Overview
A haunting tale of innocence lost amid the horrors of war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- eerie
- melancholic
- foreboding
- late night horror
- gothic movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an atmospheric and emotionally powerful ghost story that doubles as an intelligent political allegory.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Santi's ghost and the orphanage's deaths refract the violence and repression of the Spanish Civil War.
Carlos only partially understands the orphanage's political loyalties, abuse, impending defeat, and supernatural threat.
The remote orphanage, storage room, deep well, and defenseless courtyard create the film's central architecture of dread.
The ticking bomb in the orphanage courtyard continually materializes the war's proximity and unresolved danger.
Films like The Devil's Backbone, and why
The Others
shared gothic horror atmosphere, haunted children, and ambiguous supernatural dread
Pan's Labyrinth
shared wartime trauma, child-centered fantasy, political allegory, and tragic fairy-tale darkness
The Orphanage
shared isolated institutional setting, ghost story structure, and melancholic supernatural suspense
Movie Details
- Director
- Guillermo del Toro
- Release Date
- 2001-04-20
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (1427)
Cast
- Marisa Paredes
- Eduardo Noriega
- Federico Luppi
- Fernando Tielve
- Íñigo Garcés
- Irene Visedo
- José Manuel Lorenzo
- Francisco Maestre
- Junio Valverde
- Berta Ojea
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Devil's Backbone about?
- At a remote orphanage during the final days of the Spanish Civil War, a boy confronts a ghost whose warnings expose the living horrors surrounding him.
- What is The Devil's Backbone like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Devil's Backbone as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Devil's Backbone violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Devil's Backbone as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Devil's Backbone?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an atmospheric and emotionally powerful ghost story that doubles as an intelligent political allegory.
- Which films are like The Devil's Backbone?
- Films with a similar feel include The Others, Pan's Labyrinth, and The Orphanage.
- How long is The Devil's Backbone?
- The Devil's Backbone runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Devil's Backbone?
- In United States, The Devil's Backbone is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
