2006 Hit Film Was Just Ranked the 'Greatest Dark Fantasy Movie Masterpiece' of All Time

Many dark fantasy movies, with their unique worldbuilding and usually disturbing imagery, have enthralled audiences and critics alike. However, some dark fantasy films are considered better than others. For instance, on April 29, Colliderreleased a list of the 10 greatest movie masterpieces from said genre.

The films listed included 1982's The Dark Crystal, Hellboy from 2004, The Last Unicorn, also from 1982, and The NeverEnding Story from 1984.

Guillermo del Toro's beloved 2006 film Pan's Labyrinth, which focuses on a Spanish girl, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), attempting to complete tasks in a bizarre, creature-filled underworld, took home the ranking's top spot. Collider noted that the fairytale film's symbolism and direct imagery showcase the horrors brought on by the Franco Dictatorship.

Pan's Labyrinth has a score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Guillermo del Toro Discussed the 2006 Film's Fairytale Aspects

In a 2019 interview with Warner Brothers Entertainment, del Toro, who directed and wrote Pan's Labyrinth, shared that he believes the 2006 film has a timeless quality.

"I wanted it to feel like it's a movie you heard [before]. And it's a very ancient fairytale that has been repeated many times, in many generations. I didn't want it to feel new. I wanted it to feel eternal. Like it came from a long, long oral tradition. And it has that power, fortunately," said the Shape of Water director.

He also commented on the theory that the film's fantasy aspects were imagined by Ofelia.

"I wanted the audience to experience a movie, in which, they were not sure if the fairytale elements were real or not. But I was sure. As far as I'm concerned, they are real, not in the way people understand it, but I happen to believe that fantasy stories have the same weight in shaping how we are as real things," explained del Toro in the 2019 interview.

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 5:58 PM.