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The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water

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The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water

2017

Romance, Drama

2h 3m

An other-worldly story, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963. (imdb)

Directed by:

Guillermo del Toro

Writers:

Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor

Starring:

Nick Searcy, Richard Jenkins, David Hewlett, Michael Shannon, Doug Jones, Martin Roach, Lauren Lee Smith, Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Morgan Kelly, Allegra Fulton

Genres:

Romance, Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Fantasy

Countries:

Languages:

English, French, Russian, American Sign Language

Suggest an edit

The Shape of Water

2017

Romance, Drama

2h 3m

Your probable score

Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Average Percentile: 51.75%

Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

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Average Percentile: 51.75%

20 Dec 2017

Finally, a movie for people like me. People who fuck fish.

20 Dec 2017

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26 Jan 2018

"I bet the Creature from the Black Lagoon is a gentle, wonderful lover" Uhhh okay Guillermo.

26 Jan 2018

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07 Jan 2018

I'm one of the people who loved this. I thought this was some of Toros best directing and the cinema, story, and score are beautiful, and some of the visual effects. Acting is great all around. Hawkins is compelling, Spencer is funny, Jenkins is charming, Stuhlbarg is surprisingly good, and Shannon is just beyond menacing. I will not be surprised if this takes home a lot of awards. For sure not for everybody, but it is extremely well-made.

07 Jan 2018

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25 Dec 2017

Del Toro really is the new Tim Burton: overrated as a result of his choices in production/character design despite threadbare stories filled w/ nothing special characters. This has even more amazing actors elevating yet another fairy tale filled w/ 1-dimensional characters. But this time he also overtly displays love for classic cinema, has an inscrutable title, & makes the kind of "brave" (i.e. bad) Are-you-shtting-me choice that'll turn off half the audience, so this must be Oscar worthy.

25 Dec 2017

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04 Mar 2018

When you can get me to admit that Octavia Spencer is the second-best thing about your film, you are in serious trouble... Hawkins is brilliant, but the rest of the film is generic and semi-lame in about equal measure. By the way, it is perfectly alright to punch anybody who tries to claim that this is superior to 'Pan's Labyrinth' in any way, shape or form.

04 Mar 2018

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11 Oct 2017

***SPOILER ALERT*** I like when sally hawkins confirms that the creature has a big dick

11 Oct 2017

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08 Feb 2018

A rather stale 'Free Willy' remake.

08 Feb 2018

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07 Feb 2018

There is a long running tradition of doing "versus" monster movie, but I never for the life of me thought I'd see Amelie VS The Creature From The Black Lagoon. Ultimately, it's sadly not on par with Pan's Labyrinth, but then again you didn't get a Busby Berkeley dance scene in Alien VS Predator, now did you?

07 Feb 2018

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05 Mar 2018

It's like Amelie but in the sea. It's like Beauty and the Beast but with mermaids and pickled eggs. It's like Lost in Translation if everything was green and if Bill Murray had fins. It's like Splash but with communism. It's like Last Tango in Paris, but with seaweed.

05 Mar 2018

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06 Jan 2018

TSoW is a fastidiously crafted film in terms of visuals, with each scene's attentive details revealing manifold interpretations. Sadly, the aesthetic prowess of TSOW is palpably disrupted by its frustratingly obtuse plot; a plot which seeks to clumsily juxtapose the abjected love between Hawkins and a man-fish against the complex identity politics of the Cold War era. This allegorical collision is haphazardly grafted onto the film at every turn, which left me cold towards this naive fairytale.

06 Jan 2018

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03 Dec 2017

The storybook quality of the presentation makes one forget how transgressive a film, essentially about a woman who has a love affair with a fish monster, this is. Perhaps it wouldn't work at all with a lesser lead than the incomparable Sally Hawkins.

03 Dec 2017

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11 Oct 2017

This whole thing should be seen as an allegory of Del Toro's career. Del Toro is the creature, his movies are the mute girl, and Hollywood is Strickland.

11 Oct 2017

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23 Sep 2017

Pretty standard fairy tale added ultra-violence. The Jeunet/Caro-ish production design is better than the story.

