Del Toro uses this fantastical and paranormal lense to reveal this valuable insight into the state of a nation while making it a little easier for audiences to swallow if they are willing to peel back this otherworldly layer and truly evaluate it. Audiences feel for his characters as they struggle to internalize his macabre message yet are undeniably charmed by the whimsically gothic feel that encompasses his films. It is not uncommon to walk out of one of his movies asking yourself, was what I watched is real or was it just fantasy. While these films are frozen in time, incorporating specific aspects of European culture, what del Toro is trying to say about the sociopolitical condition can be universally applied. Fantastical and paranormal
