Guillermo del Toro is one of the most important horror filmmakers in history for his extensive work in the genre. From Cronos to Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak to The Shape of Water and his new Guillermo del Toro Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix, we know we can trust him when it comes to having a horror marathon and watching these six films that are some of his favorites.
Crimes of the Future (2022)
David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future was released this year and became one of Guillermo del Toro’s most recent favorites. Cronenberg returned to science fiction and horror, which he had not explored since 1999′s eXistenZ.
The Uninvited (1944)
Lewis Allen’s The Uninvited is another all-time favorite from the Mexican filmmaker. The film stars Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey as two siblings who acquire a home in Cornwall, England… and paranormal and terrifying things begin to happen. “It’s one of the great movies that scared me when I was younger, but when I show it to my family now, it doesn’t seem so scary to them,” del Toro said.
The Exorcist (1973)
Guillermo del Toro didn’t find this classic horror film so disturbing… until he became an adult. About William Friedkin’s film, he said: “When I was a kid, ‘The Exorcist’ didn’t provoke me at all. But when I became a father it became incredibly scary. Movies change with your age. The reality of our world and what we need to understand is that terror is very human.” And surely those who saw the film and were traumatized upon its release (and even before, just with the trailer) agreed.
Frankenstein (1931)
James Whale’s Frankenstein is one of del Toro’s favorites, which is no surprise because he loves all the creatures of classic horror cinema. That film represents him and, he says, “touches the very essence of who I am and what I believe in.”
Jaws (1975)
For Guillermo del Toro, Jaws is one of the best horror films in history. From a terrifying soundtrack that we will forever relate to the sea creatures to the influence that Steven Spielberg’s decisions in this film had on the filmmaker (such as keeping the film’s monster “hidden” throughout the first half of the film).
Nosferatu (1922)
This jewel of F. W. Murnau’s silent films is one of the filmmaker’s favorites that marked him forever. “It’s a perfect symphony of visual storytelling,” del Toro said about Nosferatu.
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva
