Guillermo del Toro is one of the best storytellers and creative visionaries working in movies today. The way del Toro can let his imagination run wild with monsters, characters, and settings while still putting together a well-paced and emotionally charged film is special to watch. All of his movies are dark and magical, ranging from ghost stories to fantasy, sci-fi, and creature features, all with masterful direction.
With over three decades in the industry, del Toro built quite a career and his films have become as influential as the classic works he’s been inspired by. Whether it be his monsters, dark fantasy narratives, or even Gothic horror, these films are all as thrilling as they are haunting.
Be sure to also check out some of Guillermo del Toro’s other work not in a directorial capacity – Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, The Orphanage, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, The Hobbit Trilogy, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, The Witches (2020), and also his TV shows – The Strain, Netflix’s Cabinet of Curiosities, and the animated Tales of Arcadia Trilogy on Netflix.
IMDb Rating
Where To Stream
Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Josh Brolin, Giancarlo Giannini, Charles S. Dutton, Norman Reedus, Alix Koromzay, Alexander Goodwin, and F. Murray Abraham
1997
65%
6
VOD
Guillermo del Toro had a rough experience working on his first major Hollywood creature feature, to the point where he disowned the movie’s theatrical cut (a similar story to David Fincherand Alien 3). Based on its ratings and del Toro himself not being a fan of the finished product, you know Mimic won’t be an amazing experience. Though somehow, this film still managed to spawn two sequels.
Mimic is based on sci-fi author Donald A. Wollheim’s short story, and it follows a team of scientists that now have to save the public from a genetically engineered strain of giant insects called the Judas Breed. These insects once helped them fight cockroaches carrying a devastating disease.It’s ’90s sci-fi bug horror as you’d expect, but with some nice atmosphere and worthwhile performances featuring the likes of Mira Sorvino, Josh Brolin, and Norman Reedus.
Mimic had a Director’s Cut Blu-ray release in 2011, which del Toro approved.
Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman, Diego Klattenhoff, Rinko Kikuchi, Burn Gorman, Max Martini, Robert Kazinsky, and Clifton Collins Jr.
2013
72%
6.9
Hulu, Disney+
As a creative, Guillermo del Toro is certainly ‘King of the Monsters’ when it comes to designing memorable horror movie monsters and highly original fantasy creatures,but his own Kaiju moviedidn’t quite overpower the strength of Godzilla or King Kong. The film had giant robot battles with Kaiju creatures that emerged through a portal in the Pacific Ocean, but it was ultimately a weaker venture.
Pacific Rim was more of a sci-fi, action-adventure blockbuster film for del Toro than his dark fantasy horror roots, so some of the heart and soul that lifts his other films gets a little bit lost. While the special effects, monster designs, and action sequences are still very solid, the overall storyline isn’t del Toro’s finest.
Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Ron Perlman, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn, and Mark Povinelli
2021
80%
7
Nightmare Alley was del Toro’s follow-up to The Shape of Water, and it didn’t quite live up to the same expectations as his previous efforts. Despite the name, this movie is more psychological thriller than horror, with a clever morality tale of “how the mighty have fallen” built into its core. It follows Bradley Cooper’s character, Stanton Carlisle, a clairvoyant con artist and fraud, who gets involved with the wrong person – psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter.
The story is structured in a film noir template, and it’s based on the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham, so it can often feel a bit slow in parts before finally arriving at its main message and ending. However, it has an all-star cast with performances that don’t disappoint, and the sets, atmosphere, and camerawork are classic Guillermo del Toro.
Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Norman Reedus, Thomas Kretschmann, Luke Goss, Matt Schulze, Danny John-Jules, Donnie Yen, Karel Roden, Marit Velle Kile, and Tony Curran
2002
57%
6.7
Blade 2 was a fitting sequel to the original, and with Guillermo del Toro’s creative vision driving the vampire action, you’re in for a special treat with Marvel’s Daywalker. The most unique vampire race brought to cinema was perhaps Blade 2’s Reapers, creatures whose jaws can split apart and have a long proboscis to come out to extract their victim’s blood. This also inspired del Toro’s vampires in hisbook series-turned-TV series, The Strain.
Although nothing could top the nightclub fight from the first film, Blade 2 continues to have plenty of well-choreographed and brilliantly shot fight scenes, including the sewer nest sequence (with its spotlight on UV grenades) and plenty of one-on-one action for Snipes. Then, you also have Ron Perlman as a fellow vampiric vampire hunter, Reinhardt, and Norman Reedus as Blade’s new teammate, Scud.
Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, Margarita Isabel, Tamara Shanath, Daniel Giménez Cacho, and Mario Iván Martínez
1993
89%
HBO Max
Cronos was Guillermo del Toro’s debut film in 1993, sparking the start of a long-lasting friendship with his frequent collaborator Ron Perlman.It’s a vampire filmwith Cronenberg-style body horror done in Guillermo del Toro’s dark fantasy way. You have a device that’s a parasitic gold scarab invented by an alchemist in the 16th century, which grants you eternal life when it attaches itself to your skin.
