Guillermo Del Toro's The Devil's Backbone is a really cool ghost story with an extraordinary human and political dimension.
The Devil's Backbone
What is a ghost?
2001 · 1h 48m · R
Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Directed by
Guillermo del Toro
Overview
Spain, 1939. In the last days of the Spanish Civil War, the young Carlos arrives at the Santa Lucía orphanage, where he will make friends and enemies as he follows the quiet footsteps of a mysterious presence eager for revenge.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Del Toro's elegant pacing and gothic touches imbue the proceedings with a cool mystery.
It's a horror flick, and a creepily good one, that also functions as an allegory of the war that still haunts Spain seven decades later.
The Devil's Backbone augments its abundant creepiness with an equally powerful poignancy.
Though it fails in its final reels to capitalize on its early promise, pic is still stylish, accomplished and tremendously enjoyable fare.
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