23 Sep 2017

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27 Dec 2017

there's a fish monster man, it's all gross and retarded, and yes, she fucks it. beautiful movie though, and michael shannon is awesome as always

27 Dec 2017

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25 Dec 2017

Spoiler alert: water is shaped like tits.

25 Dec 2017

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18 Dec 2017

A near perfect, breath taking, adult fairy tale. The romance that is told on screen is impactful and is all helped by a talented cast. Hard to pick out just one stand out from the list. Scenery is beautiful and the very limited use of CGI really helps connect the viewer to the story

18 Dec 2017

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10 Mar 2018

A most magical and imaginative retelling of one of Led Zepplin's most infamous nights.

10 Mar 2018

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08 Mar 2018

The only "mute, friggin' herself in a tub" film you'll ever need!

08 Mar 2018

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08 Mar 2018

It superficially codes as a prestige picture in its era-specific trappings, but don't get it twisted: this is del Toro making an expensive creature feature with a postmodern (in the sense of pastiche) twist. The square-jawed man of action (played with typical brilliant intensity by Michael Shannon) is cast as the villain, and his opponents comprise a disabled woman, a black woman, a gay man, and a Russian. (And, of course, a fish-man.) The trick is that none are perfect; just, well, human.

08 Mar 2018

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21 Feb 2018

"Le Fabuleux Destin d'fifty shades of fish" sits itself firmly on its tail between all available chairs and continues to flap around like...well...a fish out of water.

21 Feb 2018

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17 Feb 2018

I adore this movie. Del Toro is a rare master of the fairy tale form. He doesn't pollute it with superficial complexities or cheap modernities yet understads poetry & context in these outwardly simplistic emotionally driven fantasies. In contrast to the classically familiar plot the tone is staggeringly weird & rich with layeres of loneliness, austerity, absurdism, perversion & tenderness. A poignant personal vision delivered by sincere direction & performances. Timely & timeless & beautiful.

17 Feb 2018

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02 Feb 2018

The story of a horny mute who finally gets her freak on with the Creature from the Clearly Polluted Lagoon. Starring Sally Hawkins as a deaf interpreter and Jared Leto as a fish.

02 Feb 2018

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13 Jan 2018

Sally Hawkins never disappoints. A monster movie that is a little wacky, but in all the right ways. A great adventure for a lowly mute cleanup lady. Michael Shannon played the despicable military man well. Richard Jenkins was also great. I liked the 1960's period setting. The special effects were good. The music was good. I didn't like the spoken Russian with subtitles. The love affair was slightly creepy. It was entertaining to the end, and Hawkins exposed was an unexpected bonus.

13 Jan 2018

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13 Jan 2018

That this film is touching and impactful as it is already makes it stand out; that it is a spectacular work of filmmaking and acting makes it stellar. Del Toro has poured every bit of himself into every aspect of the film, and his passion shows. Shannon, Hawkins, and Jenkins bring every bit of their ability to the table in their performances, giving us a masterclass in subtlety. On top of that, the beautiful score and cinematography make this one of the best and most original films of the year.

13 Jan 2018

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13 Jan 2018

No, what I said is that she sleeps with the fishes. You see...

13 Jan 2018

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20 Dec 2017

Nostalgia: The Movie. With a Sea Monster. That has regeneration powers. And fucks a mute chick. By Guillermo Del Toro. Also featuring Michael Shannon as Harvey Weinstein.

20 Dec 2017

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13 Dec 2017

As strange as you would expect, The Shape of Water is simple and driven by a storybook feel, visuals, and performance rather than good storytelling. Mostly one-dimensional characters and a bland narrative keep it from rising to excellence.

13 Dec 2017

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02 Oct 2017

It's definitely not a bad movie. But I'm dissapointed in Del Toro. From an unconventional director, The Shape of Water comes with an incredibly traditional story-telling. And this is coming from a person who even liked Crimson Peak. It's not exciting and I couldn't feel any kind of connection to the story. Maybe it's time for Toro to swim away from Hollywood's shallow waters to his deep roots.

02 Oct 2017

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21 Feb 2018

I really don't get the hype. You take a monsterflick and merge it with a sweet love story. But it's like you merged the leftovers instead of the good parts. No scary monster. No actual romance other than dance. This movie is a reversed mermaid. Head of a fish with the body of a chav girl from Newcastle. Not hot or cute in any way. Only saving graces are Stuhlbarg, Jenkins and Shannon who all does their best to save this Shape of a Turd. It's Splash without John Candy.

21 Feb 2018

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18 Feb 2018

The fish-god character is so thinly drawn that this felt like watching Sally Hawkins' character masturbate in her tub for two hours. Felt absolutely nothing about the central romance. Also, shockingly bad dialogue, especially for a Best Picture winner. The general's dressing-down of Michael Shannon was just incomprehensible and bizarre.

18 Feb 2018

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29 Jan 2018

Strong performances, lovely visuals, and unique characters propel the film through its more questionable elements and ultimately contribute to an engaging and compellingly intimate concept film.

29 Jan 2018

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joelwatchesmovies

29 Jan 2018

Any shallowness or slight weirdness of the central romance is swept away by the film's superbly engaging storybook feel. Tasteful bits of narration (the ending poem is lovely) bookend a satisfyingly spun (and lovingly scored and shot) fairy tale of charming outsiders (Elisa's the perfect "strong and silent" protagonist-see her "FU" to Strickland) and menacing monsters (the prejudice of the 50s setting adds an effective dramatic element). Whimsical humour and poignant recurring motifs top it off.

29 Jan 2018

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28 Jan 2018

Atom Age Americana through the lens of magical fable. Here is an unapologetic culmination of a singular artist's themes, yet told with a newfound sense of urgency - at all times, propelled like a musical through the emotions and fantasies of its players. This is needed - it takes an uncanny whimsy to redeem its violent and perverse sexual politics through the strength of sheer beauty and goodwill. As complete a filmed vision as you'll hope to find.

28 Jan 2018

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26 Jan 2018

Del Toro's visions are always uniquely twisted, but here is an especially unexpected and fearless representation of sexual nonconformity. Each of these characters might be largely defined by their sexual appetites, and the various ways they fail to comply with cultural values. The heroes are empathetic outliers - one disabled, one unfettered and animalistic, another gay, another unhappily married - and the villain is at the very least an abuser, if not an outright rapist.

26 Jan 2018

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23 Jan 2018

Laughably bad. The world's least secure and least quarantined research facility is home to the most amazing discovery of life, which of course the villain has to react to with viciousness to lazily generate conflict. Whimsical directing don't cover up the fact this film is flawed at its foundation and requires characters to act dumb or contradict themselves to keep this nonsensical plot moving towards an ending where a certain plot-point about the creature should've been revealed earlier.

23 Jan 2018

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07 Jan 2018

I really like this movie, and I believe it's Guillermo's best made film yet, which is high praise. The cinematography and score are immaculate, the characters are engrossing and engaging, and the acting is top-notch from all involved. Which makes it all the more disappointing that the mermaid sex is so off-putting and distracting from the film. A near-miss masterpiece.

07 Jan 2018

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31 Dec 2017

Guillermo del Toro did the noises for the fish person himself. Visualizing this brings me much amusement.

31 Dec 2017

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18 Jun 2018

It was just too contrived and superficial as a story to be enjoyable wholly. It feels like an Oscar movie you know, it is not a living story but more like a ice skating score. Also it has some plug and play features (such as the "Monster" being so close to Abe Sapiens in Hellboy, and Shannon's re-enacting of his character in Boardwalk Empire). Visually it was tantalising; but as an overall movie it was like a pale shadow of City of Lost Children. PS: A near perfect probable score :)

18 Jun 2018

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23 Mar 2018

I don't know if it's supposed to be an adult-oriented "Okja" or a humorless "Splash", but it's mostly an anachronistic and truly awful regurgitation of 19th century romanticism, with Michael Shannon wasted in the role of a stock villain.

23 Mar 2018

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15 Mar 2018

This is an odd movie for me because it has a lot of tropes I hate, yet somehow there is nuance to it. The choice to make Hawkin's character a mute was brilliant, and lead to some fantastic scenes that wouldn't be the same had she been made to speak. The characters may seem one-dimensional on the surface, but the film handles subtlety so well that its tropey characters have some interesting intricacies to them.The plot and characters can at times be hokey, but this is a well-shot cinematic marvel

15 Mar 2018

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11 Mar 2018

Strange trappings of Amelie at the start (including self-consciously French-ified soundtrack) eventually dissolve into the heavily stylised magical realism we appreciate in Del Toro films. Sally Hawkins is particularly splendid in this.

11 Mar 2018

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27 Feb 2018

Who looks at a movie set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963 and says "I'm going to make this feel FRENCH as FUCK"? The same person who likes to watch a mute woman engage in fishporn, apparently. But hey, if you've been yearning to see "Humanoids from the Deep" dressed up as period piece oscar bait, go right ahead.

27 Feb 2018

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27 Feb 2018

Cool design and visuals. Props for creative directing. I suppose the film has its heart in the right place, but the plot and characters could have been fleshed out more. The characters are quite clichéd and there are some plot holes. I don't think the ultra-violence and torture were necessary here, it put me off from enjoying this film more. I wish the script was better and more original, if it had been as creative as the rest of the film it would easily have earned a higher score from me.

27 Feb 2018

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21 Feb 2018

Beautiful, with great performances, but rather naively written and a bit too simple for its own good. Also, beautiful.

21 Feb 2018

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20 Feb 2018

Far from Del Toro's best work, but far from bad. TSoW feels like a fairytale, considering it has all the right (and cliched) ingredients. Stellar design throughout.

20 Feb 2018

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15 Feb 2018

Fuck off Academy, Fuck off Hollywood, Fuck you the best thief Del Toro. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9eph-UuMZE&t=

15 Feb 2018

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06 Feb 2018

Concept-wise, I was so very down for this, and while I admit that I had precious little idea of what I was really walking into (other than, it's a Guillermo del Toro movie, so I'm going to love it), I have to admit as well that I DON'T love it. This is a good movie, probably very good, with great performances, incredibly sculpted by its director, and I'm hard-pressed to come up with anything about it that I explicitly didn't like. I'm not let down, not by a long shot, but I'm not all in, either.

06 Feb 2018

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25 Jan 2018

Beauty & The Beast with a Splash of E.T. It features a hodge-podge of government conspiracies, torture, repressed homosexuality, cold war politics and human on alien sex. This is just chrome though - at it's heart it's still Beauty and The Beast, so don't expect anything too original. It's a handsome film to be sure, and Sally Hawkins gives a fantastic performance, but it still has Marvel sensibilities, the characters are drawn with a broad brush and the plotting is loose to say the least.

25 Jan 2018

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09 Jan 2018

Daryl Hannah has not aged well...

09 Jan 2018

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08 Jan 2018

I gotta say, I think those who find the story off-putting have to remember that this is Del Toro. And probably the finest Del Toro since Pan's Labyrinth. A visual masterpiece, for sure, but beyond that, its cast is exquisite, score is incredible, and the urban fairy tale aspects and cold war setting make this an interesting, compelling, and easy watch. It may turn off some, but this will easily land as one of my favorite films of 2017.

08 Jan 2018

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06 Jan 2018

Absolutely DRIPPING with style.

06 Jan 2018

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04 Jan 2018

A little spicier than I had imagined, which was nice, I just wish the writing could have been more dynamic/clever. Its a clear homage to his hollywood heroes, and overall was a pleasant viewing.

04 Jan 2018

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02 Jan 2018

Who knew the a woman making love to a fishman could be so tender?

02 Jan 2018

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21 Dec 2017

Above all else, I hope this gets Sally Hawkins recognition as one of the finest actresses working today. Her charisma shines through despite being incapable of vocalization. Jenkins is a nice counterbalance - neurotic, romantic, and just as friendly. However, the formulaic nature of its plot mechanisms announces itself after its midpoint escape scene, and into the third act. What we're left with is something pretty standard, and familiar to the extent that it is unaffecting when it counts.

21 Dec 2017

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14 Dec 2017

ajit pai's mouth is shaped like an asshole

14 Dec 2017

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09 Dec 2017

C'mon, simple-minded, sentimental pap presented as science-fiction art, with more one-sided politics. Think Beauty and the Beast, The Sequel. The music was OK, but they could have found better even from the 40s & 50s.

09 Dec 2017

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10 Oct 2017

I'd buy the comic book version of this film cuz it'd look exactly the same. A whimsical masterpiece Harry Potter wishes it could be

10 Oct 2017

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05 Oct 2017

jeunet -amelie- meets jeunet&caro -the city of lost children-. if there is a film category such as allegorical romantic fantasy comedy, del toro is the king of it.

