Every Guillermo Del Toro Movie - Ranked Worst To Best

Guillermo del Toro's 2015 gothic romantic ghost story only received a middling level of acclaim upon its release, but contains all of the key elements of a great del Toro picture. Part of its critical struggles may have been due to its poor marketing, as many trailers depicted the film as a pure horror film, leaving audiences disappointed after experiencing his unique blend of fantasy, romance, period drama and ghosts. Del Toro juxtaposes the frightening appearances of the ghosts with their ultimate benevolence, and pairs this against the more physically attractive but more menacingly dangerous villains.

All three key performances in the film are terrific, but Jessica Chastain stands out with a delightfully over the top role as Lady Lucille Sharpe, the sister of the protagonist's love interest. While Chastain is often very restrained in her performances (Tree of Life, Zero Dark Thirty), here she lets loose, chewing the scenery in a grandiose way, echoing Mrs. Danvers of Hitchcock's Best Picture-winning Rebecca.

The film is beautifully shot by Dan Laustsen, the Danish cinematographer making his second of three collaborations with del Toro following Mimic and just preceding his Oscar Nominated work in The Shape Of Water. Laustsen and del Toro blend the blinding white pervasive snow as the trio try to endure a harsh winter with the vibrant colors of the blood-red snow in the films climax.