Pan's Labyrinth
Picturehouse | Release Date: December 29, 2006
8.6
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Universal acclaim based on 2850 Ratings
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Negative:
158
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10
AlbertoHerbbFeb 4, 2018
I was 8 years old when I first watched this movie, I know I was very young when I first watched it. This movie was very impactful to me as a kid, It was beautifully shot and directed. I was completely shocked by the story and the characters.I was 8 years old when I first watched this movie, I know I was very young when I first watched it. This movie was very impactful to me as a kid, It was beautifully shot and directed. I was completely shocked by the story and the characters. The Faun and The Pale Man gave me nightmares for days, but I grew to respect the artist and Guillermo as a director for their imagination and the hard work that they put into their movie. Pan's Labyrinth is a fairy tale with a historical context, The Spanish civil war was a very turmoiling time in Spain. Ofelia and the rest of the characters were so well written that I was close to tears at the end of the movie. I highly recommend everyone to watch it!… Expand
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8
amheretojudgeJan 22, 2018
in the underground realm..

El Laberinto Del Fauno Captivating an audience in basically an introduction scene with the help of an insect that quite frankly isn't attractive or pleasant to watch on screen, Guillermo not only seeks but demandsin the underground realm..

El Laberinto Del Fauno

Captivating an audience in basically an introduction scene with the help of an insect that quite frankly isn't attractive or pleasant to watch on screen, Guillermo not only seeks but demands attention and within these detailed points he scores a larger picture than expected. El Laberinto Del Fauno takes you back to those old fairy tales or late evening's cartoon tales that connects an innocent kid to the dog-eat-dog world in a metaphorical tone. All of these would have been enough for a fairy tale but this is Guillermo's show all over the screen where color, background score and even tiny creatures floating around or background the screen factors in for this majestic art that it is. El Laberinto Del Fauno is exhilarating, to-the-point, well detailed and dramatic which isn't surprisingly for the kids; considering its premise, but for the adults as it is equally terrifying and beautiful in its own way and with the help of the maker it walks a fine line between it.… Expand
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10
CTHReviewsJul 22, 2018
Pan's Labyrinth is one of the greatest films ever made. The music is very somber, the visuals are magnetic, and every time I see it, there's always something new to take away from it.
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8
FilipeNetoFeb 13, 2022
I think this film was really my first contact with the work of Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican director who has done a colossal job of taking advantage of fantastic themes in his films. This film was one of the director's most cherishedI think this film was really my first contact with the work of Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican director who has done a colossal job of taking advantage of fantastic themes in his films. This film was one of the director's most cherished projects, and we can feel how much he committed and invested in it. Despite being a fantasy film and starring a girl, the film is quite intense and not suitable for younger children.

All the action takes place in the final years of the Spanish Civil War: we follow Ofelia, a dreamy and kind-hearted girl, who travels to a remote place in rural Spain with her mother, in order to join Captain Vidal, a superior officer of the Francoist army whose mother got pregnant and who occupied an abandoned mill with a battalion to hunt down a group of communist partisans. From the start, it is quite clear that Ofelia dislikes her stepfather and her mother is determined to make her forget her real father, now deceased, by forcing the girl to treat him as a father. Indifferent to political issues, Ofelia pursues and finds a magical world in the forest around her new habitat. There, she meets a faun who tells her that she is, in fact, a princess, daughter of the King of the Enchanted World, who long ago left and was lost in the human world, living without knowing the anguish and longing for her true father. In order to return, she will need to complete three challenges and prove that her soul is still pure, that is, that she has not turned into a human.

If we want to do a cold and harshly realistic analysis, this film will quickly crumble and show several weaknesses. The most obvious, for me, is the absolute insanity of a military man who insists on taking his companion, in a terminal stage of pregnancy, and a minor child to the battlefield. I also didn't like the feeling that the film ends up being so politically charged, with communist guerrillas being considered champions of freedom and with the demonization of Francoist soldiers. Anyone knows that there are no saints in war, and that atrocities are always committed on both sides. But I feel that we are being unfair if we continue to view the film from this perspective. Despite all this, this is a charming cinematographic work full of magic and dreaminess, which makes us want to believe in fairy tales again, to be in that girl's shoes.

