When we all think or talk about modern dark fantasy cinema, there are only few names stand out like director Guillermo del Toro. His work and his ideal of storytelling has always drawn all the fans and audiences into worlds that feel both familiar, yet unknowingly mythical.
Across his career, we have seen del Toro exploring the way innocence survives in these brutal worlds. So, here are five films that stood out remarkably, according to all the fans of him.
5. The Shape of Water (2017) – IMDb 7.3
In this romantic fantasy, movie we see a mute woman forming a bond with a mysterious amphibious creature that is held captive by the government. What could have been a monster movie turns out to be a tender love story about acceptance and freedom.
4. The Devil’s Backbone (2001) – IMDb 7.4
Before the creation of Pan’s Labyrinth, del Toro gave us The Devil’s Backbone, which is a story about a ghost that is set in a Spanish orphanage during wartime. The film is known to utilize the supernatural, which is not technically a horror element, but does mirror human cruelty.
3. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) – IMDb 7.6
Unlike traditional adaptations that we have seen since we were kids, his version of Pinocchio shows us the story of Mussolini’s Italy, tying the puppet’s journey to themes of obedience, grief, and identify of individuality. Del Toro employs the art of stop-motion animation to imbue every frame with texture and life, evoking the imperfections of wood, loss, and love.
2. Frankenstein (2025) – IMDb 7.8
Del Toro’s long-awaited Frankenstein is said to reimagine Mary Shelley’s classic through his own visual storytelling. The movie is set to focus on loneliness than focusing on terror. With his signature gothic tone and emotional weight, del Toro is said to turn this familiar story into a reflection on how we define humanity and who deserves compassion.
1. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – IMDb 8.2
This is said to be one of the most detailed and remarkable work of him. The story is set in post-Civil War Spain, where we see young Ofelia escaping into a mysterious labyrinth ruled by ancient creatures. The film beautifully balances harsh reality with fantasy, by illustrating how imagination serves as a refuge during violent times. The beauty and the creation of the faun, the Pale Man, and the labyrinth itself are all reflections of a child that is trying to survive under tyranny.
