5 Guillermo del Toro Movies That Are Masterpieces
Guillermo del Toro has been at it, as a filmmaker, for quite a while now, and he’s had his distinctive style right from the start, too. He didn’t kick off his feature filmmaking career with one of his absolute best movies, sure, but few people do. And also, his first feature film was Cronos, which was still pretty damn good and, perhaps most importantly, distinctively del Toro. It has some fantastical ideas that del Toro has also explored since, it had creature designs and sets in line with what he went on to do, and Ron Perlman is even in it, and that guy seems to show up pretty frequently throughout del Toro’s filmography. It was Guillermo del Toro’s second movie overall, Mimic, which was probably his weakest to date, but even then, it still has a little to offer as a sci-fi/horror/monster movie, and impresses visually, at the very least.
That one was released in 1997, and all future del Toro films came out post-2000. You honestly can’t go wrong with a movie made after 2000 that had Guillermo del Toro in the director’s chair. Not all of them are masterpieces, but some are good enough here to warrant honorable mentions, specifically: Blade II, Crimson Peak, Nightmare Alley, and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. To focus on those genuinely masterful movies he’s made, however, they’re outlined below. They’re empathetic, visually impressive, and technically incredible movies, and though they all lean into either the sci-fi or fantasy genre (or, to take a third option, maybe do a bit of both), they’re all pretty different from one another while still retaining a certain quality that makes them recognizable as del Toro films. And if you’re a filmmaker who wants to ride the line between being an auteur director and someone who has films with wide appeal, isn’t that exactly what you’d want to do with your work?
5
‘Pacific Rim’ (2013)
Since it’s a silly movie about giant robots being built to battle giant monsters that are trying to take over the world, some might be surprised to see the suggestion that Pacific Rim is a masterpiece. For sure, in the wrong hands, something like this could’ve been a real miss. In fact, if you want proof of that, look no further than Pacific Rim: Uprising, which wasn’t directed by Guillermo del Toro. At best, that sequel was mindless and borderline watchable, but at worst, it was kind of a slog, and it probably ended up feeling like more of a waste of time, considering the odd moments that were almost fun end up being rather forgettable. But del Toro understood the assignment, and the first Pacific Rim soars because he gets the tone just right throughout.
It’s not quite self-aware, and it’s not like a secret parody or anything, but there’s a sincerity to the ridiculousness that makes Pacific Rim oddly endearing, all the while also being over-the-top enough at certain points to be funny. But you feel like you’re laughing with the movie, rather than laughing at the movie, so it works, and all the big moments – and the emotional reactions attached to them – feel intentional and well-earned. The childish logic of the film is one of its assets, rather than something detrimental, and the action is honestly pretty spectacular throughout. It’s an all-around good time, and if that’s not enough, Idris Elba makes a big impassioned speech about canceling the apocalypse, which is worth the price of admission alone. Even though you’ll probably stream it, so there’s no price of admission. Um, it’s worth… your monthly streaming service bill alone? That doesn’t have the same ring to it. Not the Specific Ring needed.
4
‘The Shape of Water’ (2017)
To date, The Shape of Water is the only Guillermo del Toro movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars, and though it might not quite be his best film, it’s certainly a contender. It’s also his most romance-heavy movie, being about a mute woman falling in love with some sort of half-man, half-fish creature being held – and experimented on – at the laboratory she works at. And, as was the case with Pacific Rim, that’s a potentially head-scratching premise that ends up working thanks to the execution, as it’s ultimately quite surprising how moving the film as a whole is. The Shape of Water is also fairly grounded, beyond the fantastical elements, seeing as it takes place during the Cold War and recreates the early ’60s rather well.
