Shape of Water trailer teases a tale of love, sea monsters, and Cold War intrigue

Guillermo del Toro paints a vivid portrait of paranormal love and Cold War scheming in the final trailer for his upcoming fantasy-romance The Shape of Water.

The dark, moody preview centers on a mute woman, Elisa (Sally Hawkins), who works as a janitor at an aerospace research center and forms an unshakeable bond with an amphibious being known as “The Asset,” which has been found and captured for U.S. government research by Col. Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) in South America.

Pesky Russian operatives, however, have other plans for the creature, and Elisa takes it upon herself to free the Asset from its enclosure. That doesn’t sit well with Strickland, who embarks on a ruthless mission to thwart her plans.

The Shape of Water debuted to enthusiastic reviews at the Venice Film Festival in August, swimming off with the Golden Lion and following up with well-received showings at Telluride and Toronto. Time will tell if festival success translates into awards season momentum.

The Shape of Water opens Dec. 1. Watch the final trailer above.