The best film about a labyrinth since Labyrinth.

Rating: 8/10 (15 June 2018)

Spain, 1944, five years after the Spanish Civil War: a young girl, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), travels to the countryside with her pregnant mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil), to meet her new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López), a staunch Falangist who has been assigned to hunt down the band of rebels still holding out in the forests. While exploring the land surrounding her new home, Ofelia discovers a strange labyrinth where she meets a faun, who tells her that she is the reincarnation of a princess, and that she must perform three tasks in order to return to her magical realm.
Has the girl retreated into a world of make-believe influenced by her storybooks? Or is the faun very real and telling the truth? Either way, director Guillermo Del Toro's movie is utterly compelling viewing, expertly blending the cruelty of war with its supernatural elements. With imagination to spare, brought to life by an array of incredible special effects (both animatronic and digital), and excellent performances from all involved, Pan's Labyrinth is an unforgettable journey into dark fantasy, where the supernatural horrors faced by Ofelia as she performs her tasks are more than matched by the unspeakable acts perpetrated by the sadistic Captain Vidal (his cruelty making the film unsuitable for the kiddies, despite the fairytale plot).
Unforgettable scenes include the brutal killing of a hunter and his son, an encounter with a giant toad, Ofelia pursued by a freaky child-eating creature with eyes in its hands, and the haunting ending, which is either happy or sad, depending on your point of view.