The Curse of La Patasola opens with a flashback sometime in the 19th century. Two lovers sneak away for a tryst. The woman confides that she feels wrong about the encounter, as she is married with children. The man pushes it until a mysterious sound pulls him away and he is presumably killed by some unseen force. We flash forward to present time, on a completely different continent (the flashback takes place somewhere in South America) and we are now with two couples who are on a camping trip for the weekend. Sarah (Gillie Jones) and Daniel (AJ Jones) are married while Naomi (Najah Bradley) and James (Patrick R. Walker) are in a serious relationship. The couples approach their relationships in very different ways, which leads to tension from the very start. When they reach the campground, the tensions begin to boil over which leads to infidelity and a visit from the title ghost, La Patasola. 

The Curse of La Patasola moves at a glacial pace. Writer/Director AJ Jones and his co-writer Shaun Mathis spend a large portion of the run time after the somewhat exciting opening examining the couples. The scenes in the car as the characters drive to the campsite does a good enough job to establish the dynamic between the couples. More narrative, however, is invested as they discuss the issues further in their respective relationships for a longer time when they get to the campground. It becomes redundant, as scene after scene is presented with Daniel sharply disagreeing with something Naomi has said or done while James and Sarah sort of hopelessly look on. 

What could have made these scenes more interesting was throwing in some sense of dread or foreshadowing for what awaits them in the woods. We’re given two or three instances where someone hears voices but quickly dismisses them. Instead of parsing out any sort of scary or tense moment, everything is packed into the last 15 or so minutes. 

None of the characters are particularly likable, which makes a large amount of time spent with them all the more difficult. Sarah has allowed herself to be railroaded by her husband, Daniel is a narrow-minded bully, Naomi isn’t 100% honest with James, etc. Most of these character issues persist for the entire run time, with no real arc to speak of for anyone in the group. There is a redemptive, empowering story for one of the two female characters buried underneath all of this. Instead of having La Patasola be a cheating wife, having her be the one who was cheated on could have set things up for a different narrative. It could have presented opportunities for Sarah to claim back her life while effectively connecting the past with the present in a meaningful way. 

The Curse of La Patasola feels like a missed opportunity to tell a deeper, more meaningful story about relationships. Instead, we watch as characters argue with and cheat on each other with no meaningful payoff or resolution. Even the moments of horror that do happen at the end, when La Patasola finally shows up, feel uninspired. There’s no motivation or reason, making the actions of the ghost feel hollow. 

3 out of 10