10 great movies to watch if you like the shape of water

Guillermo del Toro’s lovely dark fairy tale The shape of water Features a romance between a man and an amphibious man, but several other movies will also fulfill those looking for man-monster love stories. Well-reviewed and highly acclaimed, The shape of water is packed with all the trademarks of Guillermo del Toro: Touches of horror, fairy tale elements, gothic romance, a prosthetic-shaped creature, and darkly beautiful visuals. The shape of water Won Best Picture at the 2018 Oscars, along with three other categories. Still, it is the romance that people remember.

Love stories between humans and monsters are much older than the medium of movies. Stories of succubi seducing people, creatures abducting beautiful maidens, or forbidden love blossoming between supernatural beings and humans have endured for as long as humans have been telling stories. There’s something about seeing monstrous love stories unfold on screen that gives them an extra bit of staying power, and The shape of water is firmly rooted in a cinematic tradition of beauty-and-the-beast tales. Here are 10 other monster love stories to watch after finishing Del Toro’s masterpiece.

10

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Director: Zelda Williams

when Lisa Frankenstein Released earlier this year, it was largely a failure at the box office, but its 81% Rotten Tomatoes audience score belies its poor performance at the box office. A few months later, and Lisa Frankenstein Has all the makings of a cult classic Thanks to its irreverent tone and comparisons to Edward Scissorhands.

Although It’s certainly more comical and tongue-in-cheek than the romantic drama The shape of water, Lisa Frankenstein Still features a delightful love story between woman and monster in this modernized, gender-flipped retelling of Frankenstein. Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse have sweet chemistry together, and those looking for nostalgia for the comedy monster comedies of the 80s will find a lot to love in the new release.

9

Warm Bodies (2013)

Director: Jonathan Levine

Unlike the current uncertain cult classic status of Lisa Frankenstein, Warm bodies is a bona fide cult classic. It came out at the tail end of the last zombie movie wave, so it just missed the boat in terms of financial success. Still, the movie, based on the novel of the same name by Isaac Marion, is beloved thanks to its sharp writing and dark funny observational humor.

The humor is delivered with deadpan perfection by Nicholas Hoult as the zombie, R, In one of his earliest performances that displayed the impeccable comic timing he became known for. Truly, the delivery of some of his lines are laugh out loud funny as he fully commits to the comedy of The Straightfaced. When he falls for the zombie hunter Julie (Teresa Palmer), it is the beginning of a Romeo and Juliet A story between a zombie boy and a human girl that is as surprising as it is heartfelt.

8

City of Angels (1998)

Director: Brad Silverling

It’s not often these days that Nicolas Cage is known for romance, However City of Angels is one of the few pure romance movies in his extensive career. It helps that he’s acting opposite veteran rom-com actress Meg Ryan, who plays a surgeon, Maggie, living in Los Angeles. As an angel known as a Watcher, Nic Cage’s Seth slowly falls in love with Maggie as he watches over humanity.

City of Angels, A rough remake of Wim Wenders’ 1987 movie Wings of DesireIs a white trainer, who can sometimes be overwhelmed. But Cage uses his expressive face to bring out all the emotions in Seth’s angelic awakening to humanity, and his chemistry with Ryan is earned, lending the pair of lovers a magnetic quality that is rarely seen in a big-screen love story.

7

Spring (2014)

Directors: Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead broke out and became darlings of the indie horror genre, with fever like V/H/S Viral And SynchronicBefore breaking up with Marvel as the directors for Loki Season 2, a few episodes of moon nightAnd the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again. They had a dark and beautiful monster love story before their MCU debut, however, with 2014’s Spring.

The story revolves around Evan, a young man who leaves the US. it. For Italy after he starts to spiral and fall apart. Meanwhile, he quickly falls in love with the mysterious Louise, who hides a monstrous secret. Spring Gets a lot of credit for each shot being beautifully postcard-worthyWith the beauty of the love story juxtaposed against the darker horror elements of the movie. It’s less well known than some of the other movies on this list, but it’s worth a watch.

6

Ondine (2009)

Director: Neil Jordan

These days, Colin Farrell is currently better known for his recent weirder, more experimental roles, but he still has some great romance movies in his past. One of the more underrated is 2009’s romantic drama Andin By acclaimed writer-director Neil Jordan. The title is taken from European folklore; The Undine is a female water nymph who can take the form of a woman when she falls in love with a man, who becomes possessed.

Jordan’s romance is lyrical and gorgeously shot in Ireland, Deftly weaving together a mystery and a love story against the beautiful natural backdrop of a seaside village. As a heartbroken fisherman who has given up on love, Farrell infuses his performance in Andin With a nuanced pathos warmed by flickering moments of hope in one of his most underrated roles. Along the way, there is a great mystery to unravel, which makes the ending worth the wait.

