Monster Love
Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water
If you like your fairytales to have clean, sealed-with-a-kiss endings, the new, romantic horror film written and directed by Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) may not be your cup of tea. But we’re betting the gorgeously shot, surreal movie will be on every critic’s Top Ten list for 2017.
Set in Cold War America circa 1963, The Shape of Water takes place in a secret government facility where the “good guys” are actually mustachio-twisting bad guys doing experiments on a Black Lagoon-type of creature, all in the name of science.
Of course, the monster (Doug Jones) has a beautiful soul and is more humane than his tormentor—who else could portray that nasty character better than the fabulously evil Michael Shannon? And of course, a sweet, mute janitor, played by the sensitive and gifted actress, Sally Hawkins, falls deeply, madly in love with him.
Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, watching Hawkins slowly win over her amphibious lover with hardboiled eggs and Benny Goodman records, is a wondrous sight to behold. We fall in love with the monster right along with her. And with her, as well.
But this is a del Torro film after all, and there will be gruesome, scary scenes, enough to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Does the thrilling race between Elisa to free her “man” and the scientist before he prevails with his plan to destroy his caged experiment have that happy ending? We’ll have to wait until December 8th to find out.
In the meantime, dive into this captivating, surreal trailer. Good luck not having watery nightmares until then.
