#Movie##Classic Movie##Hollywood##Headline Creation Challenge#Few filmmakers today have as strong a style as Guillermo del Toro. Even if none of the famous Mexican producer-director's films are recognized, audiences may still know that they were made by him, thanks to his love of creatively designed creatures, the way his films often blend fantasy and horror, and rich, stylish visuals that are almost always showcased in his film work.
While not all of his films can be classified as horror movies, his films do contain disturbing, eerie, and sometimes violent footage. Of the 12 feature films he has produced, here are the rankings for them, not by quality, but by how disturbing they are, from the least nightmare beginning of his films to the end most likely to keep viewers up at night.
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12. "Pacific Rim" (2013)
If you like movies without horror plots but still want to see movies directed by Guillermo del Toro, then at least watch Pacific Rim. This is probably Del Toro's most action-packed and entertaining film to date, following humans conquering monsters by creating equally massive mech warriors to protect Earth from giant alien monsters.
Some of the monsters look a little scary, and flashbacks from one of the protagonists as a child prove to be a bit nervous, but otherwise unlikely to bother the audience. Even more disturbing is how much of a mistake it made in the 2018 sequel, which wasn't directed by del Toro and didn't have as much passion when filmed, resulting in a tragically dull film.
11, "Hellboy" (2004)
"Hellboy" can be said to be a combination of a noir fantasy movie and a superhero action movie. As a filmmaker, this isn't one of Del Toro's masterpieces, but it's solid enough to provide his fans with enough entertainment value to be worth watching.
Although its nominal character is that of a demon fighting justice against a more standard demon, it never really enters the realm of terror. In addition, its PG-13 rating (most of Del Toro's films are R) ensures that the level of violence is not too vivid, so it is not too disturbing in this regard.
10, "Hellboy 2: Golden Legion" (2008)
Guillermo del Toro directed the sequel to the series, The Golden Legion, in 2008, returning to the role of Hellboy on the big screen. It may be scarier than the first one, but it won't be too scary in the end. However, it is arguably a much better sequel overall than the first because it is a surprisingly superhero movie.
Some parts of the film are even more disturbing as the heroes face a more menacing villain: a powerful elven prince who has an army of mechanized warriors. Compared to the first, the film feels more obvious, especially when it comes to creature/monster design, which inevitably makes it even more terrifying.
9. "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" (2022)
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (as it is called to distinguish it from the rest of the Pinocchio series) may be sadder than horror, but it still gets very dark in some places. It highlights the darkness inherent in classic stories, telling the story of a puppet who is given life and hopes that one day he will become a real boy.
There are some soundtracks and comedic moments of relief in Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio that make parts of the plot whimsical and child-friendly, but others, such as the creation of Pinocchio and much of the final act, are shockingly dark. It's not a film that avoids death, and it also unexpectedly explores fascism in Italy during World War II, making it arguably del Toro's most disturbing non-R-rated film.
8, "Blade Warrior 2" (2002)
Wesley Snipes' Blade trilogy began in 1998 with a decent first installment, but ended in 2004 with a bad film, Blade 3. In between these two films is Guillermo del Toro's Blade 2, arguably the best of the three, thanks to Del Toro's trendy directing and wholehearted embrace of the original manga.
In the plot, both humans and vampires in the world face new threats, and the protagonist may be the only one who has a chance to save them all. Of course, it's a mix of horror and action movies, and since it's R-rated and also involves vampires, it's sometimes bloody. Still, it probably won't give horror fans too many nightmares, and for better or worse, certain humorous tones of the film help reduce the film's disturbing chances.
7, "Variant DNA" (1997)
Mutant DNA is Guillermo del Toro's second feature film and his first to be produced in the United States. It is about an insect that is bred to kill common cockroaches, which carry diseases that kill children, but artificially created insects mutate and grow, rather than die as planned, causing them to pose a danger to humans.
To be honest, this is probably Del Toro's weakest film, either because his style has not fully developed, or because he is still young and has not yet proven himself in the United States, so he has not been granted enough creative freedom. However, it can't be called his least scary movie, as it focuses first and foremost on horror, with some effective tension shots that are sure to annoy anyone who is uncomfortable with bugs.
