SPA26: The Devil's Backbone

Retrospective: Uncanny Allegory

El espinazo del diablo

Marking its 25th anniversary, Guillermo del Toro’s poetic gothic ghost tale fuses elements of the uncanny with the war genre offering supernatural elements not for spectacle but as metaphor for lingering historical wounds. Set in a haunted orphanage during the Spanish Civil War, the narrative explores how children inherit the violence of adults, with the ghost of a young boy embodying unresolved injustice. Del Toro’s style is restrained yet atmospheric, favouring slow camera movements, warm but decaying colour palettes, and symbolic imagery like water, dust, and decay.

The film’s horror is emotional rather than sensational, building unease through silence and implication. Its political dimension critiques fascism and civil conflict while maintaining a deeply human focus on grief and survival. The impact of the film lies in its fusion of fairy-tale structure with historical realism, influencing later works like Pan’s Labyrinth and shaping modern gothic cinema.

The Devil’s Backbone remains a key example of how genre storytelling can express memory, loss, and moral ambiguity through a uniquely melancholic cinematic voice that blends history and myth in a way that feels timeless and affecting.

Festivals & Awards

NOMINEE - Best Costume Design, Best Special Effects, Goya Awards 2002

Spain, Mexico | Spanish with English subtitles