Day 15 of our horror movie marathon, and up today is the absolutely brilliant 2001 ghost story from director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Cronos), The Devil’s Backbone. The movie is set during the Spanish Civil War. 10 year old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) arrives at an orphanage run by Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi) and his assistant, Carmen (Marisa Paredes). Carlos meets the other kids, must deal with the resident bully, Jaime (Inigo Garces), but soon learns who he really needs to fear- the volatile Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega). Carlos learns that the orphanage holds some dark secrets, including a resident ghost (Junio Valverde). He also learns that sometimes there is more to fear from the living instead of the dead.
The Devil’s Backbone is more than just a simple horror movie. While the ghost remains at its core, it is also a coming of age drama and a tale of violence and greed. The horrors of the war are always present in the stark reminder of an unexploded bomb in the orphanage’s courtyard. The details about the ghost are fed to us over the course of the movie, and much like del Toro’s Crimson Peak, we learn that the dark side of humanity holds more evil and is something more to be feared than a supernatural entity. The characters are all well defined. The group of boys are all very believable and interact in a realistic way, with no one over the top. Noriega’s Jacinto comes across as a truly menacing villain. The doctor and Carmen, as well as the young woman who helps them, Conchita (Irene Visedo), are all likeable and sympathetic characters. An incredible act of violence proves to be shocking, the reasons behind it chilling. It all wraps up with an incredibly satisfying ending, with the final voice over and image leaving a nice chill on the back of your neck as the credits roll. Available on both DVD and Blu-ray, this film is a masterpiece, and deserves to be in any movie collection. 10/10 stars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90o1YhN0vHY
