Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

9/10

Starring

Sergi López

Maribel Verdú

Ivana Baquero

Doug Jones

Directed and Written by Guillermo del Toro

This is one of the best child castings I’ve ever seen. Pan’s Labyrinth is Guillermo del Toro’s best movie, and it’s set in 1944, after the Spanish Civil War. The movie is in Spanish, but the events are so magical and entertaining that there’s little room for boredom. Every scene means something, every action leads somewhere, and the visual effects, combined with the characterization, are crafted to evoke love, pity, admiration, or hate.

This dark fantasy movie crosses the boundaries between the present struggles of a little girl trying to fit into a world she doesn’t seem to care for—the human world—and a magical world where everything she desires is just three tasks away.

Guillermo’s writing doesn’t dive too deeply into the magical world but instead focuses on Ofelia’s adventure as she tries to return to her home and reign as the princess of the underworld.

The movie’s plot begins with the introduction of Princess Moanna, whose father is the king of the underworld. Moanna visits the human world, where the sunlight blinds her and erases her memory. Her visit makes her mortal, and she eventually dies. Her father believes her spirit will return to the underworld to take her place as the future ruler, so he builds labyrinths (which act as portals) around the world, hoping she’ll one day find one.

That day finally comes.

A girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) travels with her pregnant and sick mother to meet Captain Vidal, her new stepfather. Vidal is tasked with hunting down the remaining rebels from the civil war. On her journey, Ofelia sees a large stick insect, which she believes is a fairy. The insect follows her to her new home and, one night, transforms into a fairy, leading her to the labyrinth. There, she meets a faun who believes she is the reincarnation of Princess Moanna. He gives her three tasks to complete to return to the underworld. She accepts the challenge and sets off.

If the movie had focused more on the tasks, it wouldn’t have been as magical. Ofelia’s life is torn in two as she struggles to be there for her sick mother. Meanwhile, a lot is happening around her—Captain Vidal’s quest to kill all the rebels leads him to overlook the ones hiding in plain sight.

Young Ofelia, and we the viewers, deal with torture, death, and thrilling escapes to reach the end of this magical journey.

Winning three Academy Awards and BAFTAs—one of which was for the incredible makeup—the movie went on to win many other awards in its year of release. There’s nothing more to say except: go see this movie. It’s a keeper.