Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Pjtaylor-96-138044 The central ghost has essentially no bearing on the plot and might as well not be in the flick for all the good it does the narrative, but 'The Devil's Backbone (2001)' isn't really about devils, spirits or backbones of any kind. It actually tackles the usual Guillermo Del Toro themes of man being the biggest monster of all and childhood innocence lost too soon, set to the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War which, while not as lavishly recreated as in 'Pan's Labyrinth (2006)', provides a tangible and rich tapestry for this melancholic tale to be set against and introduces some nice allegoric elements, to boot. The flick is a methodical and character-driven tale of the escalating troubles in an orphanage, with the trademark, but ever-so-slightly neutered, 'shocking violence' that the director has come to be known by exploding onto the screen in its latter half to take it in an entirely unexpected direction. It is the atmosphere that really excels, above even the nicely knitted plot, because it is this that allows the rather predictable turns for each character to feel rooted in a real world and have a lasting impact on the audience. 7/10

bandito Watch it in Spanish wt subs! His best movie. great cast and story. better then Pan. thanks.

Miguel Neto Guillermo Del Toro, known for two Hellboy films, and excellent el laberinto del fauno, The Devil's Backbone is one of your first film, and he already showed enough talent in direction, even not being a movie that I thought great, just OK, the cast is good, all the actors are good in their roles, even without any spectacular performance, the somber tone works well, the picture is very good, not scare movie, I do not consider it a horror movie, but thriller, the soundtrack of the movie is OK, it had moments that I did not even notice it, the Devil's Backbone is a watchable movie, not this among the best of Del Toro, most surely already showed how he would have a great future. Note 7.2

mikey undead This is a beautifully shot haunting film about a boy in a haunted orphanage during the Spainish civil war.This film has a great creepy atmosphere but it is more a drama with horror elements than a straight up horror film which I think can lead to some people being initially disappointed but if you know what you're going into I'm sure you'd appreciate how great this film is.The acting is great, same with the visuals especially the look of Santi and there quite a few memorable scenes that will stick with you.This film is highly recommended.8/10