Guillermo del Toro’s love for the Goticand macabre is well known. He has never shied away from darker elements of brutal horror, most notably in the beautiful and devastating Pan’s Labyrinth.
The Shape of Water is being called his greatest movie since the classic 2006 Spanish-language masterpiece. It also deals with magical reality themes of innocence betrayed, sexuality, violence and cruelty.
The Shape of Water has been lavished with praise by critics and nominated for numerous BAFTA, Oscar, Golden Globes and other awards.
But is it suitable for family viewing?
Romantic and gothic it may be, but it still depicts an active sex life between a woman and something that is clearly not human.
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The film has received a 15-rating from The British Board of Film Classification.
This means the film is not deemed suitable for anyone under that age, even if accompanied by a parent. Some parents choose to unofficially take younger children to see 15-rated movies, but this movie may be a little too strong for many teenagers.
The BBFC outlines its own guidelines for 15-rated movies on its website which clarifies how much sex and adul content and language may be shown.
Nudity: “There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. There may be nudity in a sexual context but usually without strong detail.”
Sex: “Sexual activity may be portrayed, but usually without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
From the very start The Shape of Water features more than one scene of Sally Hawkins lead character Elisa pleasuring herself in the bath.
She is shown full-frontal and is naked in more than one scene.
The film also openly discusses how the amphibeous main character is able to have sex and how he tucks his male organs inside his body before releasing them for intercourse.
Neither the sex scene or the description of his genitals is explicit, however.
The movie also features scenes of Michael Shannon’s cruel security officer torturing the creature and having his fingers bitten off. There are also disturbing shots of his reattached digits rotting on his hand before he graphically tears them back off.
The language is adult in content and also features some swear words which parents no doubt would prefer their children do not use (at least within their hearing) but it is nothing that any but the most extraordinarily sheltered teen would not have already heard.
The sexual content and violence may certainly disturb more sensitive teens and adults, but the film is consistent with its 15-rating.
THE SHAPE OF WATER IS OUT NOW IN CINEMAS