The Shape of Water

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2:20

The Shape of Water

R

Released Dec 22, 2017

2h 3m

Fantasy

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

465 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Elisa is a mute, isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a hidden, high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore. Her life changes forever when she discovers the lab's classified secret -- a mysterious, scaled creature from South America that lives in a water tank. As Elisa develops a unique bond with her new friend, she soon learns that its fate and very survival lies in the hands of a hostile government agent and a marine biologist.

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Critics Consensus

The Shape of Water finds Guillermo del Toro at his visually distinctive best -- and matched by an emotionally absorbing story brought to life by a stellar Sally Hawkins performance.

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Chris Bennion

The Times (UK)

You’ll either be charmed by Hawkins’s ethereal, wordless performance or you won’t, but del Toro’s use of a vivid colour palette would impress anyone.

Feb 14, 2023

Full Review

Anupama Chopra

Film Companion

The Shape of Water is visionary filmmaking.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 6, 2018

Full Review

Robert Daniels

812filmreviews

So, while we know Elisa has humanity, Del Toro has to plead his case for the fish-man.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 5, 2018

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Preston Barta

Denton Record-Chronicle

Guillermo del Toro’s enchanting fairy tale comes alive [... in this] seamless blending of practical effects and CGI, showcasing [a] vibrant palette that immerses you in its surreal atmosphere.

Jan 15, 2025

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JD Duran

InSession Film

Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water is a beautiful and fully realized film about loneliness and our desire for love.

Aug 7, 2024

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Diana Tuova

Spotlight on Film

Del Toro has made a film whose dark, sublime, watery beauty is indisputable, and whose story is as much an intriguing "beauty-and-the-beast" ballad as it is a captivating homage to the different and the extraordinary.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 2, 2024

Full Review

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Andrew A

it was just a fun story that put a smile on my face.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/01/24

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Hunter G.

Beautiful movie that is very well directed!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

Full Review

Richard Y

Another brilliant movie from Guillermo Del Toro fully deserving its Oscar. It has heart and all elements that you feel when experiencing it for the first time, esp when the creature is so reminiscent of The Creature From The Lagoon which is supposedly a scary monster.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/12/25

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Suiko F

So ridiculously dumb. Don't watch!!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/02/25

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Scarlet S

I love the story, it was like a Beauty and the Beast vibe. I like that it was a sign language kind of movie, it didn't really have much of talking it was mostly about emotions, and how you could feel it through the screen, and it was fabulous.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/14/25

Full Review

Jeremi B

Guillermo del Toro prouve une fois de plus qu’il sait manier le fantastique et la science-fiction avec une profondeur émotionnelle inattendue. Ce film est bien loin des conventions, offrant une œuvre qui dépasse les frontières du genre et qui se distingue par son originalité. Même en sachant que ce projet vient de Del Toro, son approche surprend. Ce n’est pas un film auquel on s’attendrait de sa part, mais il réussit à créer une atmosphère unique et à livrer une œuvre singulière. The Shape of Water n’entre dans aucune case habituelle : il se détache des normes et propose une expérience cinématographique atypique. Si le film ne m’a pas particulièrement captivé, je ne peux nier son ambition et son apport artistique. Il mérite le respect pour sa construction, sa mise en scène et son audace. Je le recommande, mais avant tout aux amateurs de cinéma qui savent aller au-delà du divertissement classique et qui apprécient les expériences cinématographiques plus profondes et symboliques. Peut-être qu’une deuxième vision pourrait m’aider à mieux saisir tout ce que The Shape of Water cherche à transmettre. Pour l’instant, ce film ne m’a pas totalement pris, mais je reconnais son importance et sa singularité.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/06/25

Full Review

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Guillermo del Toro

Director

Sally Hawkins

Elisa Esposito

Michael Shannon

Richard Strickland

Richard Jenkins

Giles

Octavia Spencer

Zelda Fuller

Michael Stuhlbarg

Dr. Robert Hoffstetler

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Synopsis

Elisa is a mute, isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a hidden, high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore. Her life changes forever when she discovers the lab's classified secret -- a mysterious, scaled creature from South America that lives in a water tank. As Elisa develops a unique bond with her new friend, she soon learns that its fate and very survival lies in the hands of a hostile government agent and a marine biologist.

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Producer: Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale
Screenwriter: Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: TSG Entertainment, Double Dare You
Rating: R (Language|Graphic Nudity|Sexual Content|Violence)
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 23, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $63.3M
Runtime: 2h 3m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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