One of the most renowned directors of the past two decades, Guillermo Del Toro is set to receive another award for his already burgeoning trophy cabinet.
On March 4th, Del Toro is set to receive the Gene Kelly Visionary Award at the Advanced Imaging Society’s 12th Lumiere Awards.
With this in mind, and fresh off the back of his latest success, Nightmare Alley, let's take a look at five Del Toro movies to stream over the weekend.
The Devils Backbone, 2001
Perhaps not Del Toro's most well-known credit, but certainly one of his most underrated.
This Spanish language thriller will have you sitting on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Set in an isolated orphanage with the Spanish Civil War looming in the background, new arrival Carlos, played by Fernando Tielve discovers that the orphanage is haunted and endeavors to discover more, uncovering some hidden skeletons along the way.
Once you've got enough pillows to hide behind, The Devil's Backbone can be rented or bought on YouTube.
The Shape of Water, 2017
Not your run-of-the-mill true love story, The Shape of Water is more Beauty and the Beast than The Notebook.
Depicting the growing love between a mute janitor at a scientific research facility and an amphibious/humanoid creature, the subject of the facility's experiments, The Shape of Water is as aesthetically pleasing to watch as it is strange to describe.
Often feeling more like a carefully choreographed dance than a movie, Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones are exceptional as the leads in this multiple award-winning Del Toro classic.
Turn the lights down, and the speakers up, this is meant to be heard as much as watched. The Shape of Water can be streamed via subscription on Hulu.
Pan's Labyrinth, 2006
If you've ever dreamed of yourself as the princess of a hidden, fantastical world filled with magical creatures - then this is the movie for you.
Based once more in war-torn Spain - this time the Second World War - Pan's Labyrinth follows Ofelia, played by Ivana Baquero, as she looks to escape her troubled life and her domineering stepfather.
Teamed with some unforgettably imaginative prosthetics, Pan's Labyrinth is an imaginative and, at times, hauntingly beautiful take on the 'princess-to-be finding her way to the throne' trope we've all seen 100 times before.
If you're looking to find your way through the labyrinth, Pan's Labyrinth can be rented on Amazon Prime Video.
Crimson Peak, 2015
A Giallo-Esque horror, Crimson Peak is neither coy in showing gruesome deaths, nor in spilling more than its fair share of blood.
After Mia Wasikowska's Edith falls for the handsome outsider Thomas, played by Tom Hiddlestone, the two venture to Thomas' ancestral home to start a life together - a life that isn't quite the fairytale romance Edith may have had in mind.
Edith's ability to see ghosts comes back to haunt her in this true one-of-a-kind home that itself appears to bleed crimson red. Nothing is quite what it seems in this heavily stylized Victorian gothic romance.
Crimson Peak can be found hiding its secrets via subscription on Netflix.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, 2019
Produced and co-written by Del Toro, this adaptation of Alvin Schwartz' children's book series is an excellent introduction to the horror genre for younger viewers.
Set on Halloween in 1968, this depicts a group of teenagers who decide to visit an abandoned house believed to be haunted, where they discover a book full of stories written by an unknown author. But, upon reading this book, one by one the stories come to life and terrorize the town and this group of friends, who take it upon themselves to fix their mistake and stop the stories from coming to fruition.
This film is an entertaining and imaginative horror. The impressive prosthetics and special effects play a key part in bringing this book series to life.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark can be found lurking the pages of Netflix.
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