La Llorona 2020

In a sun-drenched field in 1673 Mexico, a family’s carefree laughter and playful shouts are suddenly interrupted by the tender gesture of a young boy presenting his mother with a cherished necklace. Her promise to treasure it forever is a poignant moment, one that would later take on a haunting significance. As the boy ventures out on a solo expedition, he stumbles upon a shocking scene: his own mother brutally drowning his brother in a serene stream. The boy’s horror is short-lived, as he attempts to flee but ultimately meets the same gruesome fate, leaving behind a mystery that would linger for centuries.

Fast-forward 300 years to the bustling streets of 1973 Los Angeles, where caseworker Anna delves into the truancy of two young clients, Patricia Alvarez’s children. Upon arriving at their home, Anna is met with an air of secrecy and unease, as she discovers the siblings locked behind a door. Despite being warned to respect their boundaries, Anna insists on speaking with them, only to be viciously attacked by Patricia herself. The boys’ cryptic warnings to keep them safe are ignored, and they are eventually taken to a child-services shelter, unaware of the terror that awaits them.

At the shelter, Tomas’s nocturnal wanderings are eerily mirrored by Carlos’s own sleepwalking episodes, both of which culminate in a chilling encounter with a vengeful apparition clad in white. The boys’ subsequent drownings in a river would shatter Anna’s world, as she is called to the scene alongside her own children, Chris and Sam. As she investigates the tragedy, Patricia is accused of the murders, her anguished cries echoing through the streets: it was Anna’s thoughtless actions that had unleashed the wrath of “La Llorona,” a malevolent force that had haunted their family for generations.

As Chris’s curiosity gets the better of him, he steps out of their car and finds himself face-to-face with La Llorona, her presence marked by an eerie aura that seems to seep into his very being. Her ethereal grasp leaves a trail of burns on his wrist, a haunting reminder of her otherworldly power. Like a dark specter, she stalks Chris back to the car, vanishing once Anna returns and the family flees the scene. But La Llorona’s malevolent presence lingers, leaving an identical mark on Sam’s skin the very next day.

Anna’s investigation leads her to Patricia, whose alibi for the time of her sons’ deaths seems solid enough. However, beneath the surface lies a cauldron of bitterness and hatred, fueled by a prayer to La Llorona that has twisted and corrupted Patricia’s soul. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, she finds herself confronted by the very spirit she had been trying to understand - La Llorona, who seeks to claim Sam as her own in a desperate attempt to assuage her own maternal grief.

The stakes are raised when Father Perez intervenes, drawing parallels between this case and his own experiences with a haunted porcelain doll. His words are like a gentle breeze that rustles the leaves of memory, leading him to Rafael Olvera, a former priest turned folk shaman, who may hold the key to unraveling the mystery. With Rafael’s guidance, Anna and her family prepare for the inevitable confrontation with La Llorona.

As the night wears on, La Llorona launches repeated attacks, seeking to drown Anna and Sam in the pool, only to be foiled by their desperate struggle. Amidst the chaos, Anna manages to wrestle free from La Llorona’s grasp, ripping off her necklace in the process - a symbol of the motherly love that has been twisted and corrupted.

Patricia arrives on the scene, armed with a gun, but it is too late. Her own maternal instincts have taken hold, and she realizes that she cannot bring back her children or take the place of another mother. With a heavy heart, Patricia releases Anna’s children, recognizing that they are not hers to claim. Chris stalls La Llorona’s advances by presenting her with the necklace, which briefly transports her back to a time when her human form was still intact. In this fleeting moment, she caresses Chris as if he were her own son - a poignant reminder of the tragic loss that has driven her actions.

But Sam’s accidental revelation of a mirror shatters La Llorona’s reverie, and she reverts to her malevolent state, launching a final attack on Anna and her children. In desperation, Anna turns to Rafael’s gift - a cross fashioned from a Fire Tree, whose roots grow by the river where La Llorona drowned her own children. With this sacred symbol of redemption, Anna finds the strength to confront La Llorona head-on, plunging the cross into her chest and banishing the malevolent spirit.

As the dust settles, Anna and her children express their gratitude to Rafael for his unwavering support. As he departs, Anna gazes down at a puddle of water beside the road, its calm surface reflecting the turbulent emotions that have been stirred within her.