The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del diablo)

The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del diablo) (2000)

  • 91% of critics liked it
    (103 reviews)

  • 88% of users liked it
    (31,040 ratings)

Guillermo del Toro, who quickly became one of the most talked-about directors in contemporary horror films with his first two features, Chronos and Mimic, takes on a more subtle tale of terror with this psychological suspense piece. Casares (Federico Luppi) and Carmen (Marisa Paredes) operate a… More

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In Theaters
Nov 21, 2001 Wide
On DVD
Jun 25, 2002
Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

  • Jonathan Holland, Variety

    Though it fails in its final reels to capitalize on its early promise, pic is still stylish, accomplished and tremendously enjoyable fare.

  • Martin Rubin, Chicago Reader

    An entertaining and atmospheric revenge tale.

  • , Chicago Tribune

    A well-crafted, white-knuckle cinematic journey.

  • Peter Howell, Toronto Star

    [Del Toro] finds real substance in shadows and whispers, in the terrors that reside at the back of the mind.

  • Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

    The chills and suspense and graphic violence are leavened with the horror that comes from knowing the victims -- and knowing they are undeserving of their fate.

Read all 22 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • moon r


    During the Spanish Civil War a boy is unceremoniously deposited at an out of the way delapidated orphanage, and so begins this beautifully photographed drama about the lives that intersect there and how they make their way. Wild cards in the piece are a few bars of hidden gold ...… More

  • Cynthia S


    This isn't so much a horror film, as it is a drama with supernatural elements. This was a very fine film. Rarely do we get to see a true ghost story that focuses on the story more than cheap scares. In fact this is more than just a ghost story... this is more like a story that… More

  • Spencer S


    There was an expectation of true horror when I sunk my teeth into this gothic epic about the Spanish American War, but Guillermo del Toro's message was far more complex than ghosts and ghouls. The main theme concerned fear. What is fear, and who should we fear in the end? Not the… More

  • ♥Robyn


    this one pulls the strings and pushes the buttons,a horror story that also potently suggests the ways war can shatter childhood !!!!!!!

  • Anthony L


    Great film from del Toro, everything is spot on. The keyhole scene is up there with the best classic horror moments. I wonder if we can expect another Spanish civil war story to complete the trilogy?

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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