The Curse of La Llorona movie is worth a watch for the production design and Raymond Cruz's performance. Just don't expect it to change your life or redefine the genre. It’s a popcorn flick—a loud, occasionally spooky ride through a simplified version of a much deeper, much scarier myth.
To get the most out of it, watch it on a dark night with a good sound system, but maybe skip the "official" Conjuring marathon and treat it as its own weird, stand-alone experiment. Compare it to the 2011 Mexican film J-ok'el or the 2019 Guatemalan film La Llorona (which is a political masterpiece) to see how different filmmakers handle the same weeping ghost. You'll find that the legend has many faces, and the one in the Hollywood blockbuster is just the loudest one.