It’s cosmically unfair that we haven’t already had the chance to see The Shape of Water hundreds of times. We still have a month to go before the film hits theaters, but these images from Guillermo del Toro’s new fantastical romance should have the competing effects of tiding you over and making you more impatient to see it.
The vibe from these images is largely one of darkness. You get a sense of the containment of the laboratory space, like a landlocked submarine full of concrete echoes and dim, horror film lighting. It’s industrial. A building in desperate need of some SAD lamps and a special room where employees can hug puppies for an hour to stay sane. Top secret means no windows, and no windows means overwhelming isolation.
The lab looks more like a bunker. Perfect for the Cold War setting.
Set in the 1960s, the film stars Sally Hawkins as Elisa, a mute night-shift janitor at a research lab that houses test tubes, an eye wash station, and a curious fish beast called The Asset (Doug Jones). Elisa bonds with The Asset, but forces inside the lab are more interested in dissection than friendship. It also stars Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer, and Richard Jenkins, so the deck is stacked here.
Word out of its premiere at Venice was overwhelmingly positive, and our Noah Gittell said the film, “is just as gorgeous and visually intricate as last year’s Crimson Peak and as wickedly funny as Hellboy, but it is also tender and deeply felt.” Check out more of our exclusive images from the film in our gallery below!
Bottom line? Mark your calendars for December 1 (if you live in New York) December 8th (limited release) if you haven’t already. Also maybe grab a snorkel on your way to the theater.
Images: Fox Searchlight Pictures
