Guillermo del Toro is no stranger to crafting movies with supernatural or otherworldly elements. From Pan’s Labyrinth and Pacific Rim all the way back to Blade II, del Toro has proven that he can blend the usual tropes of whatever genre he’s working in with something out of the ordinary to create riveting films. In December, del Toro is turning his eye to the spy thriller with the release of The Shape of Water, which just received a new red band trailer.

The Shape of Water is set during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, when suspicions and tensions were high. The film stars Sally Hawkins as Elisa, a mute worker on a top secret project. That project is an incredibly well-designed merman (played by frequent del Toro collaborator Doug Jones). While most at the facility treat him as just a test subject, Elisa forms a bond with it. Of course this doesn’t sit well with the incredibly paranoid project leader Strickland, played by Michael Shannon with excellent menace and bombastic intensity in the trailer.

The film looks to be full of high-stakes spy action, intense emotional drama, and the wonderful visual aesthetic and effects that come with any del Toro film. The cast also includes Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, and Michael Stuhlbarg. You can watch the trailer now, and catch The Shape of Water when it arrives in theaters on December 8.