El Laberinto del Fauno (2006)

This adult fairy tale from the mind of Guillermo del Toro blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Set in 1944, during the Spanish civil war, a young girl named Ofelia travels to the countryside with her pregnant mother. She is to live with her stern stepfather, an officer in Franco's army, charged with rooting out a local rebel militia. What she discovers is a world of mystery centered on the ruins of an ancient labyrinth. In order to claim her destiny as princess of the fairy realm, she must complete three challenges set forth by the fearful faun who lives in those ruins. This film exemplifies the stark contrast between the horrors of war and the fantasies of a young girl. Despite the fairy-tale trappings, this is not a movie meant for children.