In Mexico, 1673, two young boys present their mother, Marisol Ramirez, with a beautiful pendant, which she vows to cherish forever. In a tender moment, she and her husband dance with their sons. However, the youngest boy’s innocent gaze suddenly reveals a haunting truth—when he opens his eyes, everyone has vanished. He frantically calls for his family, only to witness his mother drowning his brother in the river. In sheer terror, he attempts to flee, but his mother's grasp pulls him into the depths as well.
Fast forward to Los Angeles, 1973. Social worker Anna Tate-Garcia is rushing to prepare her children, Chris and Sam, for school, but they miss the bus. At her job, she overhears her supervisor asking her assistant Donna to check on the Alvarez family, specifically Patricia Alvarez, a distressed mother with two boys, Tomas and Carlos, who have been absent from school. Feeling a sense of personal connection, Anna advocates for herself to make the visit.
Accompanied by Officer Claro, Anna arrives at the Alvarez home, where Patricia is initially reluctant to let them in. However, she confesses to hearing mysterious cries of a woman. Investigating, Anna discovers the boys locked away in a closet, but Patricia violently opposes her attempts to free them. Claro intervenes, allowing Anna to reveal the frightened boys, who are subsequently taken to a nearby hospital highlighting burn marks on their wrists.
Back at home, Anna struggles with her life as a widow, coping with the loss of her husband who was killed on duty. That night, Carlos is disturbed by the sound of a woman weeping, leading him and Tomas into an eerie encounter with La Llorona, the malicious spirit known for her sorrowful cries.
Anna is summoned to the hospital by Detective Cooper, where she discovers that the boys' lifeless bodies were recovered from the river. Patricia appears, lamenting her children's demise and accuses Anna of bringing the tragedy upon them while desperately trying to escape the grasp of La Llorona.
Meanwhile, Chris, left in the car while Anna attends to the case, inadvertently encounters La Llorona. From the shadows, she burns his arm as she whispers in Spanish about wanting him to join her in her anguish, igniting a terrifying chase.
The following day, Anna witnesses a cleansing ritual at the Alvarez residence, where she meets Father Perez. He shares the tragic legend of La Llorona—once a beautiful woman who, in a fit of jealousy, drowned her own children only to drown herself out of grief, forever cursed to roam the earth.
As Anna's daughter Sam inadvertently comes upon La Llorona, the spirit seizes her and burns her arm too. In desperation, Anna confronts Patricia in prison, who accuses her of abandoning her own children. The emotional turmoil escalates, and when Anna tries to put her kids to bed that night, La Llorona’s presence intensifies, causing Anna to scream in fear.
In a harrowing sequence of events, La Llorona attempts to drag Sam underwater during a bath, forcing Anna and Chris into a fierce battle against the malevolent spirit. Seeking help, Anna consults Father Perez, who suggests enlisting the aid of a retired priest, Rafael Olvera. Though he initially hesitates, he ultimately agrees when Sam appeals to him, leading to a sought-after visit to Rafael’s home.
Rafael reveals the truth of their haunting—the evil entity, La Llorona, will relentlessly pursue them, regardless of their location. As he sets up protections against the malevolent spirit, the tension peaks when La Llorona attacks, leading to a climactic struggle involving Anna’s determination to save her children.
Finally, with a miraculous twist, Anna learns how to harness the power of La Llorona's own tears against her. In an intense confrontation, she uses a sacred cross thrown by Rafael to confront the spirit, leading to her ultimate destruction.
By morning, Rafael bids farewell to Anna and her children, as they step back into their lives. While Chris and Sam rush back to play, Anna stands contemplatively, noticing what appears to be a puddle of tears on the sidewalk, a haunting reminder of their chilling encounter with La Llorona.
