Year: 2020
Runtime: 96 min
Language: Spanish
Director: Jayro Bustamante
As retired General Enrique's past actions are revealed, his family faces a reckoning of guilt and retribution. Protests erupt outside their estate, forcing the women in the family to decide whether to shield the patriarch or confront the atrocities he committed years before. As the truth emerges, they fear a supernatural force is seeking vengeance for his crimes, threatening to consume them all.
Warning: spoilers below!
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Read the complete plot breakdown of La Llorona (2020), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
In 1673 Mexico, a joyful family spends time together in a sunny field, where the youngest son gifts his mother a cherished necklace. However, a dark turn of events ensues when he stumbles upon his mother in a horrific scene, drowning his brother in a stream. Traumatized, he flees, only for his mother to catch him; tragically, he is presumed drowned as well.
Fast forward to 1973 Los Angeles, where caseworker Anna investigates the truancy of her client, Patricia Alvarez, and her two children. Upon arriving at Patricia’s home for a welfare check, Anna finds the children locked away, despite their pleas for her to leave them there. Ignoring their warnings, she confronts Patricia, leading to a violent altercation that results in Patricia’s arrest. The boys, Carlos and Tomas, urgently advise Anna to keep them safe, but her actions instead put them in grave danger at a child-services shelter. There, amidst a disturbing atmosphere, Tomas sleepwalks, which leads both boys to encounter a ghostly woman in white who terrorizes them.
Tragedy strikes again when the boys are later discovered drowned in a river, prompting Anna’s return to the scene. She brings along her own children, Chris and Sam, who wait in the car while Anna investigates. In a chilling twist, Patricia, accused of the murders, screams accusations at Anna, blaming her for the deaths of her children while revealing that she prayed to the malevolent spirit of “La Llorona” to take Anna’s children in exchange for her own.
Chris’s curiosity leads him away from the car, and he becomes another target of La Llorona (The Weeping Woman), suffering burns on his wrist from her grasp. The next day, Sam similarly encounters La Llorona, resulting in identical burn marks. Anna’s inquiries reveal Patricia has an alibi, yet Patricia harbors deep resentment towards Anna, seeking revenge through dark means.
In a desperate plea for help, Anna seeks guidance from Father Perez, who connects their ordeal to a haunted porcelain doll he once encountered. He instructs Anna to seek out former priest Rafael Olvera, who is now a folk shaman and may possess the knowledge to combat the malevolent spirit. Upon his arrival at Anna’s home, Rafael sets up protective items. That night, La Llorona launches relentless attacks, attempting to drown Anna and Sam in their pool.
During the chaos, Patricia returns, armed and intent on delivering Anna’s children to La Llorona. However, torn by the realization of her own painful loss, Patricia ultimately helps Anna regain control of the situation, allowing Anna to protect her children. Chris distracts La Llorona by revealing the necklace she had once given to her son, causing a momentary shift in her appearance as she longs for him. In a frantic moment, however, Sam inadvertently unveils a mirror, snapping La Llorona back to her terrifying form.
In a climactic confrontation, Anna drives a cross made from the sacred Fire Tree—witness to La Llorona’s notorious crime—through her chest, vanquishing the spirit once and for all.
With the danger finally passed, Anna and her children express their gratitude to Rafael for his pivotal role in their survival. As he departs, Anna gazes into a puddle nearby, signaling the end of their harrowing journey.
Last Updated: November 16, 2024 at 14:43
Still wondering what the ending of La Llorona (2020) really means? Here’s a spoiler-heavy breakdown of the final scene, major twists, and the deeper themes that shape the film’s conclusion.
The ending of The Curse of La Llorona reveals that, despite their efforts to banish her, La Llorona is not truly defeated. Throughout the climax, Rafael Olvera and Anna manage to temporarily hold her back using sacred symbols and fire seeds, which create a barrier that she cannot cross. However, this victory is short-lived. Patricia, the mother of the drowned children and a villain who blames Anna for her own tragedy, breaks the protective line by accident, allowing La Llorona to regain her power. La Llorona then targets Samantha, Anna’s daughter, attempting to drown her in the backyard pool. Luckily, Olvera transforms the water into holy water, forcing La Llorona to retreat temporarily. The family tries to protect their kids by isolating them or hiding in the attic, but La Llorona continually pursues them.
Eventually, Anna confronts La Llorona in a final desperate showdown, wielding a cross made from the fire tree. She stabs the spirit in the heart, seemingly ending her menace once and for all. However, the film’s post-credits scene hints that La Llorona might not be gone for good. The haunting cry of her spirit echoes once more, suggesting she remains alive—at least in some form—and could return at any time. This sinister tease leaves her fate uncertain, implying that her curse may continue beyond this movie, and leaves open the possibility of her comeback in future installments within the horror universe.
Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:58
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