The film has an excellent cast of Hispanic actors (I don't know if they are all Spanish in fact) and is entirely spoken in Spanish, which for me was a bonus as it gives the film a very welcome additional realism. Ivana Baquero did an exceptional job on the skin of young Ofelia. Despite not showing his face, very well disguised, Doug Jones is the man who gives body, soul and life to two of the most memorable characters in the film: the wise faun and the terrible Pale Man, a monster that almost devours the protagonist. Jones gives us one of his best works in cinema. Surprisingly calm and terrifying, Sergi López turned his Captain into a character worthy of our hatred and contempt. In addition to these three great actors, the film also has splendid performances by Ariadna Gil, Maribel Verdú, Álex Angulo and César Vea.

Being a Del Toro film, it is guaranteed that we will have a wide range of visual effects, CGI and characterization, all the highest quality and privileging the maximum of realism. In fact, we couldn't ask for more when it comes to all of this. There are a number of discreet and realistic CGI features, ranging from explosions and the intense green of the forest to the maze itself, fantastic and unreal, where an important part of the story takes place. The costumes are very good, especially Ofelia's dresses and the soldiers' uniforms. The scenarios, especially the labyrinth and the mill, are wonderful and the characterization of the fantastic characters was thought out in the smallest details. Cinematography makes clever use of color, shadow, light and shooting angles to achieve greater expressiveness and visual symbolism. No less important is the excellent soundtrack, with emphasis on the central melody, which has a sound that reminds us of the lullabies that mothers used to sing to children.… Expand
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10
JbushApr 4, 2018
My favorite movie of all time! best fantasy movie PERIOD. This is put with Lord of the rings and Harry Potter. This movie is just as magical as the first viewing if you watch this time to time. This movie is beautiful...
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10
Matticuss77Jun 19, 2019
This movie is definitely a work of art. Del Toro has a great eye for visuals, but visuals mean nothing without a good story, and thankfully Pan's Labyrinth has a story that is equal parts brutally violent and magically poetic. And poeticThis movie is definitely a work of art. Del Toro has a great eye for visuals, but visuals mean nothing without a good story, and thankfully Pan's Labyrinth has a story that is equal parts brutally violent and magically poetic. And poetic really is the word for it. I recommend NOT trying to over-analyze this film... Just learn to appreciate it's sense of macabre poetry and you'll see the masterpiece everyone else is seeing.… Expand
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10
paperaquariumSep 6, 2018
In my top 5 movies of all time. It's like a witch's brew of wonderful monsters, a child's magical realism, hard-hitting historical drama and a piece of del Toro's soul (definitely in there- all my favourite films are like that).
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8
YunusKatMar 25, 2019
In my honest opinion, this movie is hard to describe. The story is strangely very real and you can almost feel the real kick in but then there are scenes when the labyrinth and fairies come in and it's a dark and twisted take on belovedIn my honest opinion, this movie is hard to describe. The story is strangely very real and you can almost feel the real kick in but then there are scenes when the labyrinth and fairies come in and it's a dark and twisted take on beloved fairytale characters is wonderful, to say the least.… Expand
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9
MahmusSep 25, 2020
This movie is both beautiful and terrifying.
Whenever I'm not in awe at the incredible sets and creature design, I'm shocked at the brutal violence and disturbing themes.
It has some of the most impressive makeup effects I've ever seen. TheThis movie is both beautiful and terrifying.
Whenever I'm not in awe at the incredible sets and creature design, I'm shocked at the brutal violence and disturbing themes.

It has some of the most impressive makeup effects I've ever seen. The faun and the Pale Man (both played by Doug Jones) alone were enough to justify it winning a Best Makeup Oscar, but even small things like the cut on Captain Vidal's cheek are incredible.

Speaking of Captain Vidal, hats off to Guillermo del Toro and actor Sergi López for bringing to life one of the most despicable movie villains ever. Every second he's on screen I wanna punch him in the face.
I'm all for complex, multidimensional villains, but sometimes it's just great to have a completely irredeemable piece of **** as your main antagonist. Del Toro would later do this again with Michael Shannon in The Shape of Water.… Expand
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9
AvishanHSep 25, 2019
Mind blowing movie... One of my favorite movies.the real monster was Captain Vidal not the pan(fauno)
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8
DawdlingPoetNov 20, 2021
This is a fantasy horror film, with themes including rebellion, naivety, war and anarchism, among others. It is very atmospheric, with a good use of low lighting, often blue-ish tones are used during scenes set at night in the surroundingThis is a fantasy horror film, with themes including rebellion, naivety, war and anarchism, among others. It is very atmospheric, with a good use of low lighting, often blue-ish tones are used during scenes set at night in the surrounding forests. I liked the music used, mostly classical in style, which added to the sense of authenticity somehow - its quite light and somehow mildly spooky or chilling at times. I probably ought to make a point of clarifying that this is a Spanish film - being both set in Spain and with the dialogue all in Spanish, so if you don't like subtitles then this obviously isn't for you.

