Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Nightmare AlleyGuillermo del Toro loves monsters. From the skyscraper-sized titans in Pacific Rim to the Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water, creatures of all shapes and sizes populate del Toro’s work, earning him the fitting sobriquet “The Maestro of Monsters.” But ever so often, the true monsters in del Toro’s work don’t possess scales, wings, or even mandibles. Sometimes they look all too human - but lurking underneath the surface is a monster.
Take Cate Blanchett’s Lilith Ritter in Nightmare Alley. The psychiatrist strikes up a relationship with Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), as she uses her ability to dig into people’s heads combined with his con-man tendencies to fleece the wealthy yet ruthless Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins). But Ritter turns out to have plans of her own; she starts to peel back the layers of Carlisle’s mind, revealing his toxic relationship with his father and convincing him to drink - something he’d swore he’d never do. And it turns out, her sessions had an ulterior motive; she’d been stealing money from him and recorded their sessions together, making him look like he’s insane. Their confrontation ends with Ritter shooting Carlisle in the ear, and laughing as he tries to strangle her.
Another monstrous being lurking in plain sight is Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) in The Shape of Water. Strickland is a prime example of the violent, murderous antagonists that often appear in del Toro’s work; a pivotal scene that demonstrates his sinister ways comes when he corners Zelda (Octavia Spencer) at her home, demanding to know where the amphibious creature that he captured is. Watching Strickland corner Zelda while reciting the story of Samson destroying a temple is unsettling enough; adding to that, he literally rips off two of his broken fingers and tosses them across the room. And that’s not even close to the brutalities he inflicts on Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg).
del Toro would draw upon the horrors of reality when crafting Pan’s Labyrinth, especially Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). The father of protagonist Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), Vidal is also hunting down the rebels of the Spanish Maquis. Vidal is ruthless in his pursuit of the rebels - and equally ruthless in doling out violence, smashing in a rebel’s face with the butt of his gun until it’s a bloody pulp. He even shoots Ofelia dead when she attempts to abscond to the underworld. Suffice it to say, no tears are shed for him when he’s surrounded by the rebels and shot dead.
Continuing the trend of mankind meddling with magic is Grigori Rasputin (Karl Roden) in del Toro’s adaptation of Hellboy. As with the comic storyline, Seed of Destruction, Rasputin conducted an unholy ritual to summon the demons known as the Ogdru Jahad - bringing Hellboy over to Earth in the process. His dark magic even extends to resurrecting the hellhound Sammael and sucking out the soul of Liz Sherman (Selma Blair). And when Hellboy (Ron Perlman) stabs Rasputin, what comes out is an alien monster made up of writhing tentacles - a literal monster living in human skin.
But the most horrifying beings in del Toro’s filmography have to be Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) in Crimson Peak. Thomas, at first, appears to be a typical charismatic English gentleman; he charms and marries Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) and spirits her away to Allerdale Hall. As with any horror movie, it’s plagued by inhuman ghosts - restless spirits of the women Thomas and Lucille have murdered. It’s revealed that the siblings are locked in an incestuous relationship, and have lured other wealthy heiresses to their home in order to take their fortune. Lucille is the worst of the pair; she views Edith as a threat to their relationship and murders her brother when he implies they can start a new life - but only if they bring Edith with them. Lucille meets her end and becomes a ghost forced to play piano for all eternity, with her outside appearance finally matching her black and twisted soul.