10 Recent Horror Films That Didn't Insult Your Intelligence

Guatamala is not known for it's horror movies but if La Llorona is anything to go by, we're all missing out. Not to be confused with the generic popcorn shower The Curse Of La Llorona, this movie has the weight of a considered political drama and the sensitivity of a character study, combining both in a film that portrays the effects of the Guatemalan civil war and the legend of La Llorona, the 'weeping woman.'

Now on trial for war crimes, the film focuses on retired General Enrique Monteverde (a fictional version of the real Efraín Ríos Monttand) his family become prisoners in their fortified mansion, as crowds of protestors blockade the grounds.

The family, firmly in denial and now having to face the very real consequences of war crimes, become aware of a strange presence in the house. As the general hears weeping in the night and the Mayan staff resign in protest, the presence of a young new maid Alma threatens to uncover a life of infidelity, corruption and death.

Combining Mesoamerican folklore and real world atrocities, director Jayro Bustamante’s film uses the genre to reach out to an audience unfamiliar with the plight of their Guatemalan indigenous people, telling San Antonio Current:

Guatemala is a country that has a lot of problems with education and information. People in Guatemala don’t read. I think I had a responsibility to make a film that wasn’t just about entertainment... So, there was a great opportunity for me to use La Llorona here to talk about these horrible stories through the horror [genre].