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The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del diablo) (2000)

tomatometer

91

Average Rating: 7.5/10
Reviews Counted: 106
Fresh: 96 | Rotten: 10

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

93

Average Rating: 7.5/10
Critic Reviews: 29
Fresh: 27 | Rotten: 2

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

audience

87

liked it
Average Rating: 3.9/5
User Ratings: 32,691

My Rating

Movie Info

Guillermo del Toro, who quickly became one of the most talked-about directors in contemporary horror films with his first two features, Chronos and Mimic, takes on a more subtle tale of terror with this psychological suspense piece. Casares (Federico Luppi) and Carmen (Marisa Paredes) operate a small home for orphans in a remote part of Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Helping the couple mind the orphanage are Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), the groundskeeper, and Conchita (Irene Visedo), a

Jun 25, 2002

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Cast

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All Critics (106) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (97) | Rotten (10) | DVD (19)

Though it fails in its final reels to capitalize on its early promise, pic is still stylish, accomplished and tremendously enjoyable fare.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

An entertaining and atmospheric revenge tale.

September 24, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
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If only for its technical aspects, this would rate as a pleasurably superior supernatural psychological thriller, with polished but subtle special effects, painterly, atmospheric cinematography and vivid performances.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
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A well-crafted, white-knuckle cinematic journey.

July 20, 2002 Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
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[Del Toro] finds real substance in shadows and whispers, in the terrors that reside at the back of the mind.

July 10, 2002 Full Review Source: Toronto Star
Toronto Star
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The chills and suspense and graphic violence are leavened with the horror that comes from knowing the victims -- and knowing they are undeserving of their fate.

February 7, 2002
Orlando Sentinel
Top Critic IconTop Critic

...a hopelessly erratic piece of work.

January 15, 2013 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews
Reel Film Reviews

Blending terror with tenderness, Guillermo Del Toro has crafted something both traditional and original: a sun-kissed gothic horror.

October 8, 2012 Full Review Source: Total Film
Total Film

It's a schoolboy ghost story, the kind best told after lights-out.

May 4, 2010 Full Review Source: East Bay Express
East Bay Express

Besides being genuinely creepy, it is also surprisingly moving. It is, quite probably ... the saddest horror movie ever made.

July 14, 2008 Full Review Source: Cinefantastique
Cinefantastique

Calling The Devil's Backbone a ghost story is an unfair simplification of an exquisitely crafted film... If you must label this film as horror, then it's a horror film with a soul.

July 10, 2008 Full Review Source: KPBS.org
KPBS.org

A weirdly poetic film.

April 2, 2008 Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Beautifully filmed, written and acted.

December 27, 2007 Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound
Big Picture Big Sound

It's a striking film and further good news for the Spanish cinema, too few of whose films open here.

September 24, 2007 Full Review Source: Observer [UK]
Observer [UK]

A finely acted, atmospheric period piece with a strong streak of mystery and the supernatural. Both chilling and rewarding.

September 24, 2007 Full Review Source: Film4
Film4

So much better than Del Toro's studio efforts, with a masterful command of sound and and colour that is breathtaking.

December 30, 2006 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine
Empire Magazine

A treasure of artistic elements and genres synthesized together in a flawless cohesion of cinematic and visual poetry.

July 22, 2005 Full Review

Not exactly and improvement over the original Devil's Backbone DVD, so this one is purely for Guillermo del Toro completists.

July 14, 2004 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine

A freakshow royale.

July 4, 2004 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com
Filmcritic.com

A visually appealing daylight ghost story...

March 24, 2003 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Makes the mistake of revealing too much too soon . . . however, the film excels in most other areas.

March 19, 2003 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com
eFilmCritic.com

[An] elegant, spooky story.

March 10, 2003 Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle
Austin Chronicle

Atmospheric in detail, the film's visuals are its strongest point.

February 13, 2003 Full Review Source: RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)

Audience Reviews for The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del diablo)

Fantastic ghost story, brooding and menacing, always tense and brilliantly acted.
March 2, 2007
stuartb1234

Super Reviewer

Guillermo del Toro's third time in the director's chair sees him making a supernatural spook story set during the Spanish Civil War. Though there are some chills and scares, it's more of a subtle horror, with the supernatural playing a part, but the human element being the main focus. In a lot of ways, this is just a dry run for Pan's Labyrinth, just not as polished or fully realized.

Don't get me wrong: this is very well made, and it looks great and is enjoyable, but it really just felt like a stepping stone to me, and not really as special as many feel it is.
February 5, 2011
cosmo313
Chris Weber

Super Reviewer

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Latest News on The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del diablo)

November 14, 2008:
Five Favorite Films with Guillermo del Toro
RT caught up with Hellboy II director Guillermo del Toro at the DVD/Blu-ray Launch Event for Hellboy...

July 13, 2008:
Guillermo del Toro - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview
We have an extended chat with the director of Cronos, Pan's Labyrinth and this week's Hellboy II to...

April 10, 2007:
Del Toro Talks "Hellboy 2" and Other New Projects
Genre master Guillermo del Toro is presently in Budapest, hard at work on pre-production for...

Foreign Titles

  • The Devil's Backbone (DE)
  • The Devil's Backbone (UK)
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