The Shape of Water

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2:20

The Shape of Water

R

2017

2h 3m

Fantasy

Romance

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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.

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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)

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.

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Anupama Chopra

Film Companion

09/06/2018

4/5

The Shape of Water is visionary filmmaking.

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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.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Dec 27

3/4

If The Shape of Water never quite breaks out of the confines of what's basically a tale as old as time, it's still an artfully executed diversion further strengthened by an excellent central performance by Hawkins.

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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.

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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.

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Andrew A

10/01/2024

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

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Terri B

@Pterri 7h

I've always been a Creature of the Black Lagoon fan, and to me this is like a "what if" version. I like that members of the "overlooked or looked down upon " population are the heroes. I don't search for hidden meanings , I just enjoy the beauty of the story.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 1d

Success in 2 hours and 3 minutes. Rated R for Language, Graphic Nudity, Sexual Content and Violence. Academy Award winner in 2018 for Best Picture and Best Director (Guillermo Del Toro).

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Kristin B.

@krisb2dogs 2d

Masterfully poignant story of profound love and longing for acceptance. I was very moved and drawn into this surreal drama.

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Glory K

@Ms.Glory Feb 23

Not for everyone. But if you like dark, romantic, weird, and uplifting all at once....especially with unusual characters and diverse representation.

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Leprechaun K

@LeprechaunKing Feb 18

It is visually stunning and production design is great. But winning Best Picture and Best Director over Dunkirk? The plot doesn't really make sense, and there isn't enough interesting material to justify the 2 hours runtime.

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Guillermo del Toro

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Sally Hawkins

Elisa Esposito

Michael Shannon

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Richard Jenkins

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Zelda Fuller

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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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