The Devil's Backbone (El espinazo del diablo)

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Videos & Photos

  • Trailer 1

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Guillermo del Toro

Producer:

Agustín Almodóvar, Bertha Navarro, Rosa Bosch

Release Date:

Nov 21, 2001

Runtime:

1hr 46m

Synopsis

After Carlos - a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War - arrives at an ominous boys' orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets which he must uncover.

Cast

  • Marisa Paredes
  • Eduardo Noriega
  • Federico Luppi
  • Fernando Tielve
  • Irene Visedo
  • Iñigo Garcés
  • José Manuel Lorenzo
  • Francisco Maestre

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.8
139.8K
71.3K
39.0K
RATINGS 514 FANS
3.8
  • Oct 26, 2020

    Thought this was more captivating and unsettling than it was scary. I’m also not super squeamish but this has some moments that are...so vivid. Extremely well written, specifically the way things wrapped up. I know this is nitpicky but I’m super annoying when it comes to…

    909 Likes
    Karsten
    Karsten
    Aug 30, 2026

    Live-action Ben Drowned adaptation

    564 Likes
    James (Schaffrillas)
    James (Schaffrillas)
    Oct 2, 2025

    GDT is very good at many things, but maybe doesn’t get enough credit for how he writes the children in his movies. They have agency, they are people and because there’s a genuine care for their characters, it makes whatever world they occupy that much more…

    504 Likes
    Joe A
    Joe A
  •
    Apr 4, 2021

    A tragic dark tale! A little slow at times but very well made. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. I was entertained and impressed by the movie though I probably wouldn’t watch it again because it is so depressing. It has nice gore effects. Extremely dark for a movie that most…

    498 Likes
    Dyrnott
    Dyrnott
    Mar 29, 2023

    As keepers of the land we so often become fixated on finding the ghosts who look like ghosts that we overlook the ghosts who look like us, yet while one haunts the grounds as an historical presence the other does as a potentiality. Trauma is a past force that lingers past…

    483 Likes
    reibureibu
    reibureibu
    Jan 11, 2021

    What is a Ghost? Am impeccably crafted political allegory ghost story... seeped in sun-soaked gothic atmos, humanism, and saccharine revenge.  Last night I popped in Pan’s Labyrinth for the first time in ages and I couldn’t pass up a revisit of The Devil’s…

    446 Likes
    Ian West
    Ian West
  •
    Jun 4, 2023

    Del Toro is unique. He takes the horrors of war, the depravity inherent in human beings, the fate of the innocent and turns them into fairy tales in which even the sunny days are ruled by darkness. The whole thing is carried by tragic music and melancholic, graceful…

    373 Likes
    kat🕷
    kat🕷
    Oct 11, 2022

    The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good ghost with a grudge.

    331 Likes
    Ben Peterson
    Ben Peterson
    Aug 29, 2022

    Not a horror in the classical sense of the word, even if it does involve a ghost. But a horror in the way that it tragically depicts the cataclysmic consequences of war, specially on the most innocent members of our society. Utterly devastating.

    309 Likes
    Joe A
    Joe A

Queue Community Reviews

88%
Community 872
❤️ LOVE
26%
👍 LIKE
62%
😐 MEH
7%
👎 DISLIKE
5%
Top Reviews
  • Rory
    Rory liked
    The Devil's Backbone

    Pues, creo que sí estaba una película un poco terror. No tenía de medio, los escenas estaban muy color con el sol y cielo azul. Los niños estaban mono y tenían mucho resiliencia. Yo estaba ir veer la pelicula en el cine se llama ‘Garden Cinema’ en centro de londres, pero en cambio

    9M
    Nick Dubberly
    Nick Dubberly liked
    The Devil's Backbone

    You can tell the drastic difference between this and his first! The ghost effect used is the greatest I’ve ever seen before! You are sucked into these character’s lives and when the worst happens you feel real loss for them. So far, one of my absolute favorite del Toro films!

    6M
    nevan
    nevan loved
    The Devil's Backbone

    an underrated early work of one of our greatest modern filmmakers, guillermo del toro creates a film full of unrelenting violence and horrific themes, all while the brilliance and innocence of the young children at the center of the story shines through. horror fans will love

    1Y
  • Fabian_me00
    Fabian_me00 liked
    The Devil's Backbone

    If someone expects a scary film this isn’t it but I love the symbolisms throughout the film, the effects I would say still can hold up to day depending on your standards but overall great acting and a great film by Guillermo del Toro.

    3Y
    Ailinn
    Ailinn loved
    The Devil's Backbone

    guillermo del toro loves ghost stories and I love guillermo del toro's ghost stories

    11M
    Justin
    Justin loved
    The Devil's Backbone

    Easily one of Guillermo Del Toro’s best films.

    1Y
  • ATHE NARAYANAN
    ATHE NARAYANAN liked
    The Devil's Backbone

    Loved the story and the vintage set up.

    10M
    Ali
    Ali is "meh" on
    The Devil's Backbone

    not as scary as I'd hoped

    3Y
    10000BCman
    10000BCman liked
    The Devil's Backbone

    incredible stuff

    3Y

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

78
metacritic
Based on 31 Critics
8.2

USER SCORE (148)

Universal acclaim based on 148 Reviews
80

Building slowly from a stately start, Del Toro manages to unite all his disparate elements - ghosts and gold, infidelity and politics - for a devastating final reel. The command of sound and colour is breathtaking.

Metacritic review by Colin Kennedy
Colin Kennedy
Empire
75

Fine ensemble performances and a tight balance of the supernatural against the historical make The Devil's Backbone a well-crafted, white-knuckled cinematic journey.

Metacritic review by Robert K. Elder
Robert K. Elder
Chicago Tribune

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Devil's Backbone (El espinazo del diablo) (2001) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is The Devil's Backbone (El espinazo del diablo) (2001)?
The movie is 1hr 46min long.
What's The Devil's Backbone (El espinazo del diablo) (2001) about?
After Carlos - a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War - arrives at an ominous boys' orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets which he must uncover.
Who's the cast of The Devil's Backbone (El espinazo del diablo) (2001)?
  • Marisa Paredes as Carmen
  • Eduardo Noriega as Jacinto
  • Federico Luppi as Cásares
  • Fernando Tielve as Carlos
  • Irene Visedo as Conchita
  • Iñigo Garcés as Jaime
  • José Manuel Lorenzo as Marcelo
  • Francisco Maestre as El Puerco
Who's the director behind The Devil's Backbone (El espinazo del diablo) (2001)?
Guillermo del Toro directed The Devil's Backbone (El espinazo del diablo) (2001).
Who produced The Devil's Backbone (El espinazo del diablo) (2001)?
Agustín Almodóvar, Bertha Navarro and Rosa Bosch produced The Devil's Backbone (El espinazo del diablo) (2001).