The Curse of La Llorona

In 1970s Los Angeles, the legend of La Llorona stalks the night and preys on children. A weary social worker and her two kids find themselves drawn into a chilling, hidden realm after a warning goes ignored. As a malevolent force closes in, they must confront a supernatural world that seems to feed on fear and grief. A disillusioned priest, who practices mystical rites to hold back the evil, becomes their uneasy ally, offering a fragile lifeline. The family must balance the demands of daily life with a nightmare that spills from the shadows into their home, testing their courage and faith. Strange knocks and whispered calls raise the stakes without revealing the whole truth. Its tension lingers long after.

Directed by Michael Chaves from a script by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis, the film is a Conjuring Universe entry inspired by the La Llorona legend. It marks Chaves's feature debut and leans on practical effects and tense sound design.

It grossed $123,233,739 worldwide on a modest nine million dollar budget, making it a solid performer for a horror spin off in the Conjuring series. Its earnings helped solidify New Line Cinema's strategy of folklore inspired scares within a universe.

By weaving a well known folklore figure into a 1970s Los Angeles setting, the film helped keep La Llorona in public imagination and fed interest in locale legends within contemporary horror. It also contributed to the ongoing franchise's global brand, encouraging similar crossover myth adaptations and even inspired themed collaborations.

Critics found the atmosphere solid and the performances by Linda Cardellini and Raymond Cruz effective, though some noted the plot relies on familiar jump scare patterns. The film explores motherhood, fear as a family shield, and the cost of ignoring warnings. Audiences appreciated the slower buildup and effects, globally too.