Taylor Swift Says These Two Horror Movies Inspired Her Greatest Album: “I was so dazzled by those films”
Mary Beth McAndrews
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Taylor Swift is undoubtedly a massive pop culture icon, regardless of how you feel about her and her music. Her influence is almost unfathomable, with an army of fans ready to defend her honor whenever, wherever. While Taylor Swift feels incredibly outside of the world of horror, she may just be one of us, especially after she shared which two Guillermo del Toro films helped inspire her 2020 album Folklore. It would go on to become Swift’s most critically acclaimed record and a fan favorite.
Specifically, Swift shared that two of del Toro’s most intense and devastating films had a massive influence on the album. During an onstage interview at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, Swift said,
“I remember watching two Guillermo del Toro movies back to back—The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth. My whole world turned into folktales and forests and mythical creatures. I was so dazzled by those films. Obviously, The Shape of Water is one of my favorite films ever. But I hadn’t seen those two very pinnacle films in his repertoire. You end up with me telling stories from other people’s perspectives.”
Talk about one hell of a double feature. Swift was onstage at TIFF to premiere and discuss her short film All Too Well. She wrote and directed the film based on a song of the same name from her 2013 album Red.
When the news hit Twitter, fans went feral. And I mean fans of Guillermo del Toro, not just Taylor Swift. Check out some of the responses below:
The Devil’s Backbone is one of del Toro’s first feature films, a devastating story about a young boy who discovers an orphanage’s devastating secrets. It’s a classic ghost story set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. Here, del Toro really shows off his ability to create terrifying and heart-breaking horror that makes you scream through the tears.
Following The Devil’s Backbone is del Toro’s 2006 masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth, which put the director on the radar of mainstream audiences. Again set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, this time del Toro follows a young Ofelia who is desperately trying to escape the world of her fascist stepfather. This disgusting twist on the fairytale is again devastating but impossible to forget.
Both films are available to stream on digital and VOD, so if you’re looking to listen to Taylor Swift’s latest album and cry, you might as well turn on one of these films to really make it an authentically heart-destroying experience.
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