It is technically a monster movie, which is on brand for del Toro, but The Shape of Water is certainly going for something a little less expected emotionally than any of his other sci-fi/fantasy movies made before 2017. It’s a strange yet approachable story told in a clean and easy-to-appreciate way, and the sort of thing that feels a bit effortless in the moment, though upon reflection, it’s clear to see the numerous ways a movie like this could’ve gone wrong. And because of all that, maybe words can only go so far in praising The Shape of Water, and explaining what makes it great, but that’s okay. It’s a movie that’s better felt than talked about or broken down analytically (even if you can go there too, if you so desire).
3
‘Hellboy II: The Golden Army’ (2008)
Hellboy came out in 2004, right around the time that superhero movies were on the rise. That year also saw the releases of The Incredibles and Spider-Man 2, which were admittedly better, and perhaps understandably stole the spotlight a little from the still-interesting, yet somewhat flawed, Hellboy. But del Toro got another chance at making a Hellboy movie four years later, and improved upon the first in just about every way, since Hellboy II: The Golden Army is excellent, and maybe what the first movie kind of should’ve been. The only problem was that 2008 was an even bigger year for superhero movies, seeing as The Dark Knight came out that year, and so did the first movie in what became the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Iron Man.
It would’ve been amazing if Hellboy II: The Golden Army had gotten a little more love, especially because it sets up what could’ve been an interesting third movie.
It’s hard not to see both del Toro’s Hellboy movies as scrappy underdogs, as a result, but it would’ve been amazing if Hellboy II: The Golden Army had gotten a little more love, especially because it sets up what could’ve been an interesting third movie that never came to fruition. But as it stands, this is still very entertaining stuff, overflowing with ideas and creativity, and undeniably successful at making you feel as though you’re viewing a comic book that’s come to life on the big screen. Del Toro hasn’t made a movie based on a comic book character since, but even if he never does again, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a pretty great (albeit slightly abrupt) note to bow out on. It really might be one of the most underrated comic book/superhero films ever made.
2
‘The Devil’s Backbone’ (2001)
While The Devil’s Backbone has a shot at being considered Guillermo del Toro’s greatest movie overall (your mileage may vary), one thing that’s probably easy to agree on is that it’s the filmmaker’s scariest movie overall. This is up there among the best horror movies of its decade, and it saw del Toro channeling all the promising things found in Cronos and Mimic into one genuinely great movie, making The Devil’s Backbone his earliest masterpiece (or something close to it). The premise here is simple, too, being about a boy’s experience in a potentially haunted orphanage right at the end of the Spanish Civil War.
With the historical setting, del Toro is able to explore certain political and social issues, similarly to what he did in parts of The Shape of Water, and also comparable to what he did in his best movie (more on that in a sec). The Devil’s Backbone manages to be scary and deeply upsetting in equal measure, making it one of the more harrowing and hard-to-forget supernatural/ghost-related horror films out there. It’s not always a fun film, but it is an expertly made and undeniably impactful one, worth recommending to both fans of horror and people who might not ordinarily watch too many horror movies.
1
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)
An all-time great fantasy movie that’s also more than a fantasy movie, Pan’s Labyrinth is the best Guillermo del Toro film, and the one – you’d think – the fewest people would object to being called a masterpiece. It works as a spiritual sequel of sorts to The Devil’s Backbone, though here, the focus is on a young girl rather than a young boy, and the story takes place a few years after the end of the Spanish Civil War, rather than in the final year of the conflict.
But Pan’s Labyrinth does still function as a war movie of sorts, and an undeniably great one, working in that genre as well as it does when judged as a fantasy movie. It’s all about monsters both fantastical and unnervingly real, and the way that fairy tales – even the dark ones – can offer some kind of relief from a harsh and uncaring world. That’s all to say that, like The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth is also quite grim, but it’s as overwhelmingly dark or horror-focused as that 2001 film. And that’s okay, because it’s not really going for a horror thing, outside the infamous Pale Man scene at least. What it wants to be, it succeeds in being and then some, to the point where, yeah, it’s one of the best movies of all time. It’s easy to get carried away and throw that term around a lot, but it checks out for Pan’s Labyrinth which, in turn, ensures it’s easy to call it del Toro’s most masterful film.
