Oscars 2018: monster night for ‘The Shape of Water’ as Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy romance bags four awards including best picture
Guillermo del Toro’s fairy tale romance led the charge going into the show with 13 nominations, and took home best picture – the top prize of the night – as well as best director and statuettes for production design and best original score
Fantasy romance The Shape of Water took home the best picture Oscar, capping an awards season which has seen the film lavished with acclaim and glittering trophies.
Guillermo del Toro’s cold war-era story of love between a mute cleaning woman and a mystery merman-like creature being held in a top secret government laboratory in Baltimore has dominated Hollywood’s annual prize-giving season.
The quirky love story challenges viewers to cheer for an unorthodox couple, embracing the themes of tolerance and acceptance.
“I want to tell you, everyone that is dreaming of using fantasy to tell the stories about the things that are real in the world today – you can do it,” said Del Toro, who also took home the best director prize.
Del Toro also earned a Golden Globe and Directors Guild Award this season for helming the movie, which won four Oscars overall on Sunday – the other two were for best original score and best production design.
In an night of honours being shared fairly evenly among several candidates, Martin McDonagh’s dark crime comedy Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri had to settle for best actress for Frances McDormand and best supporting actor for Sam Rockwell.