The Devil’s Backbone

The Devil's Backbone

Spain | 2001 | 106 min. | Guillermo del Toro

August 19, 2022

Auteur August: Guillermo del Toro

Set during the final week of the Spanish Civil War, The Devil's Backbone tells the tale of a twelve-year-old boy who, after his freedom-fighting father is killed, is sent to a haunted rural orphanage full of terrible secrets. Presented in 35mm.

Passes are available for each director's weeklong series, as well as ticket 6-packs which can be used for any Auteur August film (regardless of director).

Buy Pass: Guillermo del Toro   Buy 6-Pack

During the final year of the Spanish Civil War, a young boy called Carlos is sent to live in a remote orphanage. The orphanage is full of rumours—hidden gold, a mysterious disappearance, a still-ticking bomb—and as Carlos explores the grounds, he realises that there is a supernatural presence that suggests a terrible secret has yet to be uncovered.

  • Original Language Title: El Espinazo del Diablo
  • Director: Guillermo del Toro
  • Principal Cast: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Íñigo Garcés, Federico Luppi, Irene Visedo
  • Country: Spain
  • Year: 2001
  • Running Time: 106 min.
  • Producer: Agustín Almodóvar, Bertha Navarro
  • Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras, David Muñoz
  • Cinematographers: Guillermo Navarro
  • Editors: Luis de la Madrid
  • Music: Javier Navarrete
  • Language: Spanish
  • Format: 35mm
  • US Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics