A mysterious device designed to provide its owner with eternal life resurfaces after four hundred years, leaving a trail of destruction in its path.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Awards:
- 24 wins & 13 nominations.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Federico Luppi | ... |
Jesus Gris
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| Ron Perlman | ... |
Angel de la Guardia
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| Claudio Brook | ... |
De la Guardia
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Margarita Isabel | ... |
Mercedes
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Tamara Xanath | ... |
Aurora
(as Tamara Shanath)
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| Daniel Giménez Cacho | ... |
Tito
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| Mario Iván Martínez | ... |
Alchemist
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| Farnesio de Bernal | ... |
Manuelito
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| Juan Carlos Colombo | ... |
Funeral Director
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| Jorge Martínez de Hoyos | ... |
Narrator (voice)
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Luis Rodríguez | ... |
Buyer
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Javier Álvarez | ... |
Bleeding Man
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Gerardo Moscoso | ... |
Drunk
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Eugenio Lobo | ... |
Stoned Man
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Adriana Olivera | ... |
Tango Student
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Clementina Rojas | ... |
Tango Student
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Tzinia Salgado | ... |
Tango Student
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Luis de Icaza | ... |
Tango Student
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Jorge Bolada | ... |
Tango Student
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Ignacio Raiz Oviedo | ... |
Tango Student
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Napo | ... |
Mimo
(as Francisco Sánchez)
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Laurencio Cordero | ... |
Watchman
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Guillermo del Toro | ... |
Man Walking Dog (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Guillermo del Toro | ||
Written by
| Guillermo del Toro | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Rafael Cruz | ... | associate producer |
| Arthur Gorson | ... | producer (as Arthur H. Gorson) |
| Francisco Murguía | ... | co-producer (uncredited) |
| Bertha Navarro | ... | producer |
| Bernard L. Nussbaumer | ... | co-producer |
| Julio Solórzano Foppa | ... | associate producer (as Julio Solorzano Foppa) |
| Alejandro Springall | ... | co-producer |
| Jorge Sánchez | ... | associate producer (as Jorge Sanchez) |
Music by
| Javier Álvarez | ... | (as Javier Alvarez) |
Cinematography by
| Guillermo Navarro | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Raúl Dávalos | ... | (as Raul Davalos) |
Editorial Department
| Jennifer Dolce | ... | first assistant editor |
| Phyllis Housen | ... | second assistant editor |
| Michael McCann | ... | negative cutter (as Mike McCann) |
| Paul O'Bryan | ... | associate editor |
| Chuck Winston | ... | color and lights supervisor |
Casting By
| Claudia Becker | ||
| Marissa Iglesias | ||
Production Design by
| Tolita Figuero | ... | (as Tolita Figueroa) |
Art Direction by
| Brigitte Broch | ||
Costume Design by
| Genoveva Petitpierre | ||
Makeup Department
| M. Carvajal | ... | special makeup |
| Luis Horcacitas | ... | prosthetics (as Luis Horcasitas) / wigs (as Luis Horcasitas) |
| Lorenza Newton | ... | special makeup assistant |
| Julieta Nápoles | ... | makeup and hair (as Julieta Napoles) |
| Rigo Mora | ... | special makeup effects artist (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Matthias Ehrenberg | ... | production manager |
| Isaac Pineda | ... | unit manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Andres Ortega | ... | third assistant director |
| Batan Silva | ... | first assistant director (as Sebastian Silva) |
| Joaquin Silva | ... | second assistant director |
Art Department
| Ana Acevedo | ... | finishing: archangel |
| Ana Barreto | ... | special props |
| Francisco Bernal | ... | designer: invention interior / sculptor |
| M. Carvajal | ... | designer: insect / sculptor: insect |
| Carlos Clausell | ... | special decoration |
| Jose Cruz | ... | constructor |
| Jaime De Anda | ... | sculptor: archangel |
| Andrea Del Moral | ... | art assistant |
| Felipe Ehrenberg | ... | designer: diary |
| Carlos Espinosa | ... | sculptor |
| Terry Fernández | ... | art coordinator |
| María Figueroa | ... | art designer (as Maria Figueroa) |
| Jose Fors | ... | designer: invention exterior, insect (as Jose Fors) / sculptor: insect |
| Benigno Fuentes | ... | constructor |
| Sergio Fuentes | ... | constructor |
| Angelica Garcia | ... | art assistant |
| Daniel Hernan | ... | constructor |
| Ria Lewerke | ... | graphic designer |
| Eduardo Lopez | ... | property master |
| Rigo Mora | ... | construction supervisor: invention interior (as Rigoberto Mora) |
| Guillermo Newton | ... | designer: invention mechanisms, insect / sculptor: insect |
| Micaela Osmick | ... | finishing: archangel |
| Salvador Parra | ... | props construction |
| Ruben Rivera | ... | designer: invention exterior and mechanisms |
| Ruben Rodarte | ... | constructor |
| Luis Rodriguez | ... | constructor |
| Alfonso Rojas | ... | constructor |
| Alberto Salcedo | ... | sculptor |
| Pilar De Burgos | ... | sculptor of the angels (uncredited) |
| Gilberto Aviña Gómez | ... | art apprentice (uncredited) / art department (uncredited) |
| Jorge Siller | ... | art apprentice (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Paul Aronoff | ... | foley mixer |
| John Asman | ... | re-recording mixer (as John B. Asman) |
| Nerio Barberis | ... | adr: Argentina |
| Bruce W. Bell | ... | supervising sound executive |
| Thomas Burke | ... | sound editor |
| Andre Caporaso | ... | sound editor |
| Joe Carey | ... | sound editor (as Joseph Carey) |
| Clark Conrad | ... | sound editor |
| Fernando Cámara | ... | sound (as Fernando Camara) |
| Miguel De Luna | ... | adr: Mexico |
| Thom 'Coach' Ehle | ... | sound supervisor: dolby stereo (as Thom Ehle) |
| David E. Fluhr | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Gary Gelfand | ... | sound editor |
| George R. Groves Jr. | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Stephen Grubbs | ... | sound editor |
| Michael Gutierrez | ... | sound editor |
| Phil Jamtaas | ... | sound editor (as Philip Jamtaas) |
| Joseph A. Johnston | ... | sound editor |
| Jay Jones | ... | sound engineer |
| Lloyd Keiser | ... | sound editor (as Lloyd Kaiser) |
| John Kincade | ... | sound editor |
| Dean Minnerly | ... | foley artist (as Dean P. Minnerly) |
| Robert Muchnicki | ... | foley artist |
| Todd Niesen | ... | sound editor |
| Eric A. Norris | ... | sound editor (as Eric Norris) |
| Santiago Núñez | ... | sound assistant |
| Craig M. Otte | ... | sound editor (as Craig Otte) |
| Jorge Palomino | ... | boom operator |
| John Reiner | ... | adr mixer (as John F. Reiner) |
| Randal S. Thomas | ... | sound editor (as Randal Thomas) |
| Larry Tozzi | ... | Director of Post Sound |
| Burton Weinstein | ... | supervising sound editor (as Burton M. Weinstein) |
| Randal S. Thomas | ... | dialogue editor (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Laurencio Cordero | ... | special effects |
| Manuel Cordero | ... | special effects assistant |
| Pedro González | ... | special effects assistant (as Pedro Gonzalez) |
Visual Effects by
| Bob Hill | ... | camera operator: titles design |
| Donna Kaufman | ... | titles designer |
| William Koshowany | ... | compositor: titles design (as Bill Koshowany) |
| Lee Lusk | ... | optical supervisor |
| Alan G. Markowitz | ... | camera operator: titles design (as Alan Markowitz) |
| Phil Meador | ... | supervisor: titles design (as Philip Meador) |
| James Seltenreich | ... | compositor: titles design (as Jim Seltenreich) |
Stunts
| Javier Lambert | ... | stunts |
| Gerardo Moreno | ... | stunt coordinator |
| Gerardo Soto Jr. | ... | stunts |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Benito Aguilar | ... | electrician |
| Ricardo Arvizu | ... | grip |
| David Capistrán | ... | still photographer (as David Capistran) |
| Tiburcio Carabes | ... | generator operator |
| Fernando Díaz Torres | ... | third assistant camera (as Fernando Diaz) |
