【Show Me the Movies】New Releases This Week: The Cry of the Banshee Scares Everyone in "The Curse of La Llorona"

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family, compiled and reported
 
This week’s new releases include the so-called Western version of the banshee tale, "The Curse of La Llorona," and "Still Human," which earned multiple Hong Kong Film Awards nominations. Get ready to catch these films after work or over the weekend...

The Curse of La Llorona
 
 
Set in 1970s Los Angeles, "The Curse of La Llorona" follows a vengeful spirit named La Llorona who haunts children at night. A social worker ignores the terrifying warnings of a fearful mother suspected of harming her own child. Soon, the social worker and her kids are drawn into a horrifying supernatural realm. Their only hope of survival—and escaping La Llorona's deadly revenge—may lie with a disillusioned priest whose unorthodox exorcism methods push the boundaries between fear and faith.
 
Release Date: April 17, 2019
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes
Director: Michael Chaves
Cast: Linda Cardellini, Sean Patrick Thomas, Raymond Cruz



Still Human
 
 
This is a story about two people who have hit rock bottom. Leung Cheong-wing (played by Anthony Wong), paralyzed from the waist down due to a construction accident, has lost all hope in life and no longer believes he deserves to dream, while his wife and children have left him. Meanwhile, Evelyn (played by Crisel Consunji), a young Filipino woman, gives up her dream of becoming a photographer to support her family, moving to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper. That summer, the two individuals, both at their lowest points, cross paths. Friendship blossoms within their employer-employee relationship, but what truly grows is hope and dreams. Together, they experience all four seasons and learn how to face life’s ups and downs.
 
Release Date: April 19, 2019
Distributor: Gapstone Pictures
Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes
Director: Chan Siu-kuen
Cast: Anthony Wong, Crisel Consunji, Jordan Chan, Cecilia Yip

Decoded: Oxford
 
 
Professor Murray (played by Mel Gibson) takes on the monumental task of compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, aiming to create the most comprehensive dictionary ever. However, with the technology and manpower available at the time, completing such an enormous project would take at least a century. So, Professor Murray pioneers a revolutionary "crowdsourcing" approach, gathering word entries from the public to accelerate the dictionary’s progress.
During the process of collecting words, he discovers that Dr. Minor (played by Sean Penn), a seemingly ordinary man, has contributed over ten thousand quotations—an astonishing feat even seasoned linguists struggle to achieve. Just as the editorial board prepares to honor the doctor, they uncover a shocking truth... Dr. Minor, convicted of murder, is imprisoned for life in a mental asylum and deemed insane. How can a madman behind bars and a meticulous scholar join forces to create the greatest English dictionary in history?
 
Release Date: April 19, 2019
Distributor: Distribution Workshop
Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
Director: Farhad Safinia
Cast: Mel Gibson, Sean Penn, Natalie Dormer

High Life
 
 
Ambitious young businessman Sergio (played by Riccardo Scamarcio) rises to dominance in the business world through bribery using money and charm. To climb even higher, Sergio decides to enter politics. He begins by ingratiating himself with the elite before seizing opportunities to grab power. In the political arena, there is only one figure with ultimate authority: former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (played by Toni Servillo), who wielded power for 20 years and led a wildly scandalous private life.
Young and ambitious, Sergio is willing to squander his youth in pursuit of fame and fortune. To attract Berlusconi’s attention, he rents a luxurious villa right across from the politician’s home and throws wild, hedonistic parties every night with gorgeous women. His extravagant tactics finally get him noticed. But once he breaks into the upper echelon he’s long desired, he realizes the political tycoon has already fallen from grace...
 
Release Date: April 19, 2019
Distributor: Hai Peng
Runtime: 02 hours 37 minutes
Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Cast: Toni Servillo, Riccardo Scamarcio, Kasia Smutniak

The Voice in Her Head
 
 
A shy teenage girl named Vera (played by Elle Fanning), who lives in the suburbs of England and loves to sing, attends school during the day and performs at a bar at night. She dreams of becoming a pop star to escape her mundane reality. Without telling her mother, Vera secretly signs up for the UK’s biggest singing competition. On her journey to the spotlight, she must hold firm to her belief, earn her own applause, bravely pursue her dreams, and shine bright.
 
Release Date: April 19, 2019
Distributor: VISION Films
Runtime: 01 hour 34 minutes
Director: Max Minghella
Cast: Elle Fanning, Rebecca Hall