5

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Director: Tim Burton

The one movie on this list that doesn’t need a lot of context is Tim Burton’s 1990 classic, Edward Scissorhands. Although it wasn’t one of their breakout roles, it’s arguably the one that cemented Johnny Depp as a movie star and confirmed that Winona Ryder’s charisma in Beetlejuice Two years earlier was not just a coincidence.

The reimagined version of Frankenstein Follows the titular character of Depp, a gentle soul who has never been outside the mansion where he was created. The silent love story that blossoms between him and the human girl, Kim, is sweet and fragile, but has a seriousness that sticks. With its candy-colored setting and Burton’s signature whimsical styling, Edward Scissorhands is a modern fairy tale that continues more than 30 years later.

4

Stardust (2007)

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Stardest is one of those mid-2000s movies that flies under the radar, But has an absolutely stacked cast of A-listers – Robert De Niro, Claire Danes and Michelle Pfeiffer – and the current stars before they were stars – Charlie Cox, Henry Cavill, Sienna Miller and Ben Barnes. The story, based on a book by Neil Gaiman, tells the story of a star, Yvaine (Danes), who falls to Earth. Meanwhile, a smitten young man named Tristan Thorne (Cox) promises the girl he has a crush on that he will cross the forbidden wall to the magical realm to retrieve the stars and prove his love.

The story is A throwback to the 80s fantasy epic of colorful characters and young love and swashbuckling adventures. The most beautiful part of Stardest Is that it does not hide its seriousness or belief in true love under a veil of cynicism or release it tongue in cheek. When love blossoms between Yvaine and Tristan, they face all the dangers of myth and adventure stories: evil witches, flying airships, unicorns, castles and enchanted forests. For those who like a little more magic in their monster romance, this is the perfect movie.

3

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Director: Rupert Julian

The Phantom of the Opera The past 100 years have been told and retold in movies and on Broadway, whether through direct adaptations or inventive reimaginings. Such is the staying power of Gaston Leroux’s 1909 story – A century and a few decades later, we are still finding ways to bring his timeless story to life. It is a classic of gothic horror and romance, and although multiple movie adaptations have done it justice, the best is still the 1925 adaptation starring Lon Chaney, known as the Man of a Thousand Faces.

Chaney’s performance as the tortured, disfigured Eric, the titular Phantom and reclusive stage magician who falls in love with the young, injured opera singer Christine Daaé. When he secretly tutors her in music, he grows obsessed, his love growing violent after she tears off his mask and learns his secret. Music and passion swirl together in a tale that borrows from FrankensteinThe story of Hades and Persephone, real historical events involving the Paris Opera House, and classic ghost stories. TThe theatricality and simplicity of the 1925 version ensure that it still holds up todayWhether the silent version or the released version with sound.

2

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Director: Jack Arnold

In the most directly analog movie to The shape of water on this list, Creature from the Black Lagoon is not a love story in the traditional sense, But it is a love story, nonetheless. When the beautiful young scientist Kay unknowingly trespasses into his lagoon, the titular Gil Man is fascinated by the beautiful creature swimming in its waters, unaware that he is below. Similar to The Phantom of the OperaIt’s a one-sided love story, and, much like Eric, the Gil Man is violent when thwarted, but his naivety and desire to strike back and claim Kay come from a much more primal, animalistic place.

Creature from the Black LagoonThe water scenes have a certain, dreamlike quality, which makes for some visuals not usually found in a creature feature. Like the best monster movies, Creature Drawing from older traditions, in this case, European folk tales of river and lake monsters, and the almost universal stories of mermaids. Like these creatures, the Gill Man may not intend to cause harm, but his intent to trap his bride in the murky depths forever does not tend to mix well with humanity. Even knowing the one-sided romance can’t possibly end happily, Creature from the Black Lagoon is still a lot of popcorn fun in the tradition of the greatest B-movies.

1

Meet Joe Black (1998)

Director: Martin Brest

Younger audiences who know him mostly from his eclectic modern filmography of quirky comedies and grand dramas may not know—or at least don’t remember—that Brad Pitt was the king of romance movies. Early in his career, while some grittier entries in his filmography hinted at what was to come, Pitt was best known for his romantic heartthrob. Guess Joe Black was the last of the romance movies, coming out a year earlier Action Club Set his career on a new trajectory.

Meet Joe BlackDirected by eclectic filmmaker Martin Brest, is an independent remake of the 1934 movie Death takes a holiday. Pitt plays the personification of death, who wants to experience life, so he takes the form of a young man who has just died to live among humans and learn to feel and love as they do. Of course, he falls in love with Claire Forlani’s character, Susan. Pete infuses his performance with an ethereal intensity so magnetic that you can practically see the connection between him and Susan. It’s not a love story that can’t end happily ever after – death is also inhumane others For what – but there is an ending that sticks with you, just like the end of The shape of water Does.