The Devil's Backbone
A ghost story set in the Spanish Civil War.
Set in 1939 Spain, during the final year of the Spanish Civil War, *The Devil's Backbone* (original Spanish title: *El espinazo del diablo*) is a 2001 gothic horror film directed by Guillermo del Toro. The screenplay was co-written by del Toro, David Muñoz, and Antonio Trashorras. The story centers on a boy who is brought to an orphanage run by Republican loyalists, where he is haunted by the ghost of a child who recently died there. The cast includes Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Irene Visedo, Fernando Tielve (in his first film role), and Íñigo Garcés. Warner Sogefilms released the film in Spain on 20 April 2001, and it earned mostly positive reviews from critics.
- Release date
- 20 April 2001
- Country
- Spain and Mexico (international co-production)
- Language
- Spanish
- Genre
- Gothic horror
- Director
- Guillermo del Toro
- Writers
- Guillermo del Toro, David Muñoz, Antonio Trashorras
- Runtime
- Not specified
Lore & Background
The film was independently produced by Agustín Almodóvar as an international co-production between Spain and Mexico, and was filmed in Madrid. Some interior scenes were filmed in Talamanca de Jarama, and the orphanage scenes were shot at the Colegio de San Fernando and the Cartujo monastery of Talamanca del Jarama. Guillermo del Toro wrote the first draft before writing his debut film Cronos (1993); that early version was set in the Mexican Revolution and focused on a 'Christ with three arms' rather than a child's ghost. The name 'Devil's Backbone' was initially taken from a mountain range setting in Mexico, but was changed when the movie was set in Spain. One scene showed jars of a liqueur called 'Limbo water' preserving a fetus that died from spina bifida, which became the origin of the film's title.
Reader's Guide
The Devil's Backbone is notable as an early example of Guillermo del Toro's fusion of gothic horror with political allegory, set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, holding a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 78 out of 100. Its critical consensus describes it as 'creepily atmospheric and haunting' and 'both a potent ghost story and an intelligent political allegory.' The film marked the debut of Fernando Tielve, who later appeared with co-star Íñigo Garcés in del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth (2006). The ghost Santi was created by DDT Studios in Barcelona, with a temple that resembled cracked, aged porcelain. The film's villain Jacinto, played by Eduardo Noriega, was given a detailed biography by del Toro to explain his motivations, including suffering at the orphanage as a child and the brutalizing effect of the war.
Did You Know?
- The film was independently produced by Agustín Almodóvar as an international co-production between Spain and Mexico.
- Guillermo del Toro wrote the first draft before his debut film Cronos (1993); that version was set in the Mexican Revolution and focused on a 'Christ with three arms.'
- The ghost Santi was created by DDT Studios in Barcelona, with a temple that resembled cracked, aged porcelain.
- Fernando Tielve and Íñigo Garcés later had cameos as guerrilla soldiers in del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth (2006).
More in Horror war films 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record