Guillermo del Toro Movies
Guillermo del Toro movies aren’t ones you’d expect to enchant the typical cinephile. Full of monsters, demons, action, and effects, Guillermo del Toro movies lack a certain subtlety and rarely delve too deeply into a character’s psyche. They’re always thrillingly composed. His aesthetic style, the costumes, makeup, etc. are all unmistakable. And the themes of Guillermo del Toro movies are often consistent—the horrors of the present can be forgotten or escaped (at least on some level) with a little imagination.
Guillermo del Toro movies come many years apart. In the case of the gap between his last two films—Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Pacific Rim—that gap was spent working on The Hobbit movies, which he ultimately dropped and passed along to Peter Jackson. Guillermo del Toro has a longer list of upcoming projects than anyone else working today; one can’t help but wonder if the reason we don’t see so many Guillermo del Toro movies is because he’s always in a state of pre-production on something.
Guillermo del Toro movies are often influenced by historical events. Arguably his two most acclaimed films—Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone—use the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War to tremendous effect. But even the Hellboy films play with history in fun and unique ways.
Ultimately, it’s del Toro’s knack for making an ordinary story seem extraordinary—both thematically and visually—that sets him apart from most of his contemporaries. And even if he doesn’t finish everything that’s on his plate (it seems virtually impossible), it’s nice to know he’ll be putting forth his unique films for years and years to come.
Guillermo del Toro Movies
Cronos
An elderly antique dealer (Federico Luppi) gains possession of an ancient scarab-like device meant to grant its owner eternal life. But a dying rich man (Claudio Brook) and his thug of a nephew (Ron Perlman) will stop at nothing to claim it for themselves.
RATING: 
(1 viewing)
The anti-Twilight vampire movie. Cronos oozes atmosphere and tells a story that’s constantly surprising.
Mimic
A scientist (Mira Sorvino) engineers a breed of insect that kills cockroaches, but it evolves into something that might kill off another species—humans.
(0 viewings)
This isn’t a film I’d ordinarily have any interest in. Del Toro’s presence makes my ears perk up a bit, but obviously not enough to have watched it yet. Maybe soon.
The Devil’s Backbone
Near the end of the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s, a young boy is left at an orphanage where he encounters all sorts of horrors.
(0 viewings)
Been in my queue for ages. Thinking I might give the upcoming Criterion edition a blind buy. It sounds like it’d be right up my alley.
Blade II
Blade forms an uneasy alliance with the vampire council in order to combat the Reaper vampires who feed on vampires.
(0 viewings)
I had to steal this synopsis right from IMDb because I don’t know a lick about the character of Blade. Haven’t seen a single movie in the franchise. Not sure I intend to any time soon.
Hellboy
Though he’s born of black magic and by the hand of Nazis, a super-strong, red-faced demon (Ron Perlman) grows up defending the forces of good in the world from those of evil (both natural and supernatural).
RATING: 
(1 viewing)
The film that introduced me to Guillermo del Toro. I saw this right around the time I started to get into movies, and I thought it was a joke. Looked like the dumbest thing I’d ever seen, but the reviews were good, and I ended up having a really fun time with it. Haven’t watched it since, but it holds a special little place in my heart.
Pan’s Labyrinth
A young girl escapes to a fantastical world full of fawns, fairies, and monsters after moving in with her new stepfather, a sadistic Spanish army officer.
RATING:
(3 viewings)
The del Toro movie to end all del Toro movies. If it didn’t come out in 2006, it would have almost certainly been the number one film of its respective year. Though the violence is a little overwhelming, the movie packs an emotional punch no other on this list can touch.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy and his team must stop an evil elf from releasing an indestructible horde capable of wiping out all of mankind.
RATING:
(1 viewing)
It’s as fun as the first film, but the special effects take a big step forward.
Pacific Rim
Giant monsters fight giant robots with mankind’s survival hanging in the balance.
(0 viewing)
The more I see of this film, the less excited I am for it. Looks a little “Transformers-y” for my taste. But it’s Guillermo del Toro, so I’ll hold out hope.
More Director Spotlight posts:
Sofia Coppola Movies
Noah Baumbach Movies
Guillermo del Toro Movies
Nicolas Winding Refn Movies
Woody Allen Movies
Christopher Nolan Movies
Jeff Nichols Movies
Lee Daniels Movies
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