History NightmareFuel / PansLabyrinth

* The scene where Ofelia looks at the book in the bathroom and sees nothing but blood spreading over the pages ([[{{Foreshadowing}} forming a uterus-shaped stain to boot]]), then (clearly terrified) opens the door into the bedroom to see her mother hemorrhaging. Something about so much blood on white bedsheets, and the way she cries and her 11-year-old daughter is the only one around to get help... It just evokes [[PrimalFear such natural fear]] about [[DeathByChildbirth the potential dangers of pregnancy/childbirth]], especially at home, in a time when medicine wasn't what it is now, and in an environment where the man of the house is perfectly willing to let her die if she gives him a son first... She seems horribly vulnerable in a way that, like the realistically violent scenes, is worse because it can and ''does'' really happen.

* Vidal calmly shooting Ophelia, then her calm reaction to it, before collapsing

* Vidal's [[spoiler:public 'execution' with the bullet beneath the eye. Though admittedly for a sizable amount of the viewers it was a really cathartic and satisfying experience.]]

* The scene where Ofelia looks at the book in the bathroom and sees nothing but blood spreading over the pages ([[{{Foreshadowing}} Forming a uterus-shaped stain to boot]]), then (clearly terrified) opens the door into the bedroom to see her mother hemorrhaging. Something about so much blood on white bedsheets, and the way she cries and her 11-year-old daughter is the only one around to get help... It just evokes [[PrimalFear such natural fear]] about [[DeathByChildbirth the potential dangers of pregnancy/childbirth]], especially at home, in a time when medicine wasn't what it is now, and in an environment where the man of the house is perfectly willing to let her die if she gives him a son first... She seems horribly vulnerable in a way that, like the realistically violent scenes, is worse because it can and ''does'' really happen.

* Vidal's [[spoiler:public 'execution' with the bullet beneath the eye.]]

** When Ofelia is all safe in her room after the foro closes, the last pound sound on the door, implying he's still trying to get her.

** When Ofelia is all safe in her room after the foro closes, the last pound sound on the door, implying he's still trying to get her.

* The scene where Ofelia looks at the book in the bathroom and sees nothing but blood spreading over the pages, then (clearly terrified) opens the door into the bedroom to see her mother hemorrhaging. Something about so much blood on white bedsheets, and the way she cries and her 11-year-old daughter is the only one around to get help... It just evokes [[PrimalFear such natural fear]] about [[DeathByChildbirth the potential dangers of pregnancy/childbirth]], especially at home, in a time when medicine wasn't what it is now, and in an environment where the man of the house is perfectly willing to let her die if she gives him a son first... She seems horribly vulnerable in a way that, like the realistically violent scenes, is worse because it can and ''does'' really happen.

** The fact that there were so many shots of the dropped chalk has left more than one person terrified that the Pale Man would use it on his side to make a door into Ophelia's room and [[FridgeHorror come after her while she was sleeping.]]

** The horrific and unneccessary demise of two of Ofelia's three fairy guides.
* The scene in which Vidal [[spoiler: beats a man to near death with a blunt object while the man's father is forced to watch, leaving him alive long enough to see his father shot down before him, and then finishing him off.]] And it turns out [[spoiler: the father and son actually ''were'' only hunting rabbits]], making their deaths completely unnecessary. Vidal still didn't show ''any'' signs of remorse; instead, he just tells his men to be more thorough in the future ''before coming to bother him''.
** When Ofelia is all safe in her room after the foro closes, the last pound sound on the door, implying he's still trying to get her

* The scene where Ofelia looks at the book in the bathroom and sees nothing but blood spreading over the pages, then (clearly terrified) opens the door into the bedroom to see her mother hemorrhaging. Something about so much blood on white bedsheets, and the way she cries and her 11-year-old daughter is the only one around to get help... It just evokes [[PrimalFear such natural fear]] about [[DeathByChildbirth the potential dangers of pregnancy/childbirth]], especially at home, in a time when medicine wasn't what it is now, and in an environment where the man of the house is perfectly willing to let her die if she gives him a son first... she seems horribly vulnerable in a way that, like the realistically violent scenes, is worse because it can and ''does'' really happen.
* The NotSoDifferent[=/=]IronicEcho of the rebels executing all of Vidal's wounded men after rescuing Mercedes, [[PayEvilUntoEvil just as Vidal had done to their side earlier.]]
* Vidal's [[spoiler: public 'execution' with the bullet beneath the eye]].

* There's a lot of violence, which is made even more disturbing when contrasted with the protagonist being an innocent child caught in many, MANY predicamenys.

* The scene of the fascist captain [[spoiler: beating a man to near death with a blunt object while the man's father is forced to watch, leaving him alive long enough to see his father shot down before him, and then finishing him off.]] And it turns out [[spoiler: the father and son actually ''were'' only hunting rabbits]], making their deaths completely unnecessary. Vidal still didn't show ''any'' signs of remorse; instead, he just tells his men to be more thorough in the future ''before coming to bother him''.

