Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
An other-worldly story, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962, where a mute janitor working at a lab falls in love with an amphibious man being held captive there and devises a plan to help him escape.
The Shape of Water is a visually ravishing fairy tale from Guillermo del Toro, distinguished by extraordinary cinematography (lush aquatic color palettes, dreamlike compositions by Dan Laustsen) and a pair of standout performances — Sally Hawkins delivers a remarkably expressive wordless lead turn, and Michael Shannon is a memorably menacing villain. The film's novelty is genuinely high: a Cold War-era amphibious romance rooted in classic monster-movie mythology yet filtered through del Toro's singular, deeply personal magical realism. However, the plot follows a somewhat predictable rescue arc with thinly sketched supporting antagonists, and the ending, while emotionally satisfying, leans into fairy-tale convenience rather than earning its resolution through narrative complexity. A beautiful, one-of-a-kind film that nonetheless coasts on atmosphere over story in its final act.