20 Best Horror Movies Since 2000
1. Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is a film which, for many, defies categorisation. It's a parable, fairy tale, dark fantasy film with a keen eye for the real world horrors of Franco's fascistic Spain in 1944, as well as the deeper horrors which lurk in the subconsciousness of every child, particularly when faced with trauma.
It's also perhaps Guillermo del Toro's masterpiece - his magnum opus which consolidates many of the themes which have preoccupied him throughout his career. It tells the story of Ofelia, a young girl who moves to a house in the countryside and confronts the evil of war, personified in the cruel and sadistic Captain Vidal, and the mythical residents of an ancient stone labyrinth.
Del Toro's vision of a world torn into this duality is beautiful and haunting in equal measure, populated by fantastic creatures and monstrous human beings which reflect Ofelia's innocent outlook on a world descending into chaos. Pan's Labyrinth was widely regarded as the best film of the year in 2006, and there's little doubt that it remains one of the best horror movies ever made.