The Devil's Backbone (2001) Movie Review

 In "The Devil's Backbone" an orphan is sent to a school with other orphans during the 1930s. However, supernatural happenings combined with the abusive school staff leads the boy and his superiors to take action.

The film is surprising; namely, I thought I'd be going into a generic Spanish horror movie and what I got was like Home Alone in the school setting (with Spanish language speakers and ghosts, of course). The horror elements are obviously on display in the form of a ghost boy murdered by the unlikable, evil groundskeeper of the school. 

Speaking of the groundskeeper and other characters, the film makes it very clear who the villain and who the heroes (the children and the well-performed head of the Orphan school) are. All the performances are knockout, even if you are unfamiliar with the actors on screen. 

In addition, the film does have genuinely well-staged horror set pieces filled with suspense, as well as a phenomenal ending catharsis. The horror elements alone might be a turn off, but as with my other horror reviews I acknowledge the genre simply won't be for everyone. 

Overall, the film is a foreign film with solid performances and well-done set pieces (best to watch with subtitles, if an English speaker like me). Fans of the genre (and MAYBE some newcomers) might be well won over by the film; as a horror film and even as a "child victory" film, it's especially powerful. 

Thanks for reading. I'm gonna start posting once daily as three posts a day was obviously a lot to keep up with. Shoutout to Quinton Oliver Smith, and I'll see you tomorrow.