The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro’s new movie about a mute Sally Hawkins falling in love with a fish-man in 1960s Baltimore, is an Oscar contender for a reason: It’s a loving ode to outsiders told with care, commitment, and lavish period detail. However, if you’re unsure about whether you want to see the movie, there’s probably one issue lurking in the darkest depths of your mind. With apologies to the foremost poet of our age, everyone keeps asking me if she fucks the fish-man. Buddy, I’m here to give you an answer.

Okay, so: The first hint that del Toro isn’t afraid to go there comes in the film’s opening montage, which is devoted to Hawkins’s character’s daily routine — a hard-boiled egg, a soothing bath, and vigorous masturbation. This is not one of those grey, downtrodden outcasts we meet so often in movies. This is a …