Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Shape of Water

Play trailer 2:20 Poster for The Shape of Water R 2017 2h 3m Fantasy Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
92% Tomatometer 466 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.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water

What to Know

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Chris Bennion The Times (UK) 02/14/2023
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. Go to Full Review
Anupama Chopra Film Companion 09/06/2018
4/5
The Shape of Water is visionary filmmaking. Go to Full Review
Robert Daniels 812filmreviews 09/05/2018
3.5/4
So, while we know Elisa has humanity, Del Toro has to plead his case for the fish-man. Go to Full Review
Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Jul 28
4/5
Fantastical triumphs of mortal spirit over evil forces are applied to inhuman oddities with jarringly violent consequences. Go to Full Review
Julian Singleton Cinapse Jul 11
This romance is destined to thrive where land and the petty political squabbles upon them stop, where passions run deep in unpredictable waters. Go to Full Review
Preston Barta Denton Record-Chronicle Jan 15
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. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Andrew A 10/01/2024 it was just a fun story that put a smile on my face. See more Andrew A @rt_andrew 4d Two bloody fingers way up! See more Daniela R Nov 17 La película es simplemente hermosa, la forma de llevar la relación y en la que te logra cautivar y emocionar es simplemente cine, Guillermo siempre logra llevar la fantasía a ese nivel See more Ciara A Nov 17 Personally, I think it’s the most beautiful example of magical realism ever made. It’s not often that I watch a film and still feel it days later. But his complex characters, study of what it means to be human vs monster, and ability to make the fantastical still feel relatable is pure mastery. The warm, rich, stunning visual storytelling — which alone makes this a must-see — are simply icing on the cake. See more Kombucha P @kombucha_papi Nov 9 Wow, i just saw this for the first time today, and it was truly lovely. I remember back when it got oscar buzz not feeling that drawn to watching it, and i also feel like there was almost some slight stigma around it at the time- of people feeling like GDT was getting recognition for something that was not his best work or something- but i felt this was just delightful to watch. I dont know if anyone else has commented on this but i love del toro’s hellboy and this funnily enough felt to me like him exploring the love story that never got to fully come to fruition in hellboy 2 with abe sapian (who looks strikingly similar to the aquatic creature in this film). I have had mixed feelings about GDT’s work in the past, i feel like i love his style in theory but most films by him i’ve seen i like but dont love- they usually are visually beautiful to me and i like the strange ethos of them but then they don’t land the emotional impact they are aiming for correctly- and this felt like the best of both worlds personally. I love all the characters, i love the mom from paddington, i love the loner artist dude, i love the coworker accomplice and the russian scientist guy, and just how innocently benevolent they all are (except for the main antagonist who is also a great character). I love that by the end this feels like a beautifully modern homage to classic 50s romance movies. I love the ambiance of the world, i even love the more traditional movie structure that i think some die hard GDT fans mightve taken cross with. I really have a thing for the very cliche feel good movie trope of people who start out the movie feeling incomplete and having their lives made better and more fulfilling- and this is mostly that kind of movie. There seems to be a theme about everyone in the movie feeling incomplete in their lives, and the main character finds what shes subconsciously looking for via a very unexpectedly unconventional avenue- and then also has to deal with the possibility of being changed to the core by that thing and having to let it go. I wasnt sure how the ending would pull everything together but i feel like it was just right in ending where it did and not having to tie up every loose end and instead just focusing on making you feel something. The movie feels like an apt homage to love itself- at its best it does feel like a strangely extraterrestrial experience you get to be in a bubble with. Its why the relationship works and doesnt feel weirdly insterpecies or something- the emphasis isnt on why these two beings are different, you see why they complete each other instead. This may be a classic for me that i end up revisiting many times See more Michael M. @mickeysamo Oct 24 I certainly won't forget this movie any time soon. See more Read all reviews
The Shape of Water

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Ruby Sparks 79% 75% Ruby Sparks Watchlist What Men Want 41% 40% What Men Want Watchlist TRAILER for What Men Want About Time 71% 82% About Time Watchlist A Ghost Story 91% 67% A Ghost Story Watchlist TRAILER for A Ghost Story All of Us Strangers 96% 91% All of Us Strangers Watchlist TRAILER for All of Us Strangers Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

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)
Most Popular at Home Now