Cronos

What would you give to live forever?

In the 16th century, an alchemist discovers a solution to one of history’s greatest problems: an object that, in theory, can grant eternal life.

When an injury kills him four hundred years later, his invention falls into the wrong hands. It eventually ends up with Jesús Gris, an ageing antiques dealer. Unaware of what he has found, he accidentally activates it. Mysteriously, he becomes younger and healthier than he has been in a long time, but these changes come with an unexpected urge: a thirst for human blood.

Cronos is director Guillermo del Toro’s first film. It was met with great enthusiasm in its home country of Mexico and by international critics, and received, among other honours, the top prize at Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival. Although Cronos lacked the budget for the grand visual style del Toro later became known for, many of his recurring interests are already present, including the film’s portrayal of religion and the relationship between humans and monsters.