[Movies] Guillermo del Toro's works recommended for monster fans

Have you seen any of Guillermo del Toro's work? He has directed, written and produced many films, including "Pan's Labyrinth."

His style is very unique. Some of his works are shocking, grotesque, and very stimulating, so many of his works are not recommended for everyone. However, the art, design, and creature shapes are very wonderful, and many people have become fans of his work because of his worldview.

I realized that there are many films by del Toro that appeal to fans of monsters and other spirits. So, from the perspective of "recommended films for fans of monsters and spirits," I would like to introduce some recommended films from among the works directed and produced by Guillermo del Toro.

*This time, we are recommending it to those who like monsters and ghosts. Del Toro has also worked on "Pacific Rim," but we will not be covering that one this time. For the same reason, there are many popular works that we do not recommend this time. Thank you for your understanding.

Reasons why I recommend Guillermo del Toro's films

Guillermo del Toro was born in Mexico in 1964. He was interested in movies and initially studied special effects makeup. He gradually became involved in movies and began directing his own films at the age of 29.

Reason for recommendation: 1. He majored in special effects makeup

Del Toro studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico's Film School, and later studied under Dick Smith, who worked on the special effects makeup for films such as "The Exorcist." Dick Smith was in charge of not only horror and creature effects, but also realistic special effects such as aging and dirt.

Del Toro learned his craft under Smith, and after returning to Japan, he started a company specializing in special effects makeup and modeling. It is no exaggeration to say that the special effects makeup and modeling in his works are so appealing to creature lovers thanks to this experience.

Reason #2: The most "nerdy" Hollywood movie

Del Toro is no secret: he's a huge otaku. He's very interested in Japanese culture and the Cthulhu mythos, and apparently has a strong collecting habit.

Some of his works are so amazing that they have won Academy Awards, while others are so over the top with otaku hobbies that they were not well received by the general audience. Many of his works pay homage to these cultures, and I suspect that this tendency is the reason why he is so popular with otaku.

Reason #3: Del Toro likes Japanese films

Director del Toro is heavily influenced by Japanese anime and special effects. He cites Mamoru Oshii as someone he respects, and has stated that "Mobile Police Patlabor" in particular was a major influence on "Pacific Rim."

Other influences include Eiji Tsuburaya, Go Nagai, Katsuhiro Otomo, Yumiko Kokonoe, and the works of Studio Ghibli.

Director del Toro has often shown his collection, which includes many materials related to the Japanese occult and pop culture, such as those by Yakumo Koizumi, Shigeru Mizuki, and Hideyuki Kikuchi. His collection also includes illustrations by Junji Ito of creatures from del Toro's works, including the Pale Man from Pan's Labyrinth.

Director del Toro is one of the most self-described Japanophiles in the Hollywood film industry, and it is very pleasing for Japanese fans to be able to sense his strong love for Japanese works in this way.

Recommended film: The Devil's Backbone (2001)

A Spanish film produced in 2001. The original title is "El Espinazo del Diablo (The Devil's Spine)". It won the 16th Goya Award and other awards in Spain and abroad.

Synopsis

The story is set in 1939, nearing the end of the Spanish Civil War. A boy named Carlos loses his parents and is brought to the Santa Lucia orphanage. Carlos witnesses the ghost of a boy there. The orphanage is abandoned with unexploded bombs buried in the courtyard, and the orphanage staff are all eccentric.

Recommended points (no spoilers)

This film is one of director Del Toro's styles, which is the fusion of gothic romance and war stories. Although it is not flashy, it is made with great attention to detail and the visual beauty is very beautiful. The ghost boy has a terrifying appearance, but the clearly alien orphanage, the tense atmosphere of war, and the beautiful scenery make the horror of this story stand out even more.

My personal opinion

Stories about children being sacrificed are sad after all. There were many scenes about war, but also scenes at the orphanage were very sad. It's called a horror movie, but I don't think there are many horror elements.