05 Oct 2017

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04 Apr 2020

Rule 34 brings you this adult fantasy of a mute woman and a fishman.

04 Apr 2020

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03 Jun 2019

A strange and yet beautiful fairytale love story

03 Jun 2019

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18 Mar 2019

Style × 3 + negative substance = unremarkable Oscar winner. It's made with love, I'll give him that, but seriously, just watch Splash, it's far more enjoyable.

18 Mar 2019

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06 Feb 2019

This movie is as much otherworldly as having sex with a fish is. Underwater! Also it is about having the green coloured cake substance made of pure sugar fed to you through a drip with the French accordion playing in the background for days unending. Just kidding, at the end of such stylized treatment there is a merman to live happily with ever after because he loves you for what you truly are, a person full of green cake with a very good heart who just deserves to be loved by fishmen forever.

06 Feb 2019

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24 Dec 2018

Well, there are two ways to look at TSOW depending on who you concentrate on. It is either a charming, quirky escapist fantasy of a sexually and emotionally repressed cleaner, or a violent, unpleasant, example of Mans moral bankcrupy and failure to treat anything that is 'different' approaching a humane way. Actually, it is both, and the juxtaposition of the two is a little too jarring to make this work perfectly. Hawkins was terrific, but Shannon too 'inept' a character to be a true baddie.

24 Dec 2018

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16 Jul 2018

My mind kept slipping to thoughts of Troy McLure and then inevitably Richard Gere’s anus every time the fish fucking commenced. That minor distraction aside this is a gorgeous treat; led expertly by the delicate Hawkins and the malignant Shannon.

16 Jul 2018

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03 Apr 2018

Visually the film was beautiful, and the strong acting made it enjoyable enough to watch. Sadly, this really was the case of style over substance. It was a simple fairy tale for adults. Its revolutionary lesson being, you should not discriminate against pe... creatures, that look different from you.

03 Apr 2018

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26 Mar 2018

i was moved by the surprising compassion and understanding with which jenkins reacts to finding his lonely best friend in bed with the gross dude who ate his cat's face, until i remembered he chose his career first and only ended up helping her out because nobody had any use for his shitty art. which, presumably, is the same reason del toro decided to shoehorn these pandering yet disinterested and incoherent real-world analogues into his gloriously(?) goofy fishfucker fantasy.

26 Mar 2018

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13 Mar 2018

It's gorgeous and fun and sweet and creepy. Shannon is fucking vicious, Jenkins is at his most Jenkinsy and a mute gets naked and fucks a fish in a flooded bathroom. If there isn't something here for you, you are dead inside.

13 Mar 2018

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11 Mar 2018

Ohhh so this is what working at Sea World in the 70s was like.

11 Mar 2018

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04 Mar 2018

Ameliè meets The Beauty and The Beast. Water is life, and we are all drops of it. It's love, life, needing each other in this big ocean, against people that use other people like tools. This is Del Toro 3000%, maybe visually speaking his best work, never his fairytale spirit and poetic was so well merged with the aesthetics of one of his film. But still, it's first and foremost a fairy tale love -- and sex, it's for adult -- story that never really make the jump into something more.

04 Mar 2018

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03 Mar 2018

I was forgetting what was going on while watching since it just started to drone on with little substance to make me care. It's the 2017's The Artist and hopefully it will be reevaluated as such in the future. It's not as Oscar Bait as something like a holocaust drama but being a genre film that isn't superhero junk that fills the cinemas doesn't make it great. The biggest disappointment I watched in years.

03 Mar 2018

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03 Mar 2018

"Not only was she the first choice, she was the only choice. I wrote the movie for Sally." - Guillermo del Toro

03 Mar 2018

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03 Mar 2018

Considering none of this is actually filmed under water,they've done an incredible job on the budget.It looks more expensive than it should, some nice cinematography. The prosthetics are incredible as usual. Worth a watch for the craft, the story is fine, the acting is good. Probably the best mainstream GDT work to date -I'm counting Crimson Peak and Pacific Rim here though.