I felt that the visual effects were really quite impressive - it was quite an immersive film and often the visual effects made it seem rather unpleasant, think of a gross out comedy sort of thing (there's lots of mud, dirt, mucus etc.). I also felt it had a sense of childhood naivety about it. The main character, Ofelia, is obviously a child herself and doesn't seem to realise the potential danger she could be in by some of her actions, so she is certainly naive to an extent. The creatures brought to life presumably by CGI did seem quite convincing - there are many insects and flying creatures, for example. This is ultimately a rather dark and definitely more an adults version, or example of, a fairy tale and not one for kids to watch, due to the content.

It had a sense of foreboding and the tension built up as the plot developed. I suppose, when I think about it, its perhaps a film depicting various extremes - from the naivety of childhood, a childs imagination come to life and the grim, dark realities of the real world, from things seen from the girls point of view, to the parents war mongering circumstances. Its set at a time of conflict and that conflict is quite clearly put across.

Cast wise, Ofelia is played by Ivana Baquero. Her performance is good, as a curious, imaginative child who is keen to find out what secrets may be hiding nearby. You can see in her face her curiosity and also a sense of independence and of her being very determined to get to the bottom of thing. Capitan Vidal is played by Sergi Lopez, who comes across as quite chilling and unemotional. Carmen is played by Ariadna Gil - she also plays her part well, as a worried, nervous, loving yet undermined mother. Other cast members include Alex Angulo as Dr. Ferreiro, Maolo Solo as Garces and Roger Casamajor as Pedro.

Content wise, as I say this film contains bloody violence, both human related and fantasy related instances, with bloody bodily injuries shown, plus some very strong language. It is quite frightening in tone, especially with the visual effects at numerous points and of course some of the themes, of war and anarchy, are quite dark. Due to this, the film carries a 15 rating.

