Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

I've seen Pan's Labyrinth multiple times now and it just keeps getting better. del Toro's practical creature design is something rarely matched in cinema. If you haven't watched it yet, clear your evening.

I went into Pan's Labyrinth knowing nothing — no trailer, no plot summary. I strongly recommend that approach. The childhood innocence vs adult brutality hits much harder when you haven't been primed for it. Go in cold.

I didn't expect Pan's Labyrinth to affect me so deeply. The way Guillermo del Toro handles childhood innocence vs adult brutality is unlike anything I'd seen before. I came out of it looking at the world differently.

There are scenes in cinema you never forget. For me, the chalk door escape in Pan's Labyrinth is one of them. Guillermo del Toro constructs it with total precision and it lands exactly as intended. Pure craft.

Pan's Labyrinth is not background viewing. Every scene requires you. Put your phone down, dim the lights. Guillermo del Toro is doing too much to be half-watched. Give it the attention it deserves.