Movie review
April 17, 2019 · 93 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Curse of La Llorona.
Woke representation / casting
Lead role played by white actress in adaptation of Mexican folklore drew criticism for lacking authentic Latino centering rather than identity signaling; supporting Latino cast present but story does not emphasize representation or quotas.
Woke political dialogue
No activist or identity-driven dialogue; conversations center on grief, maternal protection, faith, and fighting supernatural evil.
Identity-driven story themes
Story draws on classic La Llorona folklore of maternal grief, guilt, and vengeance without reframing through modern identity politics, colonialism, or systemic critiques.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Faith elements (Catholic prayers, crosses, St. Michael medal) portrayed positively as necessary against evil; social worker role serves only as horror setup with no critique of institutions, patriarchy, or Western norms.
Review
2019 supernatural horror film produced by James Wan that adapts the Mexican La Llorona legend into a Conjuring-universe style ghost story. In 1970s Los Angeles, a widowed social worker and her children become targets of the vengeful spirit after she removes two boys from their mother's care. The narrative centers on motherhood, grief, guilt, and the use of Catholic faith blended with Latin American folk practices to combat supernatural evil. No modern activist messaging, identity-driven themes, or institutional critiques appear in the story or marketing.
Woke character or canon changes
Standard folklore adaptation with mainstream horror adjustments (1970s LA setting, social worker protagonist, Conjuring tie-in); no identity-driven alterations to established characters or historical figures.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No notable anti-woke or right-leaning criticism treating the film as pushing identity politics or DEI messaging; all reported controversy came from progressive and Latino critics calling for more authentic representation.
Creator track record context
Cached scores for main creatives (Chaves 5, Wan 5, Dauberman 7, writers 1 and 21) show no activist patterns; minor elevation from producer Gladstone's later progressive social subtext work and Goffman's recent social justice-themed short.
Production
