Will a Fishman sweep the Oscars? That’s the buzz around Hollywood as more and more people get a look at Guillermo Del Toro’sThe Shape of Water. A new R-rated red band trailer has arrived, and it unleashes the monster at the heart of this tale in its full glory. There is no mystery left in discovering what it looks like once you buy the ticket. Which is a shame, but that’s the way these things work nowadays.
Some wonderedwhy The Shape of Water needed to be R-Ratedin the first place. There is a great scene between bad guy Michael Shannon and star Sally Hawkins that is suitable for open-minded families with a sense of humor, but goes just a little above the call of a PG-13 rating. It looks like a scene that will be cheered by crowds in a large theater, and it would have been shameful to cut. So, leaving the scene in tact, it appears that Guillermo used that to further add in a few swear words and some thick red blood. All in all, this looks like the kind ofadult thriller that they used to make, before PG-13 began to dominate the cinemaplex. And that’s probably one of the reasons it is being revered ahead of itsDecember 8 release date.
InThe Shape of Water, Elisa is a mute, isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a hidden, high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore. Her life changes forever when she discovers the lab’s classified secret,a mysterious, scaled creaturefrom South America that lives in a water tank. As Elisa develops a unique bond with her new friend, she soon learns that its fate and very survival lies in the hands of a hostile government agent and a marine biologist.
Doug Jones stars as the fisherman creature with a heart of gold at the center of this tale. Yes, the character does look a little similar to his Ape Sapian, from Guillermo Del Toro’sHellboymovies. But fans are welcoming the likeness. The pair have collaborated on many movies over the years. AndThe Shape of Waterappears to be a culmination of that hard work.
The ensemble cast, which is led by Doug Jones, Sally Hawkins and Michael Shannon also includes an Oscar worthy line-up, with Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins and Lauren Lee Smith bringing up the sides. Guillermo del Toro co-wrote the screenplay with Vanessa Taylor, from an original story written by Guillermo Del Toro.
Though, watching the trailer, you can clearly see how the director was influenced byThe Creature from the Black Lagoonand other classic monster movies from the Golden Era. With the movie set during a real-life war and featuring magical elements, this was also the premise for Guillermo del Toro’s earlier filmPan’s Labyrinth, which became a major awards contender when released more than a decade ago, back in 2006.The Shape of Waterhas garnerednothing but stellar reviewssince it started screening. You can check out the new trailer thanks toFox Searchlight.
