10 Horror Movies So Sad You Can Only Watch Them Once

Thanks to Guillermo del Toro's work on Pan's Labyrinth, Crimson Peak, and Cabinet of Curiosities, the Mexican auteur is renowned for his unsettling material. So, it's no surprise his lesser-known gothic horror, The Devil's Backbone, is pretty darn disturbing. Although it's not as terrifying as del Toro's other work, it might be his most depressing movie.

The story takes place at the end of the Spanish Civil War, with an orphan called Carlos settling into a residential institution. When he encounters a ghostly child, Carlos tries to learn everything he can about him, while avoiding soldiers in the area who are shooting civilians, left, right, and centre.

Rather than shying away from the brutality of war, del Toro puts everything on full display. After watching civilians being lined-up and shot, orphanages blown up, and children being engulfed in fire, it's challenging not to look away.

However, the most heartbreaking moment is when the orphanage's patron sings a goodbye poem to his dying wife, after she gets caught in an explosion.

There's no question The Devil's Backbone is a beautiful film through-and-through, but because of the tragic story, horror fans aren't eager to revisit it.