| Luis Garcia | ... | still photographer |
| Jesus Gonzalez | ... | electrician |
| Ricardo Hernández | ... | grip (as Ricardo Hernandez) |
| Gerardo Manjarrez | ... | second assistant camera |
| Carlos Marcovich | ... | second camera |
| Noe Muñoz | ... | grip |
| Salomon Ordoñez | ... | dolly grip |
| Rafael Ortega | ... | first assistant camera |
| Eduardo Oviedo | ... | electrician |
| Patricio Pereda | ... | grip |
| Alejandro Rangel | ... | electrician |
| Juan Carlos Rodríguez | ... | grip (as Juan Carlos Rodriguez) |
| Carlos Sanchez | ... | electrician |
| Enrique Sanchez | ... | chief electrician |
| Erick Sanudo | ... | video operator (as Erick Sañudo) |
| Ernesto Serrano | ... | electrician |
| Sergio Suaste | ... | gaffer |
| Humberto Sánchez | ... | grip (as Humberto Sanchez) |
| Jaime Trejo | ... | hmi operator |
| Fernando Díaz Torres | ... | video assist operator (uncredited) |
| Carlos Silva | ... | electrician swing (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Federico Castillo | ... | costume supervisor |
| María de Jesús Luna | ... | costume assistant (as Maria De Jesus Luna) |
Location Management
| Pablo Buelna | ... | location manager |
Music Department
| Ian Belton | ... | musician: violin |
| Paul Cassidy | ... | musician: viola |
| John Davies | ... | sound engineer |
| Ralph De Souza | ... | musician: violin |
| Ian Dearden | ... | musical producer |
| Neil Evans | ... | musician: french horn |
| Ricardo Gallardo | ... | musician: marimba, precussions and vocals |
| Lynda Houghton | ... | musician: double bass |
| Maria Huesca | ... | musician: additional vocals |
| Paul Jackson | ... | composer's assistant |
| Helen Kamminga | ... | musician: viola |
| Kevin M. Kern | ... | music editor (as Kevin Kern) |
| Jacqueline McCreadie | ... | musician: violin |
| Ian Mitchell | ... | musician: clarinet, bass clarinet |
| Bruce Robbins | ... | recording assistant |
| J. Stephen Soles | ... | music supervisor (as Steven Soles) |
| Michael Thomas | ... | musician: violin |
| Jonathan Tunnell | ... | musician: cello (as Jonathan Tunnel) |
| Javier Álvarez | ... | music director (as Javier Alvarez) / musician: clarinet and vocals (as Javier Alvarez) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Mariana Gironella | ... | script supervisor |
| Valentina Leduc Navarro | ... | script supervisor (as Valentina Leduc) |
Transportation Department
| Agustín Acevedo | ... | transportation (as Agustin Acevedo) |
| Mario Aguilar | ... | driver |
| Felipe Alcantara | ... | driver |
| Efraín Alfaro | ... | driver (as Efrain Alfaro) |
| Salvador Anacleto | ... | driver |
| Dionisio Bolaños | ... | driver |
| Ricardo Chavez | ... | driver |
| Jose Gonzalez | ... | driver |
| Ruben Gonzalez | ... | driver |
| Oscar Hernandez | ... | driver |
| Juan Manuel Jimenez | ... | driver |
| Eduardo Martinez | ... | driver |
| Angel Mendoza | ... | driver |
| Alfredo Paez | ... | driver |
| Federico Perez | ... | driver |
| Miguel Angel Quintanar | ... | driver |
| Arturo Reyes | ... | driver |
| Carlos Silva | ... | driver |
| Gonzalo Tapia | ... | driver |
| Javier Vazquez | ... | driver |
Additional Crew
| Rodrigo Alvarez | ... | production assistant |
| Arnulfo Arroyo | ... | personal assistant: Ms. Navarro |
| Juan Ascencio | ... | jeweller |
| Jaime Bizarro | ... | jeweller |
| Silvia Bravo | ... | logistics |
| Yvette Brestyanszky | ... | production coordinator: U.S. |
| Alida Castellán | ... | production accountant (as Alida Castelan) |
| Anthony Cortés | ... | trainer: Mr. Perlman (as Anthony Cortes) |
| Luz Maria Dominguez | ... | chaperone: Ms. Tamara Shanath |
| Alejandro Espinosa | ... | supervisor: RTC |
| Antonio Flores | ... | security |
| Juan Carlos Garrido | ... | production assistant |
| Luis Gómez | ... | security (as Luis Gomez Murguia) |
| Robert O. Kaplan | ... | legal advisor |
| Enrique Mariño | ... | entomologist (as Dr. Enrique Mariño) |
| Gerardo Moscoso | ... | medic |
| Nuri Palacios | ... | production assistant |
| Lourdes Perez Nido | ... | production administrator |
| Sunil Perkash | ... | production coordinator: U.S. |
| Celestino Sanchez | ... | security |
| Esther Soler | ... | choreographer |
| Sachiko Uzeta | ... | production coordinator |
| Norberto Nava | ... | security coordinator (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Pedro Armendáriz Jr. | ... | special thanks |
| Lance Bird | ... | special thanks |
| Josefina Camberos | ... | dedicated to the memory of |
| James Cameron | ... | special thanks |
| Alfonso Cuarón | ... | special thanks |
| Alex del Toro | ... | special thanks |
| Emilio Echevarría | ... | special thanks |
| Robert Littman | ... | special thanks |
| Emilio Navarro | ... | dedicatee |
| Carlos Slim | ... | special thanks (as Ing. Carlos Slim) |
Production Companies
- CNCAIMC
- Fondo de Fomento a la Calidad Cinematográfica
- Grupo Del Toro
- Guillermo Springall
- Iguana Producciones
- Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)
- S.T.P.C.
- Servicos Filmicos ANC
- Universidad de Guadalajara
- Ventana Films
Distributors
- Prime Films S.L. (1993) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Cineplex Odeon Films (1994) (Canada) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Metro Tartan Distribution Ltd. (1994) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Metropolitan Filmexport (1994) (France) (theatrical)
- Mundial Films (1994) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- October Films (1994) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1994) (Canada) (VHS)
- Gativideo (1994) (Argentina) (VHS)
- MCA (1994) (Canada) (VHS)
- Vidmark Entertainment (1994) (United States) (VHS)
- VideoVisa (1996) (Mexico) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1996) (Germany) (VHS)
- Nelonen (1999) (Finland) (tv)
- Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
- Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2003) (United States) (DVD)
- MCP Sound & Media AG (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2010) (United States) (Blu-ray)
- The Criterion Collection (2010) (United States) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2016) (United States) (DVD)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Les Films du Camélia (2025) (France) (theatrical) (4K restoration)
- Only Hearts Company (Japan) (VHS) (unknown)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Dolby Laboratories (sound mix)
- LCI Seguros (insurance)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
In 1536, in Veracruz, Mexico, during the Inquisition, an alchemist builds a mysterious and sophisticated device named Cronos to provide eternal life to the owner. In the present days, the antiques dealer Jesus Gris finds Cronos hidden inside an ancient statue while cleaning it with his granddaughter Aurora. He accidentally triggers the device and soon his wife Mercedes and he note that he has a younger appearance. Out of the blue, the stranger Angel de la Guardia visits Gris's shop and buys the old statue. On the next day, Gris finds his shop trashed and Angel's card on the floor. He pays a visit to Angel that introduces him to the eccentric millionaire De la Guardia that explains the healing power and the eternal life given by Cronos. Angel is sent by De la Guardia to hunt down Gris to get Cronos no matter the costs. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
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| Taglines | The secret of immortality is living inside the Cronos device. See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $2,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | In an interview included on the Criterion edition of this movie, Ron Perlman talks about how Angel was meant to speak Spanish fluently. Ron Perlman tried this, but Guillermo del Toro found his reading to be completely unusable. So, the character was changed to an expatriated American who so hates being in Mexico, that what little Spanish he speaks is deliberately spoken poorly. See more » |
| Goofs | When Jesús searches for Aurora after she has taken the Cronos, as he walks through two doors, he stops. Behind him, reflected in the glass of the door, is crew and equipment. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Masters of Horror (2002). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Die Schöne Müllerin See more » |
| Quotes |
[discussing why Deiter wants the Cronos]
Jesus Gris: He thinks it will help him live longer. Angel de la Guardia: [laughs] That fucker does nothing but shit and piss all day, and he wants to live longer? See more » |