Guillermo Del Toro's Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (11 April 2020)

I avoided this film for a long time, even after the beauty of The Shape of Water, due to the foreign language used throughout the film. I regretted that decision within the first five minutes. This film is beautiful and terrifying, but not in a "jump-scare" way. It's full of suspense and tense moments, but at heart, it is a twisted version of a children's story. This is easily my favorite Guillermo Del Toro story. If you are hesitant due to the subtitles and native Spanish of the film, don't be. By 10 minutes in, you'll be so stunned by the cinematography that you won't even notice that you are reading subtitles. The actors portray themselves so well in their facial expressions that this entire film could be without dialogue and you wouldn't miss a thing.
Spoilers below:
The plot follows a young girl, Ofelia, who encounters a Satyr in Pan's Labyrinth in 1944 Spain. The Satyr assigns her several missions that include mystical creatures, including a giant slug-frog and a being with eyes in his hands.