6, "Jade Face Demon" (2021)
Although known as Jade Face Demon, Guillermo del Toro's 2021 film is not a complete horror film, and although it is tense and disturbing enough, it is still possible to have nightmares after watching it. It's a good neo-noir film about a con artist who has a relationship with a mysterious psychiatrist who might bring him to ruin.
Jade Face Demon gained a lot of experience from its carnival background, especially in the early days. The atmosphere of the film is strong, moody, and often worrying, and some parts of the story are really tense enough to make the film a brain-burning one. Its pacing is steady enough that fear and tension may not last forever, but it's quite an anxious movie for a non-horror film.
5, "The Shape of Water" (2017)
The Shape of Water surprisingly won the Academy Award for Best Picture because it's a dark fantasy/romance movie, but it can also be a horror film sometimes. The movie is about a mute girl who falls in love with a weird creature that is half human, half fish.
The setting itself may be terrifying or disgusting to some viewers, but Guillermo del Toro has done it all surprisingly well. There is also a particularly ferocious villain, played by the often frightening Michael Shannon, and some violent scenes, including fingers separated and then improperly attached, and various gunshot wounds that are bloodier than in most movie gunshot wounds.
4, "Pan God's Labyrinth" (2006)
2006's Labyrinth of Pan is often considered Guillermo del Toro's best work, but it also has enough nightmare content to be one of his most disturbing films. Set after the Spanish Civil War, the story follows a young girl who escapes the horrors of life and enters a fantasy world that is still grotesque but not as realistic as it is.
As a result, viewers see the worst of both worlds: novelly designed, nightmarish fantasy creatures, and intense scenes of violence by fascist soldiers in the real world. The Pale Man is the scariest side of the fantasy world, and the young girl's stepfather, Captain Vidal, is the scariest figure in the real world, each terrifying in their own way.
3, "Crimson Peak" (2015)
Of all his English-language films, Guillermo del Toro's Scarlet Peak is the most terrifying, and arguably the most terrifying. This is a classic Gothic horror work, brought to the screen with modern technology and special effects, telling the story of a young female writer wandering between two men, she lives in a luxurious and desolate villa "Scarlet Hills", in this villa that seems to have life, there are several wandering souls floating and countless secrets are buried.
The protagonist's past is equally full of tragedies and nightmares, which makes the film stylish and glamorous, sometimes even romantic, but also often creepy. Some may feel like it's a throwback to the gothic horror movies of yesteryear, but there's no denying that Scarlet Peak is a full-blown and gore horror movie that is both an underrated film and an exceptionally bleak one.
2, "Devil's Silver Claw" (1993)
The Devil's Silver Claw was Guillermo del Toro's first film, and as such, it had a relatively small budget and a smaller scale. The story is about an antique dealer who discovers a mysterious device that seems to make him progressively younger, but uses it with unintended and terrible consequences.
"Devil's Silver Claw" is a restrained movie, it does not erupt and does not indulge in any exaggerated flashy scenes, which ensures that its horror feels more grounded and uncomfortable. Admittedly, it also uses clichéd horror techniques, and is not shy about doing so, which has led to one of del Toro's most enduring horror films and, despite its age, one of his most disturbing.
1, "Ghost Boy's Yard" (2001)
Following 1997's "Mutant DNA", Guillermo del Toro made a comeback in an impressive form, shooting the horror film "Ghost Boy's Yard", which is also the director's most alarming film for the audience. The story takes place near the end of the Spanish Civil War, when a young boy is sent to a mysterious orphanage located in the wilderness that may be haunted.
The film is widely categorized as a ghost story, but "Ghost Boy Yard" is more disturbing and nightmarish than ordinary supernatural horror movies. It's a tense, ruthless, and very sad film, similar in theme to Pan's Labyrinth, but with a more focus on horror, which ultimately makes it Del Toro's most nerve-wrenching film.