Matthew Percefull
Gothic horror is one of, if not the most influential, subgenres of horror. Pioneered by legendary authors like Mary Shelly and Bram Stoker, the style has roots in the history of horror literature and continues to inspire storytellers to this day. In terms of filmmakers, it’s hard to think of someone who’s mastered the subgenre more than Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro is a craftsman. His ability to create sprawling fantasy worlds and tell real, timely stories within them is unmatched.
While del Toro is usually categorized as a horror director (a badge he wears proudly), he can do much more. He blends his love for classical monster films with escapist fantasy and tops it all off with historical fiction for a package that rarely leaves audiences disappointed. Many of his films are set during wartime. Many of his films have monsters. Most importantly, all of his films are deeply human. Known just as much for his heartfelt storytelling as his creature designs, del Toro has amassed one of the most impressive and varied filmographies of recent years.
These thirteen films were a pain to rank. There’s truly stuff to love in every single one of them. Del Toro is one of those rare filmmakers who have remained prolific but never gone through an ‘off’ period. He’s never directed a complete flop (When his films don’t do great financially, critical word of mouth is still strong). Throughout his career, the worst reputation any of his films has garnered is divisive.
The director’s 2025 release, Frankenstein, is seeing a small theatrical release before premiering on Netflix on November 7th. What better time than now to rank these films? Here is my attempt at ranking the films of Guillermo del Toro:
13. Blade 2
The Blade franchise is a perfect fit for del Toro’s style. It’s half gothic horror and half a comic book film, which are two interests that have followed the auteur his entire career. Unfortunately, the final product is not as memorable as it probably should be. Blade 2 is a perfectly fine sequel, but it fails to reach the heights of its predecessor and the goofy lows of the following Blade: Trinity. This is essentially del Toro’s tryout for a high-budget action film ala Hellboy. Blade 2 is a fun time if you want to see some vampire action and Wesley Snipes’ charm, but not if you’re expecting del Toro’s usual emotional depth.
12. Mimic
Guillermo del Toro has never made an ugly film. His sophomore effort, Mimic, is no exception. In fact, it’s solely Del Toro’s visual flair that saves this film from ’90s genre obscurity. It’s a studio film, and that’s incredibly obvious when watching it. The production is a classic case of Weinstein meddling. It’s the director at his most controlled and sanitized. It’s Del Toro, so he makes it work well enough, but Mimic is truly missing del Toro’s voice in the plot and characters. Mimic isn’t without a few effective scares and effects, but has little to offer outside of them.
11. Nightmare Alley
One of del Toro’s more frustrating outings. Nightmare Alley has every ingredient for a film I would usually ride for. It’s a gothic noir adapted from a legendary novel. It’s phenomenal from a set design and performance perspective. While my eyes stay glued the entire time, my heart doesn’t connect in the same way. I find that there just isn’t much to latch onto emotionally, which is needed in a del Toro film to make the whole thing click, especially when separated from his usual monsters. There’s just a disconnect with these characters. The dialogue is often wordy and expositional, which gets in the way of the deeper ambitions that del Toro so obviously had with Nightmare Alley. An ambitious swing that doesn’t fully land for me.
10. Pacific Rim
Hear me out!
Pacific Rim is del Toro playing with very expensive toys for 130 minutes, and it’s glorious. Kaiju films have been somewhat of a struggle for Hollywood studios. They’ve had financial success, but not the cultural importance that the Japanese films hold. Plus, America is usually just reheating Japan’s nachos. Pacific Rim is an attempt at a big blockbuster Kaiju film without relying on previous IP like Godzilla or King Kong. It mostly worked. The set pieces and visual worlds that del Toro creates with these larger-than-life figures are nothing short of awe-inspiring. The story and characters are sacrificed a bit to achieve this, but honestly, it’s robots punching monsters, I’ll give them a pass for that.
9. Crimson Peak
It pains me to put this so low.
On first watch, Crimson Peak blew me away. It’s a mesmerizing piece of filmmaking. There are images from this film that will stick with me forever. It builds a chilling atmosphere that never relents throughout the whole runtime. Its fatal flaw, though, is the thing del Toro has battled most of his career: pacing. Large chunks of this film drag. This lack of momentum has decreased my enjoyment of the film on every revisit. Despite some unevenness, it’s hard to deny the pure craft in Crimson Peak. Every frame of this thing sings. The score is haunting and tragic. There’s a lot to like about this gothic romance film.
