10 Upcoming Movies That Are Already Getting Oscar Buzz
9. The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro's films work best when they incorporate supernatural elements all while maintaining the appearance of being firmly grounded in reality. That's the reason why Pan's Labyrinth was so innovative and memorable.
So The Shape of Water, a fantasy story told during the most tense days of the Cold War, is its natural successor. There's something about a political situation in which two countries are in a constant standoff of mistrust and paranoia that lends itself particularly well to del Toro's particular brand of horror.
The Shape of Water revolves around a woman who works at a mysterious government facility, where she inevitably discovers a secret, disturbing experiment that changes her life forever. Take audience's consistent interest in the type of stories that del Toro excels in and add a truly stellar cast, and you have a movie that will undoubtedly draw serious attention from the Academy and the box office alike.
Seriously, you've got Sally Hawkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, Michael Shannon, and Octavia Spencer, not to mention Doug Jones, who has turned in some of the greatest non-human performances ever.