The Devil's Backbone (2001): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
The Devil's Backbone is a 2001 drama thriller directed by Guillermo del Toro, starring Marisa Paredes and Eduardo Noriega. It runs 1 hour 46 minutes and earned $6.6 million worldwide. Critics gave it 78 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.4/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 46m (106 min)
- Director
- Guillermo del Toro
- Original language
-
Spanish - Studio
- Sony Pictures Classics
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Devil's Backbone About?
The premise of The Devil's Backbone without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
During the final days of the Spanish Civil War, a young orphan named Carlos arrives at the remote Santa Lucia School. Seeking refuge among other orphaned boys, he finds himself entangled in the school’s unsettling atmosphere and complex relationships with the strict headmistress and a mysterious professor. Carlos soon discovers disturbing secrets and a lingering malevolence tied to the school's history, a spectral presence that has haunted the building since the war.
The Devil's Backbone Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- orphanage
- spanish civil war
- gold bar
- 1930s
- revenge
- slug
- toy
- gasoline can
- child ghost
- schoolteacher
- young boy
- spaniard
+38 more Show fewer
- spanish
- bare chested boy
- barefoot boy
- ghost
- tutor
- caretaker
- spain
- safe
- ghostly vision
- whispering
- underwater scene
- truck
- rescue from drowning
- reference to the count of monte cristo
- reference to john the baptist
- reference to jesus christ
- record player
- prologue
- portugal
- pocket knife
- photograph
- nudity
- peeping tom
- old man
- teenage boy
- toledo spain
- co written by director
- andalucia spain
- arsonist
- year 1939
- political allegory
- gothic thriller
- psychological thriller
- period drama
- plateau
- aerial bombing
- abandoned children
- 10 year old boy
The Devil's Backbone Cast
Marisa Paredes leads the cast, with Eduardo Noriega. Directed by Guillermo del Toro.
-
Director Guillermo del Toro
More from Guillermo del Toro
More films directed by Guillermo del Toro, best-rated first: Frankenstein, Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water and Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio.
The Devil's Backbone Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Devil's Backbone 78 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.4/10.
-
IMDb 7.4 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 78 Metascore
User score 7.5
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 73% User score
See on TMDB
The Devil's Backbone Plot Summary
What happens in The Devil's Backbone from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
After the tragic death of his father during the tumultuous final days of the Spanish Civil War, young Carlos (Fernando Tielve) finds himself sent to a secluded orphanage in 1939. This institution, which doubles as a school, houses numerous other boys alongside key figures such as Carmen (Marisa Paredes), the weary headmistress with a prosthetic leg, and Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi), the compassionate assistant administrator. Among the residents is Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), a hired hand whose character blends charm with menace, and Conchita (Irene Visedo), Jacinto’s fiancée who works at the orphanage.
Full summary
The whole story of The Devil's Backbone, scene by scene
The Devil's Backbone Box Office
The Devil's Backbone grossed $6.6 million worldwide. $755,249 came from the US and Canada and $5.8 million (89%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$6.6M
- US & Canada
- $755.2K
- International
- $5.8M
The Devil's Backbone Trailers & Videos
5 videos: 1 trailer, 1 clip and 3 featurettes.
- Clip Excerpt
- Featurette Three Reasons
- Featurette Mark Kermode reviews Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone | BFI Player
- Featurette THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE – Guillermo del Toro’s creative resurrection | MUBI Podcast
How Well Do You Know The Devil's Backbone?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What year is 'The Devil's Backbone' set in?
The Devil's Backbone Also Known As
24 alternative titles, including “Das Rückgrat des Teufels” and “Djevelens ryggrad”.
- Also known as
-
- Das Rückgrat des Teufels
- Djevelens ryggrad
- Ďáblova páteř
- La spina del diavolo
- L'Échine du diable
- Nas Costas do Diabo
- Kręgosłup diabła
- Хребет дьявола
- Princ bez království
- Ördöggerinc
- 鬼童院
- デビルズ・バックボーン
+12 more Show fewer
- Şeytanın Bel Kemiği
- ילדים של אף אחד
- A Espinha do Diabo
- 악마의 등뼈
- Хребет диявола
- 神鬼第六感2:魔鬼之心
- Diablova chrbtica
- Velnio stuburas
- Гръбнакът на дявола
- Xương Quỷ
- Στη ράχη του διαβόλου
- เด็กผีวิญญาณพยาบาท
Seen The Devil's Backbone?
Movies Like The Devil's Backbone
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Orphanage, The Devil’s Breath and The Devils.
The Devil's Backbone FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, post-credit scenes and language of The Devil's Backbone, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Devil's Backbone?
The Devil's Backbone runs 1 hour 46 minutes (106 minutes).
When was The Devil's Backbone released?
The Devil's Backbone was released on November 21, 2001.
Who directed The Devil's Backbone?
The Devil's Backbone was directed by Guillermo del Toro.
More films by Guillermo del Toro Who is in the cast of The Devil's Backbone?
The Devil's Backbone stars Marisa Paredes and Eduardo Noriega.
How much did The Devil's Backbone make at the box office?
The Devil's Backbone grossed $6.6 million worldwide ($755,249 domestic, $5.8 million international).
How is The Devil's Backbone rated?
The Devil's Backbone has 7.4/10 on IMDb, 78 on Metacritic and 73% on TMDB.
Does The Devil's Backbone have a post-credit scene?
No. The Devil's Backbone has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is The Devil's Backbone in?
The original language of The Devil's Backbone is Spanish.
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