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Alma/La Llorona
Alma's Thousand-Yard Stare
- Dead All Along: Alma was killed by Enrique himself before the events of the film and has come back as La Llorona.
- Genocide Survivor: Subverted. Alma was killed by Monteverde himself during his genocide of the Mayans, and now her spirit has come back to haunt him.
- Hero Antagonist: Alma is the antagonist, but she is much more sympathetic than Enrique.
- Mama Bear: Alma was unable to save the lives of her children, so now she's playing the long game to avenge them.
- Vengeful Ghost: La Llorona wants revenge for the deaths of her and her children.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Alma wasn’t drowning Sara, she was just helping her practice holding her breath.
Enrique Monteverde
- Alas, Poor Villain: Enrique is a jerkass old man who is guilty of committing genocide, but you'd be forgiven for feeling a little sympathetic for him when it's revealed that he has Alzheimer's.
- Bigot with a Crush: Enrique's wife Carmen tells his daughter, Natalia, that he was always attracted to native women and reveals her suspicions that Valeriana, who arrived at their household as a child, may be Enrique's daughter.
- Dirty Old Man: Enrique sees Alma wading through the pool into the house; his family discovers him, sexually aroused and watching her wash her dress.
- Improperly Paranoid / Properly Paranoid: Played with. Enrique's paranoia is justified but misdirected. He's convinced that the protesters are sneaking into the house and messing with him, but it's actually Alma/La Llorona.
- Karma Houdini: Enrique committed genocide, but his guilty verdict is overturned by the high court, which ruled that his guilt could not be conclusively proven.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: He ends up dead courtesy of La Llorona.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Enrique Monteverde is based on Efraín Ríos Montt
. - White Hair, Black Heart: Enrique is an old man who committed genocide and yet insists he did nothing wrong.
- Would Hurt a Child: Played straight with Enrique, who committed genocide against Guatemala’s Maya population and had Alma’s children killed. It’s mentioned during his trial that 38% of the victims were children under 12.
Carmen
Natalia
- Mama Bear: When Enrique shoots Sara by mistake, Natalia snatches the gun away and points it at him.
Sara
- Children Are Innocent: Sara is young and doesn't understand why people are saying bad things about her grandfather Enrique.
Valeriana
- Child by Rape: Maybe. Enrique's wife Carmen tells his daughter, Natalia, that he was always attracted to native women and reveals her suspicions that Valeriana, who arrived at their household as a child, may be Enrique's daughter. Considering Enrique committed genocide against the natives, it's unlikely the sex was consensual.
- Royal Bastard: Maybe. Enrique's wife Carmen tells his daughter, Natalia, that he was always attracted to native women and reveals her suspicions that Valeriana, who arrived at their household as a child, may be Enrique's daughter. Since Enrique is the former dictator of Guatemala, this means Valeriana might qualify.
Letona
