The Shape of Water

Gimly

January 25, 2018

7/10

Not just a love letter to the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but to cinema itself. Del Toro's _The Shape of Water_ is the "Who is the real monster?" question taken to the nth degree, with some some fascinating side-concepts that are explored just enough to be worthwhile. At the end of the day _The Shape of Water_, at its most stripped back, is a movie about fucking a fish. But it's the kind of movie about fucking a fish that should also probably win the Academy Award for Best Picture. _Final…

GDT's first truly great flick. The R-Rated Family Movie schtick always came off as silly or had a story too dull to carry its own weight. Characters and morality are two dimensional; the world functions via cartoon logic. But the love story here is precious. Could be argued it's an apologist film for zoophilia, considering the amphibian shows little intelligence beyond that of a dog.

John Chard

December 23, 2018

6/10

Bend me, shape me, anyway you want me! Guillermo del Toro directs and co-writes with Vanessa Taylor what would turn out to be the Best Picture Academy Award Winner for 2017. A much loved film that's not without dissention in certain quarters, it's a picture that warrants dissention but it should be noted that just because someone doesn't like it, that doesn't make it a bad film. I'm certainly in the camp that finds it over praised, even annoyingly disappointing, whilst appreciating many of th…

Filipe Manuel Neto

November 20, 2022

6/10

**It's a good movie, but not as good as I was expecting.** I don't know many Guillermo del Toro movies, but I imagined this movie to be a little similar to “Pan's Labyrinth”, a work that I really liked. So I sat down to watch it with some anticipation. When it ended, I didn't feel cheated, but I also don't think it's any better than that other Del Toro film, despite the greater media attention and professional criticism. It received four Oscars (Best Film, Best Director, Best Production Desig…

David Navratil

January 9, 2023

8/10

Just finished watching this movie and despite the other critical reviews I enjoyed it! No I don't think it deserved the BP Oscar but it is the kind of movie that I will be watching again in time! David N.

GenerationofSwine

January 14, 2023

10/10

My girlfriend and I called it "the Fish F***er Movie" and that is really what it is...but it's also green, very, very green. Ever wondered how Abe from Hellboy had sex? Well this movie explains it. But honestly, it isn't bad. It's a total period piece. It's beautiful, I mean it is very beautiful, and it has a story. But, yeah, the thing about it is that it's beautiful AND has a story. The English Patient, Brokeback Mountain, they were just beautiful and beauty alