THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE (2002)

Stories upon stories, lies upon lives, all waiting to be unearthed like the giant inert bomb half-buried in the courtyard. The old orphanage that plays host to the discarded children of Spain's Civil War isn't the only thing haunted in Blade II director Guillermo del Toro's horrific character study.... The people are too, people like the smart new kid (Tielve) who's unafraid to face down the grown-up orphan bully (Noriega), or the resident restless specter. Not jump-out-of-your-seat shocking but rather sink-into-your-chair spooky, Backbone uses canny CGI effects, eerie locales, and just plain filmmaking know-how to rattle nerves and reveal small, poignant truths.