10 PERFECT Monster Reveals In Horror Movies

In Guillermo del Toro's Gothic fantasy Pan's Labyrinth, young Ofelia is ordered to retrieve a dagger from the domain of the Pale Man. Upon entering the lair, Ofelia sees an eyeless, chalk-skinned monster sitting motionlessly in front of a food-stacked table, his eyeballs laid neatly on a plate. After Ofelia locates the dagger, she becomes overwhelmed with hunger, incentivising her to eat two grapes from the table.

This act awakens the Pale Man, causing him to place an eyeball in the palm of each hand, allowing him to see. As Ofelia gorges on the fruit, she's oblivious the Pale Man is shambling towards her. Luckily, Ofelia manages to escape seconds before the pasty fiend catches up with her.

What makes this scene so iconic is how subversive it is. Instead of behaving in an imposing manner, the Pale Man is idle at first, causing Ofelia (and the audience) to let their guard down. His movements are erratic and clumsy, which could've been unintentionally comedic in the wrong hands. Rather than being tall or beefy, the Pale Man is scrawny and covered in flaps of droopy skin.

However, all of these unconventional elements make the Pale Man seem less like a movie monster and more like the product of the worst kind of nightmare. The Pale Man originated from del Toro's imagination, but the costume designers, the CGI crew, and its performer, Doug Jones, are all responsible for making this creature seem horrifyingly real.

Although the Pale Man features in Pan's Labyrinth for less than five minutes, there's no doubt he stole the show.