Cool fx and weird fantasy world steal the show

Rating: 7/10 (7 January 2019)

Awesome special effects are the best thing about this film from writer/director/ producer Guillermo del Toro. A little girl discovers a weird fantasy land that helps her cope with the pain and trouble all around her - an evil, macho, fascist stepfather, a seriously ill mother, and the Spanish Civil War raging in the woods outside of the estate/garrison that she recently moved into. It is an effective blend of fantasy and reality, but there is a problem. The fantasy world stuff is lively, creepy, and intense - but the ordinary world provides pretty standard violent melodrama, and is not as effective. A recent BBC critics poll placed this in the top 20 films since 2000.