Top 5 Guillermo del Toro’s Favorite Old Movies You Must Watch
He definitely knows better.
When deciding what to watch, we often rely on other people's opinions, and that's perfectly fine. If we have doubts about the genre of the general nature of what we want to see, if it's not a new movie that just hit streaming platforms, the choice can be difficult because of the huge variety of thighs that are available.
Who to trust better if not your favorite director, then? For example, Quentin Tarantino is always vocal about what he likes and dislikes in movies, but so is Guillermo del Toro.
Therefore, if you trust the choices of the iconic director and you're in the mood for something old-school and classic – here are del Toro's 5 favorite movies to watch.
1. Goodfellas (1990)
Of course, there’s no way Martin Scorsese ’s gangster gem would have been left off the list. It’s no news that this legendary 1990 film featuring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci is considered to be one of the most influential flicks ever created, and del Toro himself said it was a movie that will remain fresh and surprising even after many rewatches.
Along with the huge fandom of the movie, the director claims the movie is perfect in every aspect of it.
“Had the pleasure of watching my favorite film again, and time and again I cannot seem to find anything wrong with it. From the pace to the acting to the music, it all comes together in this glorious harmony,” Redditor MaleCra said.
2. Frankenstein ( 1931)
Another movie on the list is James Whale’s Frankenstein of 1931. Everybody who knows del Toro is aware of his love for movie monsters, so this iconic classic is definitely a yes from the director. He once mentioned that the movie touches every essence of what he is and what he believes in.
And of course it’s impossible not to mention the brilliant performance of Boris Karloff as the titular character, who managed to make sure the viewer will get every existing emotion of the monster.
3. Blood Simple (1984)
The Coen brothers are now one of the most popular and critically acclaimed directing tandems in the film industry, but there was a time when they made their first movie together, and that was 1984 with Blood Simple. It's a noir-thriller-drama that focuses on four characters with complex relationships whose futures depend on each other.
What surprised del Toro the most about the film was how perfect it was for a debut, and how Joel and Ethan Coen created all the major staples in Blood Simple that they would go on to use in their later films.
4. Brazil (1985)
Del Toro once mentioned in an interview many years ago that Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, a sci-fi thriller about an unfortunate soul lost in a futuristic society, is one of the most important movies of his life.
Fans on Reddit can’t agree more.
“It is a dystopian set somewhere in the 20th century and is actually pretty accurate. The director manages to express the average working man's feelings so well. Above all Brazil may look like a satirical dark comedy but explores so many themes such as bureaucracy, terrorism, social control, manipulation, loneliness. Politics, media, technology, the list goes on,” Redditor hellboy___007 said.
5. Canoa: A Shameful Memory (1976)
Del Toro loves this film for many things. The director has called the 1976 picture a landmark in Mexican cinema, mentioning that it was Canoa that changed the entire game of national cinematography, expanding the themes and visuals of the films being made at the time there.
The film centers on the struggles of a team of young workers who are mistaken for communist students while on a trip in the mountains.
Source: Criterion Collection