Guillermo Del Toro's lasting influence on horror films extends far beyond writing and directing feature films. Del Toro is also an accomplished producer, putting his money and influence toward both his own titles and the titles of other genre filmmakers.
While movie producers may not get the same credit as directors, they play an equally important role in how a film turns out. Producers work behind the scenes to coordinate all the logistics, arrange the financing, and secure distribution. They also pick directors, as well as other key crew members Their input can either enhance or undercut a director's vision.
The Witches (2020) - 5.3
Del Toro is one of five producers who worked on Robert Zemeckis's The Witches, a dark fantasy comedy based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name. The second adaptation of the novel after Nicolas Roeg's 1990 movie, The Witches stars Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, and Stanley Tucci.
Set in 1967, the film follows a young boy who encounters a large gathering of witches while vacationing at a seaside resort. While it features strong lead performances and impressive special effects, this iteration of The Witches lacks the superior writing and perfectly-pitched tone found in Roeg's well-received adaptation.
Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (2010) - 5.6
In addition to producing Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, del Toro also co-wrote its script alongside Matthew Robbins. Based on a made-for-TV film from 1973, the big-screen remake stars Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce as a couple who move into a Victorian Rhode Island mansion with their dejected daughter Sally.
Sally, played by Bailee Madison, catches onto the fact all kinds of supernatural monsters are emerging from the ash pit in the house's basement. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark challenges atmospheric horror, but its plot falls apart as the dangers in the house grow more prominent.
Splice (2009) - 5.7
Del Toro served as an executive producer on the popular cross-genre horror film Splice, a classic cautionary tale about meddling with natural processes that features a few shocking modern twists. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play genetic engineers named Clive and Elsa whose DNA-splicing efforts lead to the development of a human/animal hybrid the couple names Dren.
Dren, played by Delphine Chanéac, remains confined to Clive and Elsa's laboratory as she rapidly develops into a fully grown creature whose characteristics continue to shift. Soon, Clive and Elsa don't know how to contain Dren, nor do they know how to contain their own desire to treat her like another experiment.
Mama (2013) - 6.2
Del Toro helped future It director Andy Muschietti by executive producing his debut film Mama. In Mama, two young girls flee into the woods after their parents die, where they are fostered in a cabin by a supernatural entity they refer to as Mama.
When their uncle (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend (Jessica Chastain) rescue the girls years later and take them in, Mama isn't ready to say goodbye to her adopted children. In fact, she follows the girls to their home, intent upon making sure the adults understand she's not giving up her role anytime soon.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019) - 6.2
Del Toro was part of the large production team behind André Øvredal's adaptation of the popular Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series of children's books. A larger frame story involving high schoolers in a haunted house on Halloween, 1968, provides the structure that pays tribute to some of the most iconic tales from the books.
From cursed scarecrows to zombies on the hunt for their missing toes, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark delivers frights perfect for teenaged audiences. The film impressed most critics and did very well during its theatrical run.
Crimson Peak (2015) - 6.5
Del Toro did it all on Crimson Peak: produced, directed, and co-wrote the screenplay. This throwback to Gothic horror features a gorgeous, creaking English estate occupied by characters brought to life by Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and Charlie Hunnam.
Wasikowska plays American heiress Edith Cushing, an aspiring writer who becomes romantically involved with Hiddleston's Sir Thomas Sharpe. When Edith treks across the Atlantic to live with her new love, she falls into a heinous trap made all the more dangerous by her isolation in Sharpe's decayed, sprawling mansion.
Los Ojos De Julia (2010) - 6.7
Known in English as Julia's Eyes, The Spanish-language Los Ojos De Julia was written and directed by Guillem Morales. Del Toro is one of this Hitchcockian psychodrama's three producers.
Layered and complex, Julia's Eyes tells the story of a woman who is slowly losing her vision. With her sight waning, Julia is thrown into the middle of an intense mystery involving the death of her sister, one that threatens Julia's life as well.
The Devil's Backbone (2001) - 7.4
Del Toro's third feature film, The Devil's Backbone solidified his status as a horror director to watch on the international stage. In addition to directing and co-writing this Spanish-language heartwrenching horror film set during the Spanish Civil War, del Toro also served as executive producer.
In 1939, a young boy named Carlos arrives at a remote orphanage after his father is killed. It turns out the orphanage is haunted by a ghost, believed to be a boy named Santi who disappeared under strange circumstances; Carlos becomes increasingly curious about the ghost, set upon figuring out why the poor spirit remains on the grounds of the orphanage.
The Orphanage (2007) - 7.4
Another Spanish-language film produced by del Toro, The Orphanage combines familial drama with supernatural horror. In it, a woman named Laura returns to her childhood home, an orphanage, intend upon reopening it as a center for children who have disabilities.
With her husband Carlos and adopted son Simon, Laura works on making her dream a reality. Young Simon soon discovers another presence in the old orphanage, and the film launches into one creepy, climatic scare after another.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - 8.2
Even though its events transpire during the Spanish Civil War, Pan's Labyrinth deals with timeless themes like the brutality of war and the enduring importance of myth-making. Yet another example of del Toro's triple threat of directing, writing, and producing, Pan's Labyrinth is a masterful dark fantasy tale.
Part creature feature, part historical melodrama, part coming-of-age story, this stunning film sets its sights on 10-year-old Ofelia. Ofelia escapes her tyrannical stepfather by exploring the old labyrinth near her new home, where she comes face-to-face with her destiny.