8. Hellboy
It’s a shame we haven’t gotten more comic book films from del Toro. It’s not for lack of trying either. Justice League: Dark was extremely close to becoming a reality. He’d also put his bid in for the Thor and Doctor Strange films that fell through. Hellboy is the series that del Toro finally got to helm as his own, and it’s a load of crazy fun. The film suffers from a bit of table setting and franchise set up but you forget about all of that when a masterful set piece occurs. This is the visual palette that pops into my head when I think of del Toro’s work. Equal parts fantasy and cosmic horror, Hellboy is one of del Toro’s quintessential films.
7. Frankenstein
Frankenstein is the film Guillermo del Toro was born to make. His entire career has seemingly been leading to this. The perfect mix of beauty and macabre. Ambition vs mania. Themes that del Toro has been touching on since his debut. So why is it just in the middle of the pack? Well, first of all, del Toro’s worst is many filmmakers’ best, so this is no insult. Second, it just feels safe. The performances are incredible (I’m shipping for Elordi Oscar nom now!), and the cinematography might even be a career best. I think the issue is how loyal an adaptation it is. It sticks so rigidly to Mary Shelly’s novel that the pacing is just way off. That being said, the best stuff here is some of the best of this year and del Toro’s career in general. Mary Shelly would be proud!
6. The Shape of Water
The film that got del Toro his Oscar. Although it was massively overdue, this is the film that finally made Hollywood take him seriously as a whole. He was no longer seen as that weird genre director who played with monsters. He was now, Guillermo del Toro, the auteur. The Shape of Water proves that he can create something like a period romance while not sacrificing what makes him unique as a filmmaker. This is a quiet, beautiful film that in some ways feels like the thesis statement of his filmography. How humans connect to the unknown, and the realization that we barely even know what we are, let alone how to explain the fantastical.
5. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Hellboy 2 is what a sequel should be. It uses the runway laid out by the first film and soars from it. This is hands down the most fun Guillermo del Toro film. It’s so self-confident and humorous. I mean, come on, an evil clan of elves? How could that not rule? It also develops these characters beyond their origins. It deepens the lore in simple ways that branch out to be consequential by the end. This may be the opposite of del Toro’s pacing complaint. This film barely lets you breathe. It’s a steampunk journey that could only be brought to life by del Toro. It’s a shame he was never able to complete this trilogy.
4. PinocchioÂ
Pinocchio has always perplexed me. The character and story he inhabits have captured the heart of many of our great filmmakers. So many legends have tried to adapt this strange tale about a lonely man and a wooden boy. It will probably continue to be adapted until the world decides to freeze over. I’ve just never been able to connect to it. It’s always unnerved me. I even put off watching this critically acclaimed version by one of my favorite directors for years because the story is just that off-putting. I feel foolish. This is a gorgeous reflection on grief, war, and what it truly means to move on from something. Equipped with gorgeous animation and del Toro’s signature brand of dark whimsy, this is one of his best efforts and the best adaptation of this tale. Don’t be like me, seek this one out!
3. Cronos
Debuts can be tricky. Most of the time, they’re sloppy with flashes of potential. Other times, they can be misguided and overly referential. Del Toro’s first feature-length film is a confident outing that doesn’t suffer from these issues. Del Toro is basically fully formed in this debut. Cronos also marks the first of many collaborations with Ron Perlman. It wears its inspirations on its sleeves; the inspirations vary so much that the combination of them produces something wholly unique. Del Toro uses Hammer-style shot composition and paces it like an old Giallo film. Pinned together with a strong allegory to addiction, and you have one of del Toro’s best ideas, executed to perfection.
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
This is what many consider to be Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece. Pan’s Labyrinth is a dark fantasy on the surface, monsters and all, but it’s really a political statement. It’s what he’s always done best. You go in ready for inventive monster designs and leave thinking of the true monsters: us. It’s a cliché thing to say about a monster film. Yet, it’s true. Del Toro has mastered the concept of sympathetic monsters that we relate to while terrifying us with the mundane evil that exists within our day-to-day. There’s not much that hasn’t been said about this film. It will always hold up, both for its stunning visuals and socio-political relevance.
1. The Devil’s Backbone
Most of Guillermo del Toro’s films Trojan horse for a deeply emotional message in the form of something supernatural. Very rarely are his monsters just monsters. The Devil’s Backbone is executed at its best. Set during the Spanish Civil War, the historical and cultural context that sits within this film’s DNA makes it endlessly rewarding. Coming off of two lower-budget horror films, The Devil’s Backbone was del Toro’s first opportunity to widen his scope. While Cronos and Mimic flexed their horror chops, The Devil’s Backbone is our first glimpse at the generational filmmaker we know and love today.
