The 13 Best Guillermo del Toro Movies and TV Shows, Ranked

The 13 Best Guillermo del Toro Movies and TV Shows, Ranked

Published onMay 07, 2024

Updated onJuly 27, 2026

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Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is known for many things – he’s noted for his unique style that often takes inspiration from dark fairytales. He’s also an integral figure in the horror genre thanks to his numerous horror films (plus, he often cites classic horror movies as his inspirations), and in more recent years, he’s become known as an award-winning director who isn’t just popular with genre fans, but who can hold his own against the Hollywood greats.

If you want to watch del Toro’s best movies and TV shows, use our guide below to find out where they are streaming.

01

The Shape of Water
The film that most fans know del Toro for is The Shape of Water. At the 90th Oscars, the movie was nominated for a whopping 13 awards and won two major categories: Best Director for del Toro and Best Picture. The film centers around a lonely employee of a secret government facility during the Cold War. One day she discovers that the compound is hiding a dark secret… a mysterious sea creature that’s being kept trapped in a tank. Heavily inspired by Creature from the Black Lagoon, the movie took horror elements and blended them with a love story.

02

Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth

2006

Guillermo del Toro’s trademark film is easily Pan’s Labyrinth. While it wasn’t del Toro’s first movie, it was the first to earn him international acclaim. In the film, a young girl escapes her domineering stepfather by entering into a fairytale world…but not everything about the realm is good. She encounters both light and dark, good and bad, and friends and enemies. The movie was lauded for its gorgeous visuals and raw, emotional story. At the 79th Oscars, Pan’s Labyrinth received six nominations and won three awards, including for Best Cinematography.

03

Mimic
Mimic

Mimic

1997

Long before Pan’s Labyrinth, one of del Toro’s earliest hits was the sci-fi horror film Mimic. The movie takes place in New York City, where a deadly disease spread by cockroaches is killing hundreds of children. To stop the spread, scientists bioengineer a new bug that secretes a toxin that kills off the cockroaches. But some years later, the new bugs have continued to evolve and are now hunting humans. Though a moderate success in theaters, Mimic became a huge hit in the rental market and is now a cult classic among horror fans.

04

Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim

Pacific Rim

2013

Heavily inspired by Godzilla and other Japanese monster movies, the film sees humanity fight off towering monsters known as kaijus using giant mechs called jaegers. Stylistically, it’s pretty different from most of del Toro’s films, but it very much plays into the filmmaker’s love of classic monster movies. For fans of the MonsterVerse, Pacific Rim is a must-watch. 

05

Hellboy
Hellboy

Hellboy

2004

In the final days of World War II, the Nazis attempt to use black magic to aid their dying cause. The Allies raid the camp where the ceremony is taking place, but not before they summon a baby demon who is rescued by Allied forces and dubbed "Hellboy". Sixty years later, Hellboy serves the cause of good rather than evil as an agent in the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense, along with Abe Sapien - a merman with psychic powers, and Liz Sherman - a woman with pyrokinesis, protecting America against dark forces.
Bizarre nightmares unfold in eight tales of terror in this visually stunning, spine-tingling horror collection curated by Guillermo del Toro.

Hellboy, his pyrokinetic girlfriend, Liz, and aquatic empath, Abe Sapien, face their biggest battle when an underworld elven prince plans to reclaim Earth for his magical kindred. Tired of living in the shadow of humans, Prince Nuada tries to awaken an ancient force of killing machines, the all-powerful Golden Army, to clear the way for fantasy creatures to roam free. Only Hellboy can stop the dark prince and prevent humanity's annihilation.

08

Nightmare Alley
Nightmare Alley

Nightmare Alley

2021

An ambitious carnival man with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychologist who is even more dangerous than he is.

09

The Strain
The Strain

The Strain

2014

A high concept thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph, his team, and an assembly of everyday New Yorkers, wage war for the fate of humanity itself.

10

Crimson Peak
Crimson Peak

Crimson Peak

2015

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds… and remembers.

About this list

Titles

13

Total Watch Cost

$49.93

Total Watch Time

64h 42min

Genres

Drama, Fantasy, Horror

Where can I watch this list online?

Find out which streaming services have the most titles from this list below.

There are 13 titles in this list and you can watch 3 of them on Netflix. 29 other streaming services also have titles available to stream today.

  1. 3 titlesNetflix
  2. 3 titlesNetflix Standard with Ads
  3. 2 titlesfuboTV
  4. 2 titlesKanopy
  5. 2 titlesPhilo

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