The Devil's Backbone (2001)

Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone is a beautiful, haunting ghost story that suggests restless spirits aren't necessarily always intent on sending shivers up our spines, but perhaps attempting to communicate a message to the living in the hope of finding peace in the afterlife. Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, The Devil's Backbone focuses on an orphan named Carlos who encounters the ghost of Santi, a young boy who recently died during an attack. Once Carlos learns the truth behind Santi's passing, he makes a promise to avenge the boy's death. A meditation on the horror and atrocities of war, del Toro's dark tale effectively breathes life into the oft-tired genre of ghost stories.

Creepily atmospheric and haunting, The Devil's Backbone is both a potent ghost story and an intelligent political allegory.

During the Spanish Civil War, newly orphaned Carlos is taken to a school for the children of those who died fighting against fascism. He is given the bed that formerly belonged to Santi, a boy who recently...

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