The side effects of the scarab? You start having a thirst for blood and are sensitive to sunlight. Tragically, an elderly antique store owner who watches after his granddaughter falls into the curse of the scarab, but little does he know there’s also an antagonistic businessman on the hunt for the life-giving device.
Hellboy
Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones/David Hyde Pierce, John Hurt, Rupert Evans, Karel Roden, Ladislav Beran, Jeffrey Tambor, Bridget Hodson, and Brian Steele
2004
81%
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Hurt, Jeffrey Tambor, Luke Goss, Anna Walton, Seth MacFarlane, John Alexander, and Brian Steele
2008
86%
Blade wasn’t the only comic book hero del Toro got to adapt for the big screen, as he teamed with Mike Mignola to infuse his own fantasy vision into the first-ever live-action Hellboy. Starring as the titular giant-fisted red demon from hell is Ron Perlman, the best and most iconic iteration of Hellboy in live-action. Joining him is John Hurt as Professor Broom, Selma Blair as the pyrokinetic Liz Sherman, and Doug Jones as Abe Sapien (and David Hyde Pierce as the voice).
The plot of the first film centers around a resurrected Rasputin’s quest to destroy the world with the help of a Nazi steampunk killing machine, Karl Ruprecht Kroenen.The Golden Army is a highly underrated sequeland a rare case where it was even better than the original. Much of that is owed to the greater emphasis on fantasy worldbuilding, and the exquisite costume design, set design, and makeup, especially for Prince Nuada and Princess Nuala.
Gregory Mann, David Bradley, Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Ron Perlman, Cate Blanchett, Finn Wolfhard, Christoph Waltz, John Turturro, Burn Gorman, and Tim Blake Nelson
2022
96%
7.6
Netflix
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio easily beat outthe underwhelming live-action movie from Disneystarring Tom Hanks the same year it came out. The director has a deep love for animation, as he expressed in his 2023 Oscars speech when Pinocchio won Best Animation, specifically stop-motion. It’s a unique way to bring new life into this story. It’s certainly one of the best Netflix movies of all time and one of the best film adaptations of Collodi’s Pinocchio.
The story is dark and emotional in a PG way, bearing all the key marks of del Toro all over it. It’s set in Italy just before WW2, so there’s that theme of fascism that’s a constant driving force in his stories, and the fantasy creatures, particularly the Wood Sprite, are reminiscent of designs like those seen in Pan’s Labyrinth. The characters themselves are all detailed and well-designed, with a highly talented voice cast behind them.
Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver, Burn Gorman, Doug Jones, Leslie Hope, and Jonathan Hyde
2015
6.5
Peacock
Like Robert Eggers' Nosferatu, Crimson Peak isa masterclass in Gothic horrorand romance, and even far superior to the 2024 vampire film in certain respects. This Victorian ghost story starts with the main character receiving a warning from her deceased mother – “Beware of Crimson Peak” – and those words will echo beyond the Gothic castles and mansions to haunt her until the film’s shocking and twisted end.
Edith Cushing is betrothed to a wealthy inventor and miner, Sir Thomas Sharpe, despite her father’s disapproval. Edith moves into his family’s grand estate, Allerdale Hall, along with Thomas' sister, Lucille, and things take a turn from there. A mystery will unfold about the terrifying ghosts that are haunting the mansion, as well as what Thomas and Lucille’s true intentions are with Edith.
Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Doug Jones, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Hewlett, Nick Searcy, Lauren Lee Smith, Stewart Arnott, and Nigel Bennett
2017
92%
7.3
The Shape of Water is Guillermo del Toro’s most beautiful, poignant, and brilliantly written and directed creature feature to date. You have an unconventional Cold War-era love story between a lonely mute woman and a lethal Amphibian Man creature that ends in the most perfect way it can, and it’s also the recipient of numerous Oscars,including Best Pictureand Best Director.
Sally Hawkins plays Elisa, a janitor at a secret government facility where the Amphibian Man is being studied and who gradually develops a romantic bond with him. When learning of a plan to kill the creature, Elisa will break the Amphibian Man out of the facility with the help of her co-worker, Zelda, and her friendly neighbor, Giles, so they can both be together and safe from evil government scientists.
Fernando Tielve, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Íñigo Garcés, Marisa Paredes, Irene Visedo, Junio Valverde, José Manuel Lorenzo, and Francisco Maestre
2001
93%
7.4
Not enough praise can be said about The Devil’s Backbone. It’s a masterpiece of a ghost story in the way that it’s written, directed, and acted. The movie features one of Guillermo del Toro’s most compelling mystery storylines with commentary on fascism, greed, innocence, and togetherness. The ghost design is also unlike anything you’ve seen with previous movie ghosts, and would actually influence Crimson Peak.
Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War at an all-boys orphanage helping the Republican cause, The Devil’s Backbone is suspenseful, frightening, incredibly meaningful, and offers plenty of twists. Eduardo Noriega’s vile villain, Jacinto, Federico Luppi’s Dr. Casares, and Fernando Tielve’s Carlos are among del Toro’s strongest characters. The beautiful way the opening narration connects to the ending is also one of the most masterful ways of crafting a film.
