Premise - Set against the Backdrop of the tail-end of the Spanish civil war in 1939. The Devil's Backbone tells the story of Carlos (Fernando Tielve) a young boy orphaned by the war. He is sent to a secluded orphanage where he learns of hidden gold and a mysterious missing child. The Devil's Backbone (or 'El Espinazo Del Diablo' to give it it's original Spanish title) is a gloriously creepy little ghost movie that just drips with atmosphere. Director Guillermo Del Toro's precursor to 'Blade 2' pushes all the right buttons to leave the viewer on edge after the credits roll. Del Toro is clearly a very stylish director. His use of light and colour in Backbone is perfect to accentuate the creepy, gothic look of the film. Of course this should be no surprise to anyone who has seen his previous work. Be it the good, but ultimately flawed 'Mimic', or the excellent take on the vampire genre that was his debut feature 'Cronos' (definitely worth seeking out). Even though I haven't yet seen Blade 2, I got enough from the trailers to see that his rich visual style lives on in that film as well. In the Devil's Backbone Del Toro takes full advantage of the brooding orphanage where the film is shot. Light seeps in through sand blasted windows and basements are adorned with gothic arches and foreboding, murky pools of water. He uses a minimum of special effects in the film, they are used to convey the story rather than 'be' the story. The 'Ghost' is very well done, with a wispy aura and some excellent CGI flies buzzing around it constantly. The use of sound in the movie should also be applauded. The ghost is referred to by the children as 'the one who sighs' and is presence is announced by a dull, wailing sigh, very creepy. Another good use of sound is in regard to the defused bomb that adorns the orphanage playground. It fell on the same night that the child disappeared and the children say that they can still hear it tick. It becomes another character through the use of sound. But is the film all style over substance? Not a chance. As well as the creepy and compelling ghost story you also get an intriguing look at spain during the civil war. Bombs fall, men are executed and sympathisers flee to surrounding countries. I didn't know much about the Spanish Civil War before seeing this film, but it made me look it up. Entertaining and educational, you can't beat that! The film boasts some impressive work from it's cast. Eduardo Noriega whom I saw just last week in Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes) continues to impress me as the grounds keeper. He was previously a child at the orphanage and never left. This performance is the complete opposite of Cesar in Abre Los Ojos. Here he has nothing and is doing his damnedest to get something. Also good is Federico Luppi as Dr Caseres, he is a kindly old sage of a man whom acts as a father to the children. Stand out's however are the children themselves. Fernando Teilve is just captivating as Carlos and Inigo Garces as bully Jaime shows and amazing amount of range. I'm usually resistant to kids acting in movies as for the most part they are pretty bad (Damn you Jake Lloyd!), however all of the kids in Devil's Backbone are excellent. I'll be interested to see 'The Others' as it seems to share similar themes to Devil's Backbone, ghosts, kids and a Spanish director. I was thinking that The Devil's Backbone would have made a good movie for kids. It's not dissimilar in themes to stuff like Hansel and Gretel and other Grimm fairy tales. If it weren't for the swearing, violence and one sex scene then I would urge parents to let their kids see it, as I'm sure they would enjoy it. If you are looking for a creepy, gothic ghost story with an amazingly stylish look, some great performances and aren't put off by subtitles then look no further than The Devil's Backbone.

8/10 for The Devil's Backbone. Poster Quote - Do you have the backbone for it?