The Referential Brilliance of The Shape of Water

March 6, 2018, 06:44 AM

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Newly minted Best Director Guillermo del Toro has always worn his inspirations on his sleeve. Whether it’s Hammer horror films or the work of Akira Kurosawa, del Toro has been vocal about the influences that have helped him craft his own fantastical and transportive features. The Shape of Water, which also just took home the Oscar for Best Picture, is perhaps his most explicitly referential film to date, an ode to the magic of cinema and a reimagining of classic genre conventions.