Our take
Pan’s Labyrinth is often considered director Guillermo Del Toro’s best film, and rightfully so. But if you’re looking for a straight-up ghost story, this is the film that gets the job done. Everything about this film is sad and beautiful and unnerving, from the setting (an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War) to the atmospheric visuals.
The story
Spain, 1939. In the last days of the Spanish Civil War, the young Carlos arrives at the Santa Lucía orphanage, where he will make friends and enemies as he follows the quiet footsteps of a mysterious presence eager for revenge.
Elsewhere
"Del Toro's elegant pacing and gothic touches imbue the proceedings with a cool mystery."
— Bruce Diones
"[Del Toro] understands how war can bring out the strangeness in people's perceptions; fear, as the patriarch played by Federico Luppi says, makes you see things."
— Peter Rainer
Who picked it
Tara Goe is a contributing writer at A Good Movie to Watch, reviewing films and shows across the major streaming services. Her work helps readers find overlooked titles worth their time.
