Guillermo del Toro — while a talented guy — is one of those filmmakers who hasn’t always clicked with me. I enjoyed his work on Blade II and Pan’s Labyrinth, but beyond that, there hasn’t been much for me. I found his Hellboy movies to be slow and boring, Pacific Rim was a disappointing joke in my eyes. I worried that his involvement in these bigger fanboy projects would suck away the talent that he clearly has.

Luckily for us, The Shape of Water, his latest dark fantasy, seems poised to scratch that itch I’ve been having. Rather than see another big budget blockbuster, I wanted to see another Pan’s Labyrinth, and based on that first trailer, it looked like this could fit the bill. But del Toro had let me down in the past before, so I wasn’t ready to paint this one as another victory just yet.

However, the film just had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and the reviews are glowing.

Have a look at some of the buzz below!

Variety – Guy Lodge

“A ravishing, eccentric auteur’s imagining, spilling artistry, empathy and sensuality from every open pore, it also offers more straight-up movie for your money than just about any Hollywood studio offering this year.”

THR – David Rooney

“A ravishing, eccentric auteur’s imagining, spilling artistry, empathy and sensuality from every open pore, it also offers more straight-up movie for your money than just about any Hollywood studio offering this year.”

TheWrap – Alonso Duralde

“There’s something here for lovers of all kinds of movies – even silents and musicals – but del Toro transcends mere pastiche to craft a work that feels like the product of our collective film-going subconscious.”

HeyUGuys – Jo-Anne Titmarsh

“A charming, beautifully filmed movie that appeals on many levels and is a song to cinema and to love.”

Collider – Brian Formo

“The Shape of Water not only entertains as a sumptuous fairytale, but it reinforces a faith in humanity set in a time where tolerance of other races, nationalities, and non-“family values” love was volatile. And it’s percolating back to the surface again.”

Needless to say, with the film currently sitting at 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes (though it’s only from 8 reviews), and the reviews absolutely glowing, I’m allowing myself to get excited about a Guillermo del Toro film once again.

What do you think? Are you excited to hear about all this buzz? Let us know in the comments down below!

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SOURCE: Various