Overview
A young girl's journey through a dark fantasy world reveals her true strength and courage.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- foreboding
- melancholic
- dreamy
- serious movie night
- dark fantasy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as an extraordinary, visually spellbinding fusion of dark fantasy and the horrors of war, with its layered storytelling and craft earning near-universal acclaim.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ofelia's encounters with the faun and her fairy-tale tasks mirror the violence and choices surrounding her in 1944 Spain.
The faun, Pale Man, labyrinth, and magical tasks combine wonder with bodily unease and horror.
Ofelia's fantasy life develops alongside Captain Vidal's repression and the resistance movement's struggle.
Ofelia, Carmen, Mercedes, and the rebels are constrained by Vidal's brutal Falangist authority.
Films like Pan's Labyrinth, and why
The Devil's Backbone
dark fairy-tale fantasy, child protagonist, and oppressive historical violence entwined through unsettling visual imagination
Grave of the Fireflies
war-era child perspective, magical or folkloric imagery, and emotionally devastating conflict between innocence and authoritarian cruelty
The Company of Wolves
gothic fantasy, monstrous practical creatures, and a young protagonist confronting trauma through an alternate imaginative realm
The Spirit of the Beehive
surreal historical fantasy that uses mythic imagery to confront fascism, violence, and moral resistance
Movie Details
- Director
- Guillermo del Toro
- Release Date
- 2006-10-11
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (11766)
Cast
- Ivana Baquero
- Sergi López
- Maribel Verdú
- Doug Jones
- Ariadna Gil
- Álex Angulo
- Roger Casamajor
- Manolo Solo
- César Vea
- Ivan Massagué
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Pan's Labyrinth about?
- A young girl’s escape into a grotesque fairy-tale world becomes a dangerous counterpoint to fascist brutality in postwar Spain.
- What is Pan's Labyrinth like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Pan's Labyrinth as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Pan's Labyrinth violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Pan's Labyrinth as graphic.
- What did critics think of Pan's Labyrinth?
- Critics broadly regard it as an extraordinary, visually spellbinding fusion of dark fantasy and the horrors of war, with its layered storytelling and craft earning near-universal acclaim.
- Which films are like Pan's Labyrinth?
- Films with a similar feel include The Devil's Backbone, Grave of the Fireflies, The Company of Wolves, and The Spirit of the Beehive.
- How long is Pan's Labyrinth?
- Pan's Labyrinth runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Pan's Labyrinth?
- In United States, Pan's Labyrinth is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies.
