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12 Rounds Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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$9.99 Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Devil's Backbone, The
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MPAA RATING: R for violence, language and some sexuality
Starring Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve, and Íñigo Garcés
A ghost story set in a Catholic orphanage during the Spanish Civil War.
| GENRE(S): | Suspense/Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY: |
Guillermo del Toro
Antonio Trashorras David Muñoz |
| DIRECTED BY: | Guillermo del Toro |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: June 25, 2002 Video: June 25, 2002 Theatrical: November 21, 2001 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 106 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | Mexico / Spain |
| LANGUAGE(S): | Spanish (with English subtitles) |
Original Spanish title "El Espinazo del Diablo"
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Bill S. gave it a9:
An atmospheric wonder of a film. Del Toro uses horror to enhance the film, rather than making it the film. The characters are engaging, and the symbolism is rich. One in a recent line of smart horror films (Sixth Sense, The Others) that hopefully signals a resurgence of an almost lost genre. Buy this, don't rent it.
Gabor A. gave it an 8:
A ray of light in the dark abyss that is the horror genre. Like the sixth sense this movie focuses on character more than anything. Combine that with a unique plot, great directing, and a heart stopping finale makes this one of the best films to ever emerge from the horror genre or any other genre as well.
Chad S. gave it a 6:
As the orphans whittle away their sticks in order to overpower their capturer with spears, it hits you that "The Devil's Backbone" could be a Disney film, had the orphans been plucky, and the villain not some benign threat to their welfare. In "101 Dalmatians", Cruella de Vil and her henchmen were never going to hurt the puppies. But the unwritten taboo is broken in "The Devil's Backbone", a purportedly sophisticated film that also has the base mentality of a slasher pic in how women are punished for desiring sex. Aesthetically, the talented Guillermo del Toro has crafted an intriguing ghost story that obliquely quotes Alejandro Jodorowsky's "Santa Sangre"(a pool of water, the missing appendage of a woman), and "The Sixth Sense"(a ghost that needs help), and maybe, "Map of the Human Heart" (that baby in the jar of alcohol is a map of sorts, and the war backdrop). It's a smart film, with a smarter metaphor than the red doorknob in M. Night Shyamalan's masterpiece. Indoor fireworks are more explosive than the outdoor kind is how we translate the key del Toro visual. For all that's right about the plotting and tone of "The Devil's Backbone", there's something diabolical about killing women, old people, and children, to be ironic. These people live in a war setting, but die at war with themselves. This bit of cleverness left me cold, perhaps, because there are so many cold bodies.
Ricardo R. gave it a 9:
Very well done, not the stupid plot about ghosts.
Jacintha gave it an 8:
Beautiful! Well acted, well filmed...if anything, i wish it could been longer, could have gone more into depth about Jacinto. And other than him, there were no "bad guys." But excellent nonetheless.
Richard gave it a 6:
Not really scary, but sad like most ghost stories. The payoff may not be worth the investment if you're looking for "Boo!"-type scares.
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