03 Mar 2018

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26 Feb 2018

A unique, wonderful experience - but it lacks something for me. I can see why a lot of people love it. Wish I was one of them.

26 Feb 2018

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26 Feb 2018

Beauty and the Beast for adults. While the movie romanticises the fairytale relationship it doesn't shy away from the more animalistic traits of the Merman. In general the cast were all believable in their roles and felt fleshed out as characters with special mention to Michael Shannon who is scarily convincing as the main antagonist. The film is well directed, looks great, has a good score and the costume for the Merman is really impressive.

26 Feb 2018

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24 Feb 2018

Beautifully rendered fantasy is a triumph on all levels - the disparate elements of this bizarre tale and characterisations are seamlessly interwoven; the 4 heroes (representing different faces of the social 'outsider') are uniformly superb (even if Spencer wavers close to typecasting). Jones as the creature delivers the most sensitive performance of the movie with mute Hawkins incredibly impressive; while Shannon may present as over-the-top, he is an all to familiar 'real world' archetype.

24 Feb 2018

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22 Feb 2018

An absolutely stunning film, featuring beautiful photography, excellent production design and a great soundtrack. The entire cast is phenomenal and the story itself is a brilliant piece of screenwriting in terms of themes, characters and plot. It's a wonderfully resonant movie and a completely immersive experience: taut and relaxing, real and surreal, unsettling and sweet, it's the definition of memorable.

22 Feb 2018

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20 Feb 2018

Somewhere in between a Disney fairytale and Roger Corman movie. It's a little bit too sweet for my taste, more sleaze would certainly make it better balanced. With some explicit monster fucking and gore this could've been amazing.

20 Feb 2018

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19 Feb 2018

Great movie. That one scene reminded me of Splice though....

19 Feb 2018

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13 Feb 2018

Really great in some ways, including how it melded genres seamlessly and was beautifully shot. Unfortunately it also had some really tropey characters and scenes, as well as too many side stories that didn't really add much. An achievement and nice as something pretty original.

13 Feb 2018

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08 Feb 2018

The fact that this film works at all is a miracle, but the fact that it is legitimately touching and genuinely charming is an anomaly. A step to the left or right could've made this movie a creepy and/or gross movie because of its concept but del Toro finds the sweet spot where it just...works. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the great performance of Sally Hawkins, who carries the film without the need for words. GdT also, once again, shares his knack for creating despicable villains.

08 Feb 2018

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23 Jan 2018

I felt this delicate, creature romance was carried by the design and cinematography. Definitely glad I caught this in theater as I'm not sure if I would've enjoyed it as much at home. A few holes throughout the plot that don't make it great, even some unnecessary scenes. However, was refreshing to enjoy such a film.

23 Jan 2018

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23 Jan 2018

Deliciously weird (the original trailer was perhaps the strangest I've ever seen) and surprisingly adult and non-commercial. I didn't love it (it's among the best-reviewed of the year, and del Toro won the Golden Globe for Best Director and is favourite for the Oscar), but it was an enjoyable night out!

23 Jan 2018

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22 Jan 2018

It was beautifully shot, the cinematography was gorgeous, the production design was fantastic, the music was great, it's got an awesome cast. The story is fairly predictable, and the themes are quite heavy-handed, but it's fine - it's not trying to be subtle, it's trying to be a B-movie with a twist. The creature design was brilliant, and I enjoyed the flashes of violence. It's not quite something I absolutely love, but I liked it a lot.

22 Jan 2018

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21 Jan 2018

Sure, there are flaws in the narrative, but it's a fucking fairytale. And nobody does those like del Toro when he wants to.

21 Jan 2018

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13 Jan 2018

Well made fantasy story about life, about prejudices and obsticles that are made by the society around us. Fear of unknown, no matter how amazing it is, is always around us. In many ways its a classic story about society, but with so much more around it with Del Toro's touch that is recoginzable in great direction and story telling.

13 Jan 2018

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12 Jan 2018

An absolute work of art. It doesn't feel forced, even though it's a fantasy setting you have to 'believe' from the start. Also.. that music score.. I'm in love :)

12 Jan 2018

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08 Jan 2018

A very personal-feeling film. It's intimate. A film that's becoming harder to find in wide release these days: a vision brought to life without compromise from a talented artist. The characters are endearing, the score lovely, the camerawork gorgeous, the storytelling engaging. This was a treat. I left the theatre in the glow of satisfaction that only well-wrought stories give us.

08 Jan 2018

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08 Jan 2018

While it's a little lesser than his finest hour (Pan's Labyrinth), it's a visually gorgeous buffet of influence (like always, seriously, this dude crafts beautiful stuff) powered by great performances by everyone, especially Hawkins, but Shannon is a great villain too. I felt for this creature; the way he and Hawkins relate and play off one another is splendid storytelling. Fantastic soundtrack as well. Predictable but it's so moving that that weakness is covered.

08 Jan 2018

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04 Jan 2018

Think Amelie meets Pan's Labyrinth. A gorgeously shot fairy tail/monster movie - this is what I imagine happens after they captured the Creature From the Black Lagoon.

04 Jan 2018

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24 Dec 2017

The aesthetic of any del Toro film is worth the admission alone, and the Shape of Water doesn't disappoint in this aspect. Call it Caro/Jeunet light, but it is still a wonderful feeling to get lost in this fairly tale surrounded by such pretty wrapping paper. There are several moments that pierce with an authenticity that is absolutely heartbreaking.

24 Dec 2017

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09 Dec 2017

Fantastic characters

09 Dec 2017

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02 Oct 2017

An impossible love story between a girl and an outsider. Beautifully put. Amazing acting, both leading and supporting.

02 Oct 2017

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07 Mar 2021

You've got a perfectly good Michael Shannon who's ready and willing to power fuck you, and you elect to go with the hermaphroditic fish guy. Women make NO sense.

07 Mar 2021

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11 Aug 2020

This is was well executed, but the concept is obvious. It also expects you to cheer on a human who abuses her situation to rape a helpless fish-human hybrid, because of true love or something . . . I guess . . .

11 Aug 2020

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26 Mar 2020

Really nothing special (Except the production design, Jesus, literally every single shot in this film is pretty!) I hate writing reviews this short, but I really don't know what else to say: it's... fine, serviceable, okay. Sally Hawkins is great, and the story is unpredictable enough to keep me interested until the end, but from a story-telling and film-making perspective did it say or do anything new or different? Not really.

26 Mar 2020

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06 May 2019

Well directed and crafted fairy tale. Have to underline that, a fairy tale and a good one at that. Fitting del Toro's style but losing its grip at times.

06 May 2019

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28 Jan 2019

A fun quirky take on the romance genre. With a bit of cold war thrown in for good measure.

28 Jan 2019

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17 Dec 2018

Imagery straight from visionary Guillermo Del Toro's mind with immediately recognisable style, palpable and solid atmosphere, coupled with solid pacing and great performances. The archetypal villain in Shannon's personification, the stable as usual screen presence of Jenkins, and an unbearably cute, sexy, real and heartbreaking - also very well cast - Sally Hawkins. Alas, the sporadic symptoms of the nowadays very modern emphasis on societal polarisation and victimisation drag it down a little.

17 Dec 2018

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04 Nov 2018

P - Very enjoyable B-Movie. Monsters, Russian spies, and a love story. Great performances all round, but especially from Michael Shannon. This is the most Michael Shannon he has ever Michael Shannoned. What could be more Michael Shannon? None. None more Michael Shannon. (This is genuine praise.) Nice to see a Boardwalk Empire reunion, of sorts, with Michael Stuhlbarg as well.

04 Nov 2018

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29 Oct 2018

The intense emotional honesty of this movie is what makes it work, makes it so good. It knows what it wants to say - that human beings have been chopped apart by conniving miniature tyrants as they desperately grasp for control, and that the only way to reclaim ourselves and each other is to leap boldly over the barriers they've placed around us and bravely, passionately love. And it does this with a real honest monster and real honest love. Wonderful, and deserving of all plaudits.

29 Oct 2018

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Cast & Info

Directed by:

Guillermo del Toro

Writers:

Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor

Starring:

Nick Searcy, Richard Jenkins, David Hewlett, Michael Shannon, Doug Jones, Martin Roach, Lauren Lee Smith, Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Morgan Kelly, Allegra Fulton

Genres:

Romance, Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Fantasy

Countries:

Languages:

English, French, Russian, American Sign Language

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