Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country of origin: Mexico | Spain
Why watch it? Pan’s Labyrinth is an epic fairy tale set in Spain, five years after the Spanish Civil War. In this eerie fantasy world, love is one of the central themes that motivates the many characters, particularly our lead actress, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero). Ofelia encounters an overgrown and abandoned labyrinth, inhabited by a mysterious faun creature who leads her through various trials. The film is a wondrous display of creativity and imagination from writer and director del Toro, combining the use of animatronics and CGI to bring its equally terrifying and intriguing creatures to life. What makes it one of the most special additions to our list is how love underpins the entire story, even when it’s wrapped up in darkness; love is seen through the lack of concern or love from Ofelia’s stepfather and how this is matched against Ofelia’s desire to go through adversity to unite her family. We recommend getting lost in this story over and over again.