Pan's Labyrinth

Spain, 1944. Young Ofelia travels with her mother to the outpost of the brutal Captain Vidal, her new stepfather. In the nearby forest, she discovers a labyrinth and a creature who tells her she is the long-lost daughter of the King of the Underground World. As the reality of Franco's regime becomes increasingly oppressive, Ofelia completes three dangerous tasks to return to her kingdom. Guillermo del Toro crafted the most perfect dark fable in recent Spanish cinema.

Pan's Labyrinth is a fable about escapism as a means of survival in the face of real terror. Del Toro uses fantasy not to escape, but to speak about Francoism with greater honesty than realist cinema. Visually impeccable.