Guillermo del Toro celebrates his birthday today and it's time we plan a marathon of all his directorial attempts. For the ones who don't know, this ace Mexican filmmaker is a former special effects makeup artist. His movies, though unusual and atypical are delightful. We'll be honest, his movies are not everyone's cup of tea and they are dark and even gritty at times. He paints a very different picture of the world and sometimes, it's a refreshing change to witness. Pinocchio: Netflix Announces The Cast Of Guillermo del Toro's Stop Motion Film! (Deets Inside).

As the Academy Award-winning filmmaker gets ready to celebrate his big birthday, we name five of his best works to date. Have a look...

The Shape of Water 

This Academy Award-winning movie was hugely praised for its innovative storyline and the way the director blended in romanticism with it. Well, he bagged the Academy award in the best director category for the same and that should explain its brilliance.

Pacific Rim 

Now that we are in 2020, we know for a fact that nothing is impossible and anything can happen anytime. Pacific Rim was all about monstrous creatures, Kaijus waging a war on our planet Earth. To tackle their invasion, governments of different nations build Jaegers, robotic war machines that are partly successful in defeating the creatures. But who wins the ultimate battle? Watch this visual masterpiece by del Toro to find your answer.

Crimson Peak

There's a reason why we are asked to listen to elders. For the ones who don't, like Edith in Crimson Peak, they end up paying a huge price for their ignorance. After ignoring her father's warning, she marries Sir Thomas Sharpe only to realise that his secrets are scary and his mansion is filled with ghosts. Leonardo DiCaprio in Talks to Star in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’ Remake.

Pan's Labyrinth

This Spanish-Mexican production is about a girl who along with her mother moves in with her stepfather. She's then led by a fairy to a faun who informs her that she's in fact a princess. She's then asked to participate in three tasks to prove her royalty. This dark fantasy movie won the Academy Award for best production design and best cinematography.

The Devil's Backbone

The gothic horror directed by del Toro revolved around an orphan boy who's taken to a shelter home. The boy soon has a run-in with the shelter home's violent caretaker and he ends up uncovering the secrets of the school, including the youthful ghost.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 09, 2020 10:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).