Guillermo Del Toro has been delighting audiences for decades now. His unique gothic style and tendency to focus on the misunderstood "monster" has been a fresh perspective. Even though Del Toro has had a hard time breaking into the mainstream, last year's Nightmare Alley has earned him his second Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards.
Often times Letterboxd can be a good way for people to see what the general movie-going audience enjoyed since its only purpose is to share how one felt about a movie with a one to five star rating system. While Del Toro hasn't made many films, these are the ones that Letterboxd users enjoyed the most.
Blade II (2002) - 3.2
Del Toro's first blockbuster film was Blade II. In this film, the titular Marvel hero has to team up with the vampires he's sworn to destroy. There is a new breed of vampire running around the city that is so hungry for blood, they'll eat humans and vampires alike.
Even though the Letterboxd rating doesn't reflect this, most users find this to be the better Blade film, surpassing its predecessor. Del Toro's unique style shines through in this sequel and it's not afraid to embrace the more goofy elements that come with being a comic book film.
Hellboy (2004) - 3.3
Hellboy follows a demon who works for the government named Hellboy. He was found in the last days of World War II because he was summoned to earth to bring its destruction. Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and the other members of the BPRD have to stop a resurrected Rasputin from fulfilling the prophecy and destroying the world.
The Hellboy movies were clearly passion projects for Del Toro and that passion shines through the screen. The reliance on practical effects and makeup help the film hold up, but some have suggested that the surrogate character, John Myers, and the fact that the world isn't as weird as it could be, hold the film back.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) - 3.3
An elf prince has broken the truce between the magical creatures and the human race and is ready to awaken the Golden Army in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The 2008 follow-up to Hellboy sees the titular character and his team have to try and stop an unstoppable army before the human race is destroyed.
Many users believe this is the superior Hellboy film, though the Letterboxd score doesn't show that since there are plenty who find this less interesting. Those who enjoy it, however, find that Del Toro's unique design sense comes through in the film, and even though he uses more CG, the directing is more confident. Hellboy II: The Golden Army got fans itching for the threequel.
Pacific Rim (2013) - 3.3
When giant kaiju arrive on Earth from a portal at the bottom of the ocean, humanity has to build giant robots called Jaegers to fight them back. Pacific Rim is a love letter to the giant monster and mech genre that wears its influences on its sleeve. Humanities' last line of defense is Gypsy Danger and her pilots, and if they fail to close the rift, humanity won't be able to survive.
Pacific Rim is filled with colorful characters, fun action set pieces and a passion for the material that only Del Toro can bring. It's not his most successful film and many Letterboxd users find it more than a little ridiculous, Pacific Rim has still managed to find a cult following after all these years.
Crimson Peak (2015) - 3.3
Crimson Peak sees a young woman married to a mysterious man who takes her to live in his family home, Crimson Peak with the man's sister. There, the young woman begins to see all sorts of horrifying things as it's revealed that the house has many secrets. While the trailers sold the film as a horror, it plays more as a Gothic Romance.
As always, Del Toro's passion for this type of story comes through and is immediately felt by audiences. Those who are willing to meet the movie at its level found a beautiful film filled with imaginative visuals and stylistic filmmaking that is rarely seen today.
Cronos (1993) - 3.5
Del Toro's first movie, Cronos, follows an elderly antique dealer when he comes into possession of the Cronos device after the device's creator dies. The device is said to give the user everlasting life and the more the antique dealer uses it, the younger he gets, but everything comes with a price. Cronos also marks the first time Del Toro teamed up with Ron Perlman.
Horror is something that Guillermo Del Toro is very familiar with, so it's no surprise that his first film turned out to be a horror movie. His unique voice was seen from the very beginning but his style wouldn't be honed until later. Cronos is a solid debut from Del Toro and one that is still seen as one of his best.
Nightmare Alley (2021) - 3.5
The second film by Del Toro to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Nightmare Alley, follows Bradley Cooper's Stanton when he joins up with a carnival. He learns the tricks of the trade to create an act of his own with the women he fell in love with. But everything goes wrong when he teams up with a psychiatrist who's running the same con.
It's quite a long movie and invokes a similarly slow pace that Hollywood would often use with movies like this. Even so, this movie features many of Del Toro's trademarks that fans have come to love. A love letter to old Hollywood, and the film it shares a name with, this film succeeds. Your mileage may vary over whether or not that works for you, but many cinephiles on Letterboxd were more than eager to give this a try.
The Shape of Water (2017) - 3.7
Not only did The Shape of Water win Del Toro his first Best Director award but it also took home the Best Picture award. The Shape of Water follows Sally Hawkins as she befriends and then falls in love with some sort of fish monster that the government had found and locked away in the 1960s.
Some consider The Shape of Water to be his best. Many Del Toro diehards loved that he got the type of academy recognition they felt he always deserved. This dark fantasy may be weirder than others that Del Toro has created, but there is still plenty of his whimsy and style for longtime fans to enjoy.
The Devil's Backbone (2001) - 3.8
In 1939 a young boy arrives at an orphanage in Spain. This is the setting for The Devil's Backbone, a chilling ghost story about a boy who seeks to uncover a mystery hidden away at the orphanage.
Letterboxd users find this to be one of the purest expressions of who Del Toro is as a filmmaker. The story is captivating and his unique look at the world of monsters helps elevate the film to new heights.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - 4.1
Pan's Labyrinth is Del Toro merging the fantasy world of a child's imagination with the horrors and tragedy of real life. The film creates the type of dark fantasy that will both delight and terrify. In order to get out from under the tyrannical rule of her step-father, Ofelia has to complete three tasks so that she may see her real father again.
Often considered to be Guillermo Del Toro's masterpiece, Pan's Labyrinth sits at the top of many Letterboxd users Del Toro lists. He expertly crafts exactly the film he set out to make and the film channels the purest essence of what Del Toro is capable of as a director.