Get a Good Look at Guillermo del Toro’s Monster in ‘The Shape of Water’ Red Band Trailer

Guillermo del Toro‘s latest fairy tale isn’t exactly for children. Sure, it’s full of whimsy and imagination, but The Shape of Water comes with a solid R-rating. There are plenty of f-bombs, a few scenes that show its lead female masturbating, and a heavy dose of queasy gore. The new red band trailer for the del Toro romance offers a little taste of what to expect from this adult fairy tale, plus the first full look at his monster.

Set in 1963 Baltimore, The Shape of Water follows Sally Hawkins’ Eliza, a mute janitor who works at a high-security government laboratory. There she meets the lab’s latest “asset,” an amphibious creature played by del Toro regular Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy). The water-dweller is being experimented on and tortured by a villainous Michael Shannon, but after forming a connection with the creature Eliza enlists the help of her co-worker (Octavia Spencer) and neighbor (Richard Jenkins) to plot an escape.

While we only got a quick peek at the blue and green monster in the film’s first trailer, today’s new look shows him off in all his glorious detail. He’s tall and scaly with spikes along is spine, and glows with a radiant blue pattern across his arms and torso. The trailer also spotlight’s Hawkins brilliant performance, both moving and hilarious – if anything, this film will teach you how to give someone the bird via sign language.

I saw the film at the Toronto Film Festival last weekend and it was my favorite thing out of the fest, and easily one of the most beautiful movies of the year so far. It also won the Golden Lion at Venice, suggesting del Toro's latest will be a major player come awards season – both Hawkins and Jenkins have some strong Oscar potential. It’s a heartbreaking, bittersweet romance that celebrates the magic of cinema and will likely leave you in tears. Prepare to be wowed when The Shape of Water hits theaters on December 8.