Hellboy II: The Golden Army may be the latest of Guillermo del Toro’s dark fairytales, but the director has been gleefully populating cineplexes with all manner of creepy-crawlies for more than a decade. Whether slaying demons or championing their cause, the Mexican director has made a career of breathing life into entire worlds of genuinely creepy stuff.
Cheat Sheet: Guillermo Del Toro
Hellboy II: The Golden Army may be the latest of Guillermo del Toro’s dark fairytales, but the director has been gleefully populating cineplexes with all manner of creepy-crawlies for more than a decade. Whether slaying demons or championing their cause, the Mexican director has made a career of breathing life into entire worlds of genuinely creepy stuff.
Cronos (1993)The film that put del Toro on the map as a director is an imaginative, well-done take on the vampire legend, but with the added inclusion of humankind’s affinity for shiny mechanical devices. This little-known gem from the early ’90s is a must-see for horror fans and newcomers to del Toro’s works alike.
Mimic (1997)The creature and set design in this matinee monster movie are excellent, as is the ambiance. However, it is important to keep in mind that Mira Sorvino does star in this movie, and the thought of watching her try to act for 103 minutes might be a scary enough prospect for some. Jumping off of his indie success and into the land of big-budget Hollywood, del Toro does a decent job of turning what could have been a B-movie disaster into a passable sci-fi bug horror.
Blade II (2002)The vigilante vampire slayer Blade returns in this techno-soundtrack-filled sequel to the popular comic-to-movie adaptation. The plot is above what one would expect for an action flick focused around kicking as much ass as possible. Del Toro brings his nuanced sense of horror to the series, pulling off not only a good sequel, but a good stand-alone movie all around.
Hellboy (2004)A half-demon orphan baby, rescued from the evil grip of the Third Reich, grows up to fight the forces of darkness. Del Toro’s return to the world of superheroes and villains does not disappoint. Hellboy is darkly funny, remains faithful to the original storyline and contains plenty of the three essential A’s: action, arson and awesome.
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)A little girl encounters a darkly paranormal side to her world as she tries to cope with an abusive bastard of a stepfather and a pregnant mom in fascist Spain. Del Toro’s vision of the 1944 European countryside is at times both captivating and menacing, and the director masterfully uses fantasy to weave a chilling, haunting story.
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