Pan’s Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth was made in 2006, but it can still easily give most films made today a run for their money. Made by the brilliant Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro, this film is what you get when you dip Alice In Wonderland in a tar pit, pour grease all over it, and sprinkle it with dark magic.

A visually dazzling fairy tale set Franco-era Spain, you could say that Pan’s Labyrinth is a deeply political film, illustrating the boundaries and tolls of totalitarianism. Embedded in its DNA is del Toro’s ingenious and unmistakable brand of Gothic fantasy.

The year is 1944. Fascists have emerged victorious from the brutal civil war in Spain. We meet Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), who’s traveling with her mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil), to go live with her new stepfather, Vidal (Sergi Lopez), a Nationalist army captain.

Ofelia finally arrives at her new home, and there she realizes Vidal doesn’t care for her one bit, only the son her mother is carrying. Like all great tales, Pan’s Labyrinth is about many things: coming of age, womanhood, and a journey of overcoming evil. The level of filmmaking here is staggering, as is its visual palette.

At its core, though, is a story of survival and imagination.

Director: Guillermo del Toro – Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro – Cast: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López  – Run Time: – 1h 58m