The Devil’s Backbone
| Year: | 2001 |
| Director: | Guillermo Del Toro |
| Writer: | Guillermo Del Toro |
| Cast: | Eduardo Noriega |
Just before Del Toro hit the big time in the mainstream, he gave us this neat, tight little ghost story/thriller.
A young boy finds himself at a caring but strict boarding school in rural Spain as WWII descends. It's all very innocuous, except for the ghost said to haunt the dark basement off the kitchens of the school.
It's creepy rather than outright scary as the hero and his small group of friends try to get to the bottom of the mystery, and try to stay out of the way of the nasty school caretaker at the same time.
A solid story with a satisfying ending garnered with a twist, it's much higher quality than the studio-friendly fare Del Toro manages when he works in US blockbuster circles.
A young boy finds himself at a caring but strict boarding school in rural Spain as WWII descends. It's all very innocuous, except for the ghost said to haunt the dark basement off the kitchens of the school.
It's creepy rather than outright scary as the hero and his small group of friends try to get to the bottom of the mystery, and try to stay out of the way of the nasty school caretaker at the same time.
A solid story with a satisfying ending garnered with a twist, it's much higher quality than the studio-friendly fare Del Toro manages when he works in US blockbuster circles.