Guillermo del Toro has turned his expansive imagination toward the classics lately with adaptations of Frankenstein and Pinocchio. But lest we forget, the man can create even more fantastic original stories like this dark fable of Francoist Spain. While her cruel stepfather Captain Vidal is sent to crush the resistance and her pregnant mother grows more and more ill at home, 11-year-old Ofelia ventures into the forest alone. There she meets a coterie of strange and sometimes menacing creatures, including a faun who gives her a quest that leads her deep into a, well, labyrinth. Del Toro’s unique knack for character design also brings us a giant stick bug fairy and The Pale Man, a faceless monster with eyes on the palms of his hands. Bring back kids’ movies like this! – Lina Fisher
