1999 and Sierra Leone is in the midst of civil war, the rebels infamously using an army of indoctrinated children to do their genocidal work. In the midst of this bloodshed two unlikely men are drawn together, one a desperate father whose son has become a rebel soldier, the other a self-serving white Rhodesian mercenary in search of an immense uncut diamond. The two are bound together by their wildly divergent, but inextricably linked, quests and it is here that the action of the film lies as th find out more...

Guillermo Del Toro's blockbusting tale of a young girl struggling to make sense of the violent world around her was a big 2006 arthouse hit. Continuing his exploration of the impact of the Spanish Civil War on his generation (it was also the backdrop for his excellent ghost story, The Devil's Backbone) Del Toro's fantasy mixes strong horror with fairytale-style aesthetics to great effect, making Ofelia's escape into an imaginary realm a poignant response to the cruel realities of her existence. find out more...