For lovers of horror, mystery, gore and the grotesque, Halloween is the best time of year. It’s when romance and comedy give way to marathons of disturbing and terrifying films.
To mark the day, beyond watching the genre classics, why not also try marathoning the films of Mexican writer/director Guillermo del Toro — “The Monster Maker,” a true lover of dark and disturbing fantasies?
Over the years, del Toro and his team of collaborators have created some of the most disturbing yet also surprisingly moving gothic horror films in existence. While his work does not fit into traditional horror or the slasher stereotype, no modern filmmaker has been more interested in monsters, the gothic, the macabre and the misunderstood. Del Toro’s body of work is a celebration of horror that transcends simple jump scares, opting to delve deeply into the supernatural to explore political and social themes and the cruelty and beauty of human nature.
Not sure where to start or what to watch again? Here are five spine-chilling del Toro options for you to stream. From “The Devil’s Backbone” to “Frankenstein,” each of the del Toro films we recommend offers a unique kind of horror that’s perfect for this time of year.
After directing “Cronos” and “Mimic,” del Toro embarked on the Spanish-Mexican coproduction, “El Espinazo del Diablo” (The Devil’s Backbone), a perfect combination of supernatural horror, historical drama and magical realism.
Set in an orphanage during the final days of the Spanish Civil War, the film tells the story of Carlos (Fernando Tielve), a 12-year-old orphan who soon discovers that his new home is haunted by the ghost of a boy who died under suspicious circumstances. Del Toro manages to offer us an evocative portrait of loss, pain, childhood trauma and human cruelty while creating a revealing metaphor for Franco’s Spain.
Considered the great precursor to “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Devil’s Backbone” is undoubtedly one of the director’s most personal films and an outstanding Spanish horror option to watch this Halloween.
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video, MUBI.
With three Academy Awards, a slew of international accolades and an impressive 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “El Laberinto del Fauno” (Pan’s Labyrinth) definitively launched Guillermo del Toro’s career.
This dark fairy tale, set in fascist Spain toward the end of its civil war, follows the young and dreamy Ofelia (Ivana Baquero). Her stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López), is on a bloody hunt for the last remaining groups of resistance fighters. In her attempt to escape her stepfather’s aggression and the environment around her of postwar oppression, Ofelia immerses herself in the wonders of her mind, where she soon finds herself wandering through a mythical labyrinth. There, she meets a disturbing faun, and the encounter marks the beginning of a journey filled with creatures, puzzles and challenges to overcome.
In essence, the film contrasts the cruel and grim world of the Spanish Civil War with the teenager’s fantasy world, highlighting how the imagination can serve as a refuge in times of great violence. Although it’s not a conventional horror film, its oppressive atmosphere and monsters — the Pale Man remains terrifying almost two decades later — make it another ideal alternative for this spooky season.
Stream on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video. Buy or rent on: Apple TV+.
Del Toro’s venture into gothic romance, “Crimson Peak,” centers on Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring writer who is dragged by her new husband, Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), to a gloomy and isolated English mansion where he lives with his sister. Throughout the film, Edith is tormented by ghosts who, at first, seem to want to harm her. Little by little, however, we discover that they actually are warning her about the sinister secrets of Thomas and his poisonous sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain). Caught between ancient vendettas and power games, Edith will have to fight with all her strength to preserve her life.
While on the surface it’s a scary story set in a haunted house amid specters, the film explores ideas about the ambiguity of monsters, the effects of unresolved trauma and the nature of evil. “Crimson Peak” leaves its indelible mark on viewers with its bold exploration of forbidden love and the “horrors committed in the name of love.” For those who don’t tolerate intense scares well, this delightfully gothic film could be an excellent viewing option.
Stream on: Netflix. Buy or rent on: Apple TV+, Google Play.
Winner of the Oscar for Best Picture and the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival, “The Shape of Water” is a tale of love and monsters, filmed with unquestionable beauty and delicacy.
In the early 1960s, in the midst of the Cold War, Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins), a lonely woman who is mute, spends her days cleaning a top-secret U.S. lab. Her routine is disrupted when she discovers a strange aquatic creature being mistreated by unscrupulous scientists and decides to do something about it.
“The Shape of Water” is a frankly strange and hypnotic masterpiece that’s worth watching on Halloween or whenever, especially for those who are passionate about unconventional stories.
Stream on: Netflix, Disney+. Buy or rent on: Amazon Video, Apple TV+, Google Play.
Described as a “beautiful gothic monument,” del Toro’s latest, “Frankenstein,” has caused a sensation among critics and viewers alike. This new adaptation — which you’ll have to find in the theaters if you want to see it this Halloween — interprets Mary Shelley’s iconic 1818 text as a story of abandonment and parental neglect. One of the film’s great successes is that it retains many of the sensibilities of the original material. The talented Oscar Isaac plays the eccentric scientist Victor Frankenstein, obsessed with defeating death, while a convincing Jacob Elordi plays his creation as a tormented soul struggling to be accepted and loved.
Earning effusive praise for its operatic spectacle, production design and psychological and emotional horror, “Frankenstein” is another must-see this Halloween.
Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” had a limited theatrical release on Oct. 17. It will premiere on Netflix on November 7.
Carolina Alvarado is a Venezuelan journalist and has devoted much of her career to creative writing, university teaching and social work. She has been published in Lady Science, Latina Media, Global Comment, Psiquide, Cinetopic, Get me Giddy and Reader’s Digest, among others.
