Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is known for many things – he’s noted for his unique style that often takes inspiration from dark fairytales. He’s also an integral figure in the horror genre thanks to his numerous horror films (plus, he often cites classic horror movies as his inspirations), and in more recent years, he’s become known as an award-winning director who isn’t just popular with genre fans, but who can hold his own against the Hollywood greats.
If you want to watch del Toro’s best movies and TV shows, use our guide below to find out where they are streaming.
Guillermo del Toro’s trademark film is easily Pan’s Labyrinth. While it wasn’t del Toro’s first movie, it was the first to earn him international acclaim. In the film, a young girl escapes her domineering stepfather by entering into a fairytale world…but not everything about the realm is good. She encounters both light and dark, good and bad, and friends and enemies. The movie was lauded for its gorgeous visuals and raw, emotional story. At the 79th Oscars, Pan’s Labyrinth received six nominations and won three awards, including for Best Cinematography.
But long before Pan’s Labyrinth, one of del Toro’s earliest hits was the sci-fi horror film Mimic. The movie takes place in New York City, where a deadly disease spread by cockroaches is killing hundreds of children. To stop the spread, scientists bioengineer a new bug that secretes a toxin that kills off the cockroaches. But some years later, the new bugs have continued to evolve and are now hunting humans. Though a moderate success in theaters, Mimic became a huge hit in the rental market and is now a cult classic among horror fans.
More recently, the film that most fans know del Toro for is The Shape of Water. At the 90th Oscars, the movie was nominated for a whopping 13 awards and won two major categories: Best Director for del Toro and Best Picture. The film centers around a lonely employee of a secret government facility during the Cold War. One day she discovers that the compound is hiding a dark secret… a mysterious sea creature that’s being kept trapped in a tank. Heavily inspired by Creature from the Black Lagoon, the movie took horror elements and blended them with a love story.
del Toro also used his love of monsters to create another hit movie: Pacific Rim. Heavily inspired by Godzilla and other Japanese monster movies, the film sees humanity fight off towering monsters known as kaijus using giant mechs called jaegers. Stylistically, it’s pretty different from most of del Toro’s films, but it very much plays into the filmmaker’s love of classic monster movies. For fans of the MonsterVerse, Pacific Rim is a must-watch.
Looking for more great del Toro movies? Check out our guide below to find out where you can watch more of his best films (and even some hit TV shows).
