Film Review: "The Curse of La Llorona" (2019).

"She wants your children" in The Curse of La Llorona. This supernatural horror film directed by Michael Chaves, in his feature directorial debut, written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis, and based on the Latin American folklore of La Llorona. It is the sixth installment in the Conjuring Universe franchise. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Their only hope to survive La Llorona's deadly wrath may be a disillusioned priest and the mysticism he practices to keep evil at bay, on the fringes where fear and faith collide.

In early October 2017, a film based on the Latin American folklore was announced with Chaves hired to direct, James Wan serving as producer, and Linda Cardellini attached to star, under the title of The Children. Principal photography took place in Los Angeles, California, USA and wrapped in November. In July 2018, the film was renamed The Curse of La Llorona. In March 2019, it was revealed that the film is part of the Conjuring Universe, making it the sixth installment in the franchise.

The film stars Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velásquez, Sean Patrick Thomas and Tony Amendola. Lacking anything that resembles compelling characters with actual arcs, the film fails that critical first test of the movies: investing the audience in the plight of its heroes. The cast, especially Cardellini, deserved better.

At its best, horror marks you. At its worst, it wastes your time and money. The film, sure as all that is holy, does not leave a mark. For all its disappointment, it's unlikely the film will be the last we see of this bad habit as long as those staggering numbers remain undead. The film positions itself as slow-burning, self-aggrandizing horror, but it's too lifeless to engage. In fact, it's like looking through the windows of a pop-up Halloween store. The film runs into a lot of the same problems that 2018's The Nun did. The build up to these characters seemed less terrifying than what they were given in their actual movies. The film wastes the efforts put into the set design and art direction with a lackluster story and substandard scare scenes. The film nonetheless proves to be the weakest entry in the series so far, and next to Annabelle, that's saying something. If you're ready to kick off horror season a few weeks early, there are lots of opportunities to do better than this tedious nun-sense. Not being high gastronomy, the new spin off of the Warren universe fools with a moderately decent presentation. The film is a sloppy cash-grab that further dilutes The Conjuring brand, a cinematic universe that is hilariously more profitable than the DC comic book umbrella. The film feels more like a missed opportunity than a complete disaster, but in the end, it's tough to tell the difference. The film had the potential to be something more, but the film lacked the authentic storytelling that makes The Conjuring series so good.

Simon says The Curse of La Llorona receives: