THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE (2001)

Considered to be one of his finest films, Guillermo del Toro’ The Devil’s Backbone, is a chilling gothic romance that proves that sometimes the scariest parts of a ghost story are the humans who inhabit the world.

Del Toro has crafted a story set in a place that should feel safe to our heroes, an orphanage set away from the war that has consumed Spain. Although, as the audience comes to learn, safety is not guaranteed when children seem to go missing and ghosts freely roam the grounds.

Set during the finality of the Spanish civil war, Carlos is brought to a boys orphanage after his father has been killed at the front. His arrival is received with hostility and mockery from the boys who already reside there. While being tortured and tormented by the others, Carlos begins to take the higher ground to gain trust among the boys and take responsibility for the shenanigans that begin to take place. Alongside his tormentors, Carlos must deal with Jacinto, an employee who hides a dark secret and may be willing to do anything to protect it.

In true del Toro style, the haunting mood is heightened every moment that we spend in the orphanage with Carlos and his new allies. Building on the first question we are asked as an audience, “What is a ghost?”, the film is seeped in haunting visuals and blood curdling events, that are sure to inspire nightmares for some.

It seems almost impossible to rank The Devil’s Backbone’s place in Guillermo del Toro’s body of work but it certainly would rank in the top 5 for most and top 3 for this reviewer. Chilling from start to finish, it is a true gothic masterpiece to behold.