I really like the atmosphere. I think the story is very well thought out. The ghost Santi is a mixture of the scary ghost and the cute boyish charm, which makes the sadness even more pronounced.

Anyway, the main character, Carlos, was so helpless from the beginning that it was painful. Then, from the middle of the story, the situation at the orphanage changed drastically and the story unfolded in a dramatic way. At first, you feel like all the characters are crazy! But gradually their humanity is revealed, which makes you feel sad instead.

Recommended Movie: Hellboy (2004)

An American film made in 2004. It is a film adaptation of the American comic book "Hellboy" by Mike Mignola. Ron Perlman plays Hellboy.

Synopsis

In 1944, as the end of World War II was in sight, Rasputin summoned the demon Hellboy to the underworld. Hellboy, who was a baby, was raised by Dr. Bloom, a paranormal scholar. Sixty years later, Hellboy was fighting supernatural beings as an agent of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BRPD).

Recommended points (no spoilers)

The film features an unusual setting in which the main character, who fights against demons, is himself a demon. In addition to Hellboy, other characters with special abilities, such as Liz, a woman with the ability to generate fire, and Abe, a half-fishman with psychometry, team up to fight monsters. The visuals are very catchy. The world is a dark fantasy typical of Del Toro, and the quality of the action and special effects is excellent.

My personal opinion

Hellboy is a demon, but he has a certain human-like quality, he loves cats, and he's rugged and muscle-bound. His enemies Rasputin and the remnants of the Nazis are also very interesting. I was left feeling a bit disappointed that I wanted to see a battle scene that made use of the powers of supernaturals like Abe and Liz. I thought Liz's ability to start fires would have been really impressive visually...

"Hellboy" is followed by the sequel "The Golden Army". It's a story about fighting an enemy that wants to "exterminate humanity" (is that too brief?). The darkly designed elves are really cool. To be honest, I prefer this version of The Golden Army, so if you feel that the first one is lacking, I recommend you watch this one too.

And in 2019, a reboot of Hellboy was produced and released. The 2019 version has evolved a lot in terms of SFX and the story is crazy. It might be better to see it as something separate from the 2004 and Golden Army versions (Del Toro wasn't involved).

Recommended film: Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

A 2006 Mexican, Spanish and American fantasy film. It was released in Japan on October 6, 2007. It is rated PG12.

Synopsis

During the Spanish Civil War, Ofelia, a young girl who lost her father, is taken in by Captain Vidal along with her pregnant mother. Captain Vidal is a key figure in the dictatorship and has repeatedly suppressed the resistance. The lonely Ofelia gradually becomes drawn into the world of fairies and fairy tales. One night, a fairy appears before Ofelia and leads her to a labyrinth deep in the forest.

Recommended points (no spoilers)

Pan: The guardian of the labyrinth. He tells Ophelia, "You are the princess of the underground kingdom, so you must pass the test."

Pale Man: It has a huge impact.

It is said that the motif is the "hand eyes" of a yokai monster.

I'd like to write a review with spoilers for this next time, is that okay?

My personal opinion

This is, without a doubt, one of Del Toro's masterpieces. I love this movie so much that I'll keep it short to avoid giving away too much of it.

The best thing about this movie is that it is a fusion of dark fantasy and a war story. Of course, the fantasy world centered around creatures and fairies is creepy, but the depiction of the reality of "war" is even scarier.

The film has a gloomy atmosphere throughout, and the tension of the real world is so real that the strangeness of the fantasy world stands out. The final scene is also a very worthwhile film, with people reacting differently to it. It's more "painful" than grotesque (especially that scene...), so if you don't like that, be careful.

Recommended film: "MAMA" (2013)

It was released in 2013 as a Spanish-Canadian co-production and was directed by Andy Muschietti and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro.

