The Devil's Backbone is set in an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War. A new boy arrives and begins seeing the ghost of Santi, a boy who vanished the same day a bomb appeared in the courtyard of the orphanage. Carlos (the newbie) befriends a bully and the two of them begin unraveling the mysteries of the orphanage.
This is a very moody and atmospheric movie. The ghost effects on Santi have become Del Toro go to cliches at this point but in 2001, the shimmery underwater look of the ghost was something original and fresh. There are lots of politics hidden just beneath the surface with the operators of the orphanage trying to stay out of the fray while very much being dedicated to the loyalist party. There are several plot lines floating around in this movie but that just makes it a more rewarding experience.
If you liked Crimson Peak, with the idea that it was a story that featured a ghost and not a story about ghosts, then you should like Devil's Backbone. It is a pretty classy little ghost story I would highly recommend.
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