The Devil's Backbone

Name: The Devil's Backbone
Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Released: 2001-04-20
Duration: 1 h 48 min
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve, Íñigo Garcés

2001·Movie·R·108 min·★ 7.3(1,363)

Fantasy Drama Horror Thriller More Spanish titles

“What is a ghost?”

Spain, 1939. In the last days of the Spanish Civil War, the young Carlos arrives at the Santa Lucía orphanage, where he will make friends and enemies as he follows the quiet footsteps of a mysterious presence eager for revenge.

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Where to watch The Devil's Backbone in United States

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Click a service to open The Devil's Backbone there. Availability last verified on June 21, 2026.

Where is The Devil's Backbone streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Tubi TV	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Sky Store
Australia	—	JustWatch TV, Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Germany	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, filmfriend	—
France	Molotov TV, Insomnia Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Canal VOD
Spain	Filmin	—
Brazil	Looke, Looke Amazon Channel, NetMovies	—
South Korea	Watcha	—

About The Devil's Backbone

The Devil's Backbone is a 2001 Spanish-language fantasy, drama and horror film directed by Guillermo del Toro. The cast is led by Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi. It has a runtime of 1h 48m. Viewers rate it 7.3/10 across 1400 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Tubi TV.

The Devil's Backbone was produced by Tequila Gang, Anhelo Productions, and El Deseo and made in Spain and Mexico. It was released on April 20, 2001, and carries a R certification. Made on a budget of about $5 million, it went on to gross $7 million worldwide.

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writers: Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras, David Muñoz
Release date: April 20, 2001
Original language: Spanish
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: Spain, Mexico
Budget: $5 million
Box office: $7 million
Production: Tequila Gang, Anhelo Productions, El Deseo

#spain#orphanage#spanish civil war (1936-39)#gothic horror#ghost#political repression#1930s#isolated place#supernatural being#ghost child

The Devil's Backbone cast & crew

The Devil's Backbone was directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras, and David Muñoz.

The cast features Marisa Paredes as Carmen, Eduardo Noriega as Jacinto, Federico Luppi as Dr. Casares, Fernando Tielve as Carlos, Íñigo Garcés as Jaime, and Irene Visedo as Conchita.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Javier Navarrete, cinematography is by Guillermo Navarro, and it was produced by Agustín Almodóvar and Bertha Navarro.

Is The Devil's Backbone worth watching?

The Devil's Backbone holds an audience score of 7.3/10 from 1,363 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed fantasy films.

At 1h 48m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy fantasy, drama, and horror, The Devil's Backbone is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Devil's Backbone

In United States, you can stream The Devil's Backbone on Tubi TV, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.