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The Devil's Backbone

Play trailer 2:05 Poster for The Devil's Backbone R 2001 1h 46m Mystery & Thriller Drama Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 120 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
After losing his father, 10-year-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) arrives at the Santa Lucia School, which shelters orphans of the Republican militia and politicians, and is taken in by the steely headmistress, Carmen (Marisa Paredes), and the kindly professor, Casares (Federico Luppi). Soon after his arrival, Carlos has a run-in with the violent caretaker, Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega). Gradually, Carlos uncovers the secrets of the school, including the youthful ghost that wanders the grounds.
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The Devil's Backbone

The Devil's Backbone

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Critics Consensus

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

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Critics Reviews

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Jami Bernard New York Daily News 10/14/2014
3/4
Guillermo Del Toro's The Devil's Backbone is a really cool ghost story with an extraordinary human and political dimension. Go to Full Review
Bruce Diones The New Yorker 10/07/2013
Del Toro's elegant pacing and gothic touches imbue the proceedings with a cool mystery. Go to Full Review
Joe Morgenstern Wall Street Journal 10/07/2013
It's a horror flick, and a creepily good one, that also functions as an allegory of the war that still haunts Spain seven decades later. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 12/05/2022
3/4
Fine performances, innovative effects, and the pointed backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. Go to Full Review
Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm 07/08/2022
3.5/4
Del Toro considers history, politics, and art through a gothically poetic lens... Go to Full Review
Ford Maddox Brown Starburst 07/24/2017
9/10
The Devil's Backbone truly is a masterful film, one rife with both symbolism and story. This is a poetic piece of cinema that manages to expose the horrors of war through the lens of fantasy. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jose N 4d Me gusta que aprovecha su atmósfera de terror y fantasmas para contar una historia mucho más profunda. Logra mostrar cómo la verdadera maldad proviene de los vivos y no de lo sobrenatural. Esa maldad afecta a un grupo de niños inocentes que, con su carisma, se roban la película. See more Christian K @ckacar Oct 31 GDT definitely has a talent and knack for directing children. This was solid throughout, the ghost elements really take a back seat though. See more Harrison D. @HarrisonD Oct 22 Del toro intertwines a ghost story with the backdrop of the Spanish civil war and doses so excellently. This film made me fall in love with his work. See more Robson C Sep 29 Durante a Guerra Civil Espanhola, Carlos, um órfão de 12 anos, é deixado no orfanato comandado por Carmen, que ajuda aos rebeldes. Lá, além do bullying por ser o novato, Carlos fica sabendo sobre um fantasma que aterroriza o local. Guillermo Del Toro faz aqui o que chegaria ao ápice em o Labirinto do Fauno: os horrores da guerra em contraponto ao dito sobrenatural. O filme tem um tom mais juvenil, lembrando o tom de obras literárias onde temos um protagonista órfão e a sua tentativa de ser aceito em um novo grupo, conquistando a todos aos poucos. O orfanato é assombrado, não só pela guerra e pelo fantasma, mas também com uma bomba lançada pela Força Aérea espanhola e não explodiu. Ela vira uma espécie de totem que não protege, como os dos nativos norte-americanos, mas para alertá-los do perigo iminente sempre. O filme tem bons efeitos visuais, tanto em CGI, como no sangue que sai da testa do fantasma, quanto práticos. O elenco é muito bom e dão o suporte necessário para que as verdadeiras estrelas brilhem. No caso, o elenco infantil, principalmente Fernando Tielve, como Carlos, e Íñigo Garcés, como Jaime. A Espinha do Diabo é um conto de terror que mostra que, muitas vezes, a realidade consegue ser mais cruel que o sobrenatural. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 4 Meant to scare me in 1 hour and 46 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Violence, Some Sexuality and Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Latin American Spanish and American English audio versions with American English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $754,700.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Mason M Mar 28 This was my second Guillermo del Toro film, my first one was Cronos, which I absolutely hated. But this film just blew me away. It's a haunting ensemble character study about war, but more about that feeling of being trapped on the outskirts, being a ghost, and this was one of the better depictions of that feeling I've seen on screen. The film had a great balance between thrilling sequences that had me on the edge of my seat, and heartbreaking relationships between characters. The photography was simply stunning, and the imagery was beautifully done. And the kids were great in the film, their performances and characters felt believable and like kids I could've really known. This was a simply amazing and heartbreaking film. See more Read all reviews
The Devil's Backbone

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Movie Info

Synopsis After losing his father, 10-year-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) arrives at the Santa Lucia School, which shelters orphans of the Republican militia and politicians, and is taken in by the steely headmistress, Carmen (Marisa Paredes), and the kindly professor, Casares (Federico Luppi). Soon after his arrival, Carlos has a run-in with the violent caretaker, Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega). Gradually, Carlos uncovers the secrets of the school, including the youthful ghost that wanders the grounds.
Director
Guillermo del Toro
Screenwriter
Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras, David Muñoz
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Good Machine, El Deseo S.A.
Rating
R (Violence|Some Sexuality|Language)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Horror
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 21, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 2, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$754.7K
Runtime
1h 46m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
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