Synopsis

One day, Lucas discovers a pair of young sisters in a cabin deep in the forest. The sisters, found in a shabby state, are actually the daughters of Lucas's older brother, Jeffrey. Jeffrey had committed a horrific crime five years prior to this incident. Because of this, the sisters were in a very unstable mental state, so with the help of Dr. Dreyfuss, Lucas and his girlfriend, Annabelle, decide to take in the sisters.

Recommended points (no spoilers)

The theme seems to be a mother's grudge. It has something to do with yokai, which makes it exciting. The presence of an unidentified "mother" and the strange behavior of the children. And the fact that everything surrounding this story is full of discomfort is the essence of horror, I think. Of course it's horror, but it also has mystery elements, so I think people who like solving mysteries will enjoy it too.

My personal opinion

Sorry, I don't like scary horror movies so I haven't seen it. So I'll give you my impressions from Yahoo! Movies.

"The beginning is better" (really?)

"It's a Western horror movie, so it's like Bang! Boom! Gyaa!" (Ah, I'm such a loser.)

"The ending is controversial! The atmosphere is great." (Very typical of Director Del Toro)

So, I think I'll watch it sometime with a drink and some popcorn in hand. Sorry.

Recommended film: "The Shape of Water" (2017)

A romantic drama film from the United States released in 2017. It won the Golden Lion in the competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival. In Japan, the original version is rated R18+, and the release version is rated R15+.

Synopsis

In 1962, during the Cold War in America, Eliza, who works as a cleaner at the secret Aerospace Research Center, has a speech impediment and spends her days feeling empty. One day, a creature called a "half-fishman" is brought to the space center. Eliza is attracted to the half-fishman and they begin to bond.

Recommended points (no spoilers)

This is a work that director Del Toro has poured his geeky hobbies into. As a result, the reviews seem to have been quite mixed, but fantasy and non-human fans will love it. The story is simple and relatively easy to understand, about the love between a half-fishman and a human. There is gore and sex, so it may not be for everyone, but I hope you will enjoy the dark and beautiful images and music.

My personal opinion

I really like this movie, so if I talk about it, it might be a spoiler. I'll write an article about it someday. But the half-fishman is a monster, so it's okay, right? By the way, it seems that this half-fishman is worshiped as a god in the Amazon.

It's a bit difficult to think about "What was this movie about?" and "What did it want to convey?" Because when you try to put it into words, it becomes very cliched. While the story is very clear and easy to understand, it's not for people who like unexpected stories. However, the last scene may be very divided. It's one of director Del Toro's specialties.

Also, it seems that the film contains homages and antitheses to various other films, so as a movie fan, I think it would be interesting to watch it with that in mind. For example, some easy-to-understand examples would be "The Little Mermaid (the original story)" and "Beauty and the Beast." The director's intentions for these stories are firmly embedded in the film.

Recommended work: "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" (2019)

A 2019 American-Canadian horror film. It is based on the "scary books" that were banned from libraries because of their terrifying stories and illustrations. Directed by Andre Øvredal.

Synopsis

Stella, Auggie, and Chuck end up in a haunted house. Inside, they discover a book full of ghost stories. There are many scary stories written in it, and Stella, who aspires to be a writer, secretly takes the book away. However, new stories are written one by one in the blank pages of the book, and the friends disappear one by one.

Recommended points (no spoilers)

Too scary Rota

My personal opinion

Sorry, I haven't seen this one either. As you may have guessed, I'm not a fan of horror movies.

The subject matter is a classic horror movie, and it looks very interesting. There are a lot of monsters that appear and attack people, and as far as I can tell, it's very typical of Del Toro.

Director Del Toro loved the original novel, "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," so it's no wonder he was so excited to make it. If you're interested, be sure to check it out. As of March 2020, it's showing nationwide.

Check out the films of Guillermo del Toro

I have introduced director Guillermo del Toro's filmography because it has a strong affinity with special effects, monsters, and ghosts, things that Japanese people and otaku love.

I hope I can touch your heartstrings, even just a little. And if you have any other movies that you would like to recommend, please let me know in the comments.