Guillermo del Toro’s Favorite Movies: 35 Films the Director Wants You to See

[Editor’s note: The following gallery was originally published in July 2019 and has been updated accordingly.]

Guillermo del Toro’s boundless imagination, from the gothic horrors of “Crimson Peak” to the creature-feature-inspired “The Shape of Water,” has been cultivated by a lifelong love of cinema. He proudly wears his influences on his sleeves while championing the past and future of moviegoing and movie-making, as he did at a rousing recent speech at the Cannes Film Festival.

More from IndieWire

• Guillermo del Toro: The Current State of Cinema Is 'Not Sustainable'

• James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, John Williams, and More Urge Academy to 'Reverse' Telecast Decision

• Guillermo del Toro Slams Academy for Oscars Telecast Shake-Up: 'This Is the Year to Sing and Do It Live'

His most recent film, the show business noir “Nightmare Alley,” may have been a remake of a 1947 classic, but del Toro imbued plenty of his own sensibilities and penchant for shocking horror, luscious production design, and arch performances into the Oscar-nominated thriller.

Next up, he’s tackling another literary and cinematic classic with his stop-motion version of “Pinocchio,” premiering on Netflix later this year, and set against the rise of Mussolini. As always, del Toro adoringly looks backward at cinema as much as he looks forward. “Pan’s Labyrinth” drew from his love of Lewis Carroll and early silent cinematic folktales to craft a contemporary fairy tale.

Del Toro has long used social media and interviews for his own films to champion the movies past and present that he deems masterpieces. Take a look below at some of the classics and new films touted by the two-time Oscar winner as among the films he doesn’t want you to miss — including this year’s “Crimes of the Future.”

Zack Sharf contributed to this story.

Best of IndieWire

• 20 Controversial Film and TV Book Adaptations That Rankled Their Audiences and Authors

• 45 Great Films Booed at Cannes, from 'L'Avventura' to 'Okja'

• From 'Barbie' to 'Babylon,' Here's Everything Margot Robbie Has in the Works

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.