Guillermo del Toro shared what he hates most about Toronto and many Canadians can relate

He considers Toronto his second home.

The CN Tower and tall buildings in Toronto. Right: A man in glasses and a cap taking a selfie in a video game store.

Downtown Toronto. Right: Guillermo del Toro at Vinegar Syndrome in Toronto.

Senior Writer

Guillermo del Toro has expressed his love for Toronto for years, but there is one thing he hates about the city.

The film director, who is currently in the city working on his latest Netflix project Frankenstein, opened up about his biggest dislike in a recent interview and it sounds like many Torontonians can relate.

In an interview with the Toronto Star, the Oscar-winning film director called the city his "second home" and talked about how he is always scouting locations whenever he's there.

"If I'm in a car, I'm looking out the window the entire time. I see an alley or I see a corner and I take a note. I drive by and think, 'This looks like Amsterdam' or ‘This looks like Sweden' or ‘This looks like Tokyo,'" del Toro told the Toronto Star.

He also expressed how much he loves the food, the culture, and the shops around the city.

However, the film director didn't shy away from sharing what he dislikes about Toronto: its traffic.

"Traffic is getting exponentially worse every year in Toronto. That's the part that is very, very difficult," he told the Toronto Star.

"In 1996, when we made 'Mimic,' you used to calculate 20 minutes from one end of Toronto to another, if it wasn't rush hour. Now you have to calculate 45 minutes to an hour."

When del Toro tweeted out his interview and the fact that he dislikes the traffic, many Torontonians began chiming in.

"We think the traffic is horrendous too," one person wrote.

"Completely agree about the traffic. When I moved here from LA I really did not expect that!!" another person wrote in the comments.

Del Toro said he's currently living in the St. Lawrence Market area, but admitted he loves all of the Danforth.

The Mexican film director has been in the city since January working on Frankenstein, which stars Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz.

The cast has been spotted dining at Pai twice so far, which del Toro said is one of his favourite restaurants in the city.

He also gave a shoutout to other Toronto eateries, including Ed's Real Scoop, Jacob's & Co. Steakhouse, La Paella, and Pizzeria Libretto.

Del Toro has also visited a variety of bookstores during his time in Toronto and locals have been sharing their recommendations, which del Toro told the Toronto Star he plans to go to when he can.

Aside from Toronto, the film director is also a big fan of Hamilton, Ontario and has given been to several restaurants and stores over the years.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

  • Senior Writer

    Asymina Kantorowicz (she/her) was a Senior Writer for Narcity Media. She has worked at Yahoo Canada, CTV News Vancouver Island, CTV News Channel, and CHCH News. Over the past eight years, she took on various newsroom roles and helped produce award-winning newscasts. Loving the fast-paced environment of any newsroom, she helped cover stories like the 2016 royal visit to Victoria, the 2019 B.C. manhunt, and provincial elections. She had an MA in journalism and a BA in media from Western University. She moved from Toronto to Victoria a few years ago and loved being close to the ocean.

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