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The Devil's Backbone
User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 1 out of 20

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  1. BillS.
    Apr 13, 2006
    9
    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.
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  2. ChadS.
    Aug 19, 2004
    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. … Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. GaborA.
    Sep 27, 2004
    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.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. Jacintha
    Nov 16, 2002
    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.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. Richard
    Jul 15, 2002
    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.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. RicardoR.
    May 12, 2004
    9
    Very well done, not the stupid plot about ghosts.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. ERG1008
    Sep 3, 2010
    7
    Ghost story set in a school/orphanage during the Spanish Civil War. As you'd expect with del Toro, it's beautifully shot & almost fairytale like. Eerie & brutal in parts & certainly much better than the over-rated Pan's Labyrinth. Some bits reminded me of the first Silent Hill game back on the PS1.
  8. Halfwelshman
    Mar 18, 2012
    8
    The Devil's Backbone is a thematically rich, extremely well-performed and spooky ghost story. The film keeps you engaged throughout, and its very easy to get involved with, and to care about the characters. Fernando Tielve's Carlos makes for a decent protagonist, Inigo Garces' Jaime, Eduardo Noriega's Jacinto and Marisa Paredes' Carmen are all complex, well-developed characters. Federico Luppi is also great as the story's narrator and philosophical anchor, Dr Casares. Like all good tales of horror, the real scares are not to be found in the on-screen chills (of which there are many) but in what the creepy imagery represents. Yes, the film is about a ghost haunting an orphanage, but really it's about loss of innocence, the futility and horrors of war and the lives it ruins. Though writer/director Guillermo del Toro is Mexican, the subject of his film, the Spanish Civil War, is clearly very personal to him. This can be seen especially when the film is viewed as only one half of a bigger idea (del Toro has stated that he sees the film as a sibling film to Pan's Labyrinth, and this is easy to see with both films using the Spanish Civil War to comment on the brutality of the real world, one through horror and the other through fantasy). The only real drawback to the film (speaking from an English-speaking perspective) is the clunky, out-of-sync English subtitles that appear to be attached to all non-Spanish releases of the film. I can understand del Toro's apparent frustration, and his decision to personally oversee the translation of his next Spanish-language project, Pan's Labyrinth - the subtitles are jarring, distracting, and bordering on annoying. Luckily, when a film is this rich and multi-faceted, even such a major drawback does not work to the utter detriment of the viewing experience as a whole. The Devil's Backbone remains a thoughtful, memorable human drama with a consistent creepy atmosphere and some incredibly dark thematic subtext. It's a great film on its own terms, but when viewed along with its "sister" piece Pan's Labyrinth its nothing short of superb.… Expand
  9. bigbossluna
    Jan 30, 2012
    9
    So good. Not that scary but doesn't matter because is one of the greatest stories ever told. It has the greatest characters in a scary movie (more of a fable). Interesting in so many ways.
  10. RegOz
    Feb 9, 2012
    8
    This is a great movie! Engaging, rich in symbolism, frightful and clever, this movie does not rely in gore to create an intense feeling of mystery and anxiety. Eduardo Noriega's performance deserves applauses. The 'ghosts' here are not such, at least not in the stereotypical 'ghost film'. The Devil's Backbone has a great script, powerful scenes, and manages to be thrilling without the need to recur to tasteless and extreme resources. Moreover, this film, has the perfect balance, because it manages to create tension with the idea of the 'unknown' and delves into the dark side of human nature; yet, the the Devil's Backbone doesn't lack the emotional element for it is unfolded during the whole movie.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    91
    del Toro builds excitement, dread, and melodrama in equal layers.
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  2. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    75
    After a leisurely first half, The Devil's Backbone becomes utterly spellbinding, its tension mounting in steady increments, its story taking one dark turn after another, and its bittersweet resolution destined to haunt you long after you've left the theater.
  3. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: F. X. Feeney
    90
    Here is a ghost story so dynamic you could call it a ghost poem.
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