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Here\u2019s the secret about fairy tales: They\u2019re not for kids. In the aftermath of the hellish Spanish Civil War, a little girl named Ofelia wanders into a mystical labyrinth with a secretive faun, mute fairies and a haunting monster with eyeballs in its palms. Meanwhile, the \u201creal world\u201d around her falls into bloodshed, torture and chaos. This is Guillermo del Toro at his finest \u2013 a stunning work blending Latin American mysticism with a raw indictment of Franco-era fascism.

Quality: 5. Motion Picture Terror Scale: 4 \u2013 (Marcus), 3 + (Melissa). Bechdel Test: Passes.

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Articles discussed in this episode:

Spain\u2019s Open Wounds: Decades after Franco\u2019s regime, the country\u2019s citizens continue to unearth the crimes of the past. By Stephania Taladrid for The New Yorker

Pain should not be sought \u2013 but it should never be avoided. By Mark Kermode for The Guardian

Eighty years on, Spain may at last be able to confront the ghosts of civil war. By Julian Coman for The Guardian.

Great Movie: Pan\u2019s Labyrinth. By Roger Ebert for RogerEbert.com

1984: George Orwell\u2019s road to dystopia. By David Aaronovitch for BBC News.