I liked the camerawork, with some scenes featuring camera shots from unusual angles, which I felt added to the fantasy element. It made some scenes look almost ethereal, with the camera seemingly floating around somewhat, to an extent. I thought some of the dialogue was relatively poignant, with some mentions relating to the senselessness of war for example.… Expand
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9
Dungeon00XNov 23, 2019
A disturbingly chilling drama focused around a child's imagination during the Spanish civil war in 1944. I walked into this hoping to be impressed by Del Toro's work and left satisfied with incredible visual effects (as well as practicalA disturbingly chilling drama focused around a child's imagination during the Spanish civil war in 1944. I walked into this hoping to be impressed by Del Toro's work and left satisfied with incredible visual effects (as well as practical effects) and dramatic tension.… Expand
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10
senbladeOct 7, 2019
Величайшее творение искусства - фильм, притягивающий буквально всем из чего состоит. Лабиринт Фавна - одна из лучших просмотренных мною картин, которая подарила мне ярчайшие, незабываемые эмоции и легкую депрессию.Величайшее творение искусства - фильм, притягивающий буквально всем из чего состоит. Лабиринт Фавна - одна из лучших просмотренных мною картин, которая подарила мне ярчайшие, незабываемые эмоции и легкую депрессию.
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9
criticnonameJan 24, 2020
incredible, fantastic, brilliant are the words that define a masterpiece by guillermo del toro
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7
AndrewHordMay 29, 2020
Wonderful and marvelous film.It is one of the greatest fantasy films of 21th century,but i can`t consider it as masterpiece.Its rating by critics is overrated.
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10
DrZombieSep 1, 2020
A fairy tale where the humans are the real monsters, stunning visuals, great acting and superb direction by Guillermo del Toro proves once again he is one of the best storytellers of the modern era.
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10
dmturnerJul 29, 2020
One of my all-time favourite movies. I love its mix of real-world horror and fantasy horror. You fall in love with the world it creates.
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10
Fuzzbuzz2025Dec 9, 2020
The brutalities of war, the descent to madness, and the importance of family are all presented in such a way to make you feel for all the characters in this true work of art. All these themes being shown through the eyes of a child is myThe brutalities of war, the descent to madness, and the importance of family are all presented in such a way to make you feel for all the characters in this true work of art. All these themes being shown through the eyes of a child is my kryptonite to movies. Please watch this masterpiece, for it will make you feel emotions you have never felt before. Unless you are under 18, blood and/or gore makes you sick, you don't speak Spanish and hate reading subtitles, are afraid of goat people, cannibalism, unsettling scenes, or are allergic to one of, if not the, best movie ever made.… Expand
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10
Conor_DimmockJan 14, 2021
I can safely categorize this movie as a masterpiece. I have watched it many times and it has never failed to leave me in a state of awe. In this film, Guillermo del Toro, explores good and evil in a way that is uniquely his own. He expertlyI can safely categorize this movie as a masterpiece. I have watched it many times and it has never failed to leave me in a state of awe. In this film, Guillermo del Toro, explores good and evil in a way that is uniquely his own. He expertly weaves to together the incredible world of the supernatural (and the monsters that inhabit it) that exist in his story, with the visceral reality of civil war in a world far more familiar to us. Overall I would rank this film as one of the best ever made and I highly recommend it.
(Watch in it's original language)… Expand
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9
inazaeJun 7, 2021
リアルとファンタジーが同時進行でスートーリーが進みます。目をそむけたくなる場面も多いですが楽しめました。少女の悲しい物語です。ファンタジーは現実逃避のようにも思われますリアルとファンタジーが同時進行でスートーリーが進みます。目をそむけたくなる場面も多いですが楽しめました。少女の悲しい物語です。ファンタジーは現実逃避のようにも思われます
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10
RoyaClancyJun 26, 2021
this is my favorite movie. fabulous story, great directing and visually stunning.
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7
NickTheCritickApr 19, 2022
Spain 1944. Franco's army is bending the last fringes of resistance to the "normalization" of the country, now almost totally under Franco's control. Carmen, a young widow, married Vidal, an army captain, and joins him with her 12-year-oldSpain 1944. Franco's army is bending the last fringes of resistance to the "normalization" of the country, now almost totally under Franco's control. Carmen, a young widow, married Vidal, an army captain, and joins him with her 12-year-old daughter Ofelia. The little girl suffers from the presence of the arrogant stepfather and tries to help her mother who is going through a difficult pregnancy. Her refuge is the world of fairy tales which materializes with the presence of a faun who reveals his true identity to her. She is the princess of an underground kingdom. To reach it he will have to pass three dangerous tests. This is a beautiful and fascinating work by Del Toro, which can only be criticized for his excessive search for easy tears and rain in the wet.… Expand
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10
jerekdeeterNov 27, 2021
Absolutely stunning imagery and story. It's one of my favorite movies of all time. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and watch it ASAP.
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10
DunkaccinoNov 13, 2022
I envy anyone who has not experienced the film in its entirety. Del Toro, along with his wonderful team, have crafted a true fairy tale. Pan’s Labyrinth is unsettling, riveting, as the greatest tales are—except it’s even better than those
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8
joboxrno1Jul 3, 2022
Excellent CGI, Really good story, Acting was spot on even by the young actress (btw, she is absolutely drop dead gorgeous today).
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7
DolphinReviewsNov 25, 2022
A good fantasy movie that does enough to change up the formula to keep the viewer interested.
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9
9jonnywyomingSep 8, 2022
A fantastic fantasy/peroid drama film! Del Toro just knocked it out of the park with this one. The story is political but the script never gets preachy, modern Hollywood screenwriters shoud take notes from this movie.
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10
GiugiOct 2, 2022
A very sad story that speaks of a little girl with a lot of imagination that eventually reaches her goal. This is a very deep film and not suitable for children even if the protagonist is a child. In conclusion the film is also at times scaryA very sad story that speaks of a little girl with a lot of imagination that eventually reaches her goal. This is a very deep film and not suitable for children even if the protagonist is a child. In conclusion the film is also at times scary and with a dramatic and unexpected ending.… Expand
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10
abc1234567890Mar 20, 2023
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love this scary 01 hour: and 58 minutes movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!… Expand
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10
canisfamiliarisJul 24, 2023
Guillermo's best film although he very rarely fails to entertain. Great movie, great monster design - everything is good.
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6
Dominik08Aug 15, 2023
Not very interesting both psychologically and in terms of the created world. A very naive, infantile show.
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