* The NotSoDifferent / IronicEcho of the rebels unnecessarily shooting all of Vidal's wounded men after rescuing Mercedes, [[PayEvilUntoEvil just as Vidal had done to their side earlier.]]

* There's a lot of violence, which is made even more disturbing when contrasted with the protagonist being an innocent child.

** Ofelia looks up at the ceiling of the Pale Man's lair, and sees murals of the creature skewering and eating babies. Note, [[NothingIsScarier we never ''see'']] the Pale Man eat a child, but this bit is enough to set up what kind of monster we're dealing with.
** The horrific and unneccessary demise of two of Ofelia's three fairy guides. Why did she have to eat the grapes?

* The scene where Ofelia looks at the book in the bathroom and sees nothing but blood spreading over the pages, then (clearly terrified) opens the door into the bedroom to see her mother hemorrhaging. Something about so much blood on white bedsheets, and the way she cries and her 11-year-old daughter is the only one around to get help... It just evokes such natural fear about the dangers of pregnancy/childbirth, especially at home, in a time when medicine wasn't what it is now, and in an environment where the man of the house is perfectly willing to let her die if she gives him a son first... she seems horribly vulnerable in a way that, like the realistically violent scenes, is worse because it really happens.

* The scene where Ofelia looks at the book in the bathroom and sees nothing but blood spreading over the pages, then (clearly terrified) opens the door into the bedroom to see her mother hemorrhaging. Something about so much blood on white bedsheets, and the way she cries and her 11-year-old daughter is the only one around to get help...It just evokes such natural fear about the dangers of pregnancy/childbirth, especially at home, in a time when medicine wasn't what it is now, and in an environment where the man of the house is perfectly willing to let her die if she gives him a son first... she seems horribly vulnerable in a way that, like the realistically violent scenes, is worse because it really happens.

** The fact that there were so many shots of the dropped chalk has left more than one person terrified that the Pale Man would use it on his side to make a door into Ophelia's room and come after her while she was sleeping.
** The pile of shoes. That's where the fantastic horror becomes as real as the military violence, because you've seen images like that from the Holocaust.
** Ofelia looks up at the ceiling of the Pale Man's lair, and sees murals of the creature skewering and eating babies. Note, we never ''see'' the Pale Man eat a child, but this bit is enough to set up what kind of monster we're dealing with.

* The scene of the fascist captain [[spoiler: beating a man to near death with a blunt object while the man's father is forced to watch, leaving him alive long enough to see his father shot down before him, and then finishing him off.]] And it turns out [[spoiler: the father and son actually ''were'' only hunting rabbits]], making their deaths completely unnecessary. Vidal still didn't show ''any'' signs of remorse (then casually hands over the rabbits to his wife for stew).

* The scene of the fascist captain [[spoiler: beating a man to near death with a blunt object while the man's father is forced to watch, leaving him alive long enough to see his father shot down before him, and then finishing him off.]] And it turns out [[spoiler: the father and son actually ''were'' only hunting rabbits]], making their deaths completely unnecessary. Vidal still didn't show ''any'' signs of remorse.

* The NotSoDifferent / IronicEcho of the rebels unnecessarily shooting all of Vidal's wounded men after rescuing Mercedes, just as Vidal had done to their side earlier.

* The faun itself. There's just something about its disjointed shuffling walk, its facial expressions, and its warped voice. And, of course, the creep-tastic way it interacts with Ofelia ... who is a helpless and scared little girl.

[[caption-width-right:350:Ofelia shouldn't have eaten those grapes...]]

* The faun itself. There's just something about it's disjointed shuffling walk, its facial expressions, its warped voice. And, of course, the creep-tastic way it interacts with Ofelia ... who is a helpless and scared little girl.

* The scene where Ofelia looks at the book in the bathroom and sees nothing but blood spreading over the pages, then (clearly terrified) opens the door into the bedroom to see her mother hemorrhaging. Something about so much blood on white bedsheets, and the way she cries and her eleven-year-old daughter is the only one around to get help...It just evokes such natural fear about the dangers of pregnancy/childbirth, especially at home, in a time when medicine wasn't what it is now, and in an environment where [[CompleteMonster the man of the house]] is perfectly willing to let her die if she gives him a son first... she seems horribly vulnerable in a way that, like the realistically violent scenes, is worse because it really happens.

* The scene where Ofelia looks at the book in the bathroom and sees nothing but blood spreading over the pages, then (clearly terrified) opens the door into the bedroom to see her mother hemorrhaging. Something about so much blood on white bedsheets, and the way she cries and her eleven-year-old daughter is the only one around to get help... I don't know, it just evokes such natural fear about the dangers of pregnancy/childbirth, especially at home, in a time when medicine wasn't what it is now, and in an environment where [[CompleteMonster the man of the house]] is perfectly willing to let her die if she gives him a son first... she seems horribly vulnerable in a way that, like the realistically violent scenes, is worse because it really happens.