Guillermo del Toro's Empathetic Approach to Twisted Fairy Tales

Guillermo del Toro, the renowned Mexican director, is known for his dark and horrifying films, featuring ghosts, vampires, monsters, and demons. However, at his core, del Toro is one of the most empathetic and earnest filmmakers alive, with a deep love for his characters and the twisted monsters he creates.

While del Toro's work is often associated with the dark and the horrifying, his movies are best understood as fairy tales drenched in a dark coat of paint. Frequently operating with the narrative logic and sweep of an old fable, del Toro's films, even when they don't fully work, show real love and craft in every frame. Particularly endearing is his sincere love in crafting films about underdogs and outsiders, often casting stereotypical movie monsters in the role.

Despite now being a popular Oscar-winning director, del Toro's films still have the same sense of coming from an upstart who lives and breathes cinema, and lives for bringing his passion onto the silver screen. His work has taken on various forms, from artsy Spanish-language offerings to less prestigious but wildly enjoyable action schlock, always offering something unique and intriguing.