10 Spanish Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
If you recall there was some superb foreshadowing earlier in this list about how Guillermo del Toro would “return with a vengeance” to the themes of The Devil’s Backbone later in his career. Well Pan’s Labyrinth is that return with a vengeance.
Set in fascist Spain, Pan’s Labyrinth tells a dark fairytale about a young girl named Ophelia. She and her pregnant mother go to live with Captain Vidal, her sadistic stepfather, as he hunts republic rebels hiding in the countryside. One night a fairy leads Ophelia to a stone maze where a faun tells her she is the reincarnation of a princess and she must complete three tasks in order to return to her kingdom.
Del Toro again combines the brutality of war and innocence of childhood beautifully, all while exploring themes of nationalism, femininity and death. Visually, Pan’s Labyrinth is truly stunning. From the titular Pan to the horrifying Pale Man, Del Toro crafts a visual masterpiece and, nearly fifteen years later, this film is still the standard of visual effects and cinematography. Pan’s Labyrinth is simply one of the best films ever made and regardless of what some people say, it belongs to the horror genre.