The Curse of La Patasola

For a first time director, AJ Jones actually delivers a competent low budget horror experience with some refreshing concepts, even if it is irregular.

The film has a very rough start, exemplified by the obnoxious discussions between two seemingly annoying characters early on, but it picks up after some time and you actually warm up a little bit to these people. A lot of the conflict comes out of nowhere while some other elements are too obvious and in-your-face to take seriously, it certainly doesnt handle romance or interactions perfectly but theres an effort by the part of the actors and the director to make the material as effective as possible and while it doesnt fully work, I believe it is a worthwhile attempt that has redeeming values.

It mostly focuses on the characters relationships but the horror concepts are properly implemented into the story. While the horror element isnt missing, it is rather sparse and underplayed. The cinematography, special effects and production values are of quality for a limited production of this kind. Its not deficient when it comes to its technical aspects but it really needed a better script, or at least a more polished one.

Lets hope Jones makes more movies, as this was a somewhat riveting picture.