Your Next Viewing: THE LEGEND OF LA LLORONA, A Childhood Nightmare Comes To The Big Screen
How did your parents get you to behave when you were younger? Besides the usual threats of a hit, a dirty look in public, or that surprisingly painful tiny pinch on your arm delivered so stealthily that no one noticed? Some of my friends were threatened with the boogeyman, a creature that would come if they did not behave. And most everyone is threatened with no presents from Santa closer to Christmastime, right?
One threat I heard often from my mom, her sisters (mis tías) and mi abuela (grandmother) was that La Llorona (the weeping woman) was going to get me if I did not behave and if I were to wander outside away from home, she could easily snatch me up and take me away. They told me that she would lurk around looking for children to take. If I were bad, sometimes I would hear distant crying…though maybe that was my mom tricking me…either way, when you’re young and these women are telling you stories like this, you listen and become afraid of what they are saying.
Needless to say, because of a fear instilled in me at a young age, when I hear that there is another movie out about La Llorona, my expectations are high! I was raised to be scared of her, so if she is to make a big screen appearance then it had better be good.
Saban Films’ latest horror/thriller The Legend of La Llorona, directed by Patricia Harris Seeley, did not disappoint. There are different versions of the weeping woman’s tale and I was happy with their portrayal of her. When it comes to Maria’s appearance, we are told as children about her clothes and I was happy with the way that Jose Prendes (writer) and Patricia Harris Seeley (director) chose to dress her and have her behave; it matched what I had pictured. The sound effects were on point, too. Each time she cried, I got chills. Each time she made an unexpected appearance, I got chills.
The film focuses on Carly (Autumn Reeser; I know her from a little show called The O.C.) and Andrew (Antonio Cupo) who go to Mexico with their son Danny (Nicolas Madrazo) and of course whose eye should Danny catch but La Llorona. Locals Veronica (Angelica Lara) and Jorge (Danny Trejo) try to keep the family safe, but when they fail to do so, they must explain to the outsiders about The Legend of La Llorona. Will the story help them get Danny back? I won’t spoil the ending for you so you’ll have to watch for yourself to see if the family makes it home safely or not.
The Legend of La Llorona is now in theaters and will be available on demand and digital January 11.
Writer, bookworm, geek in too many fandoms to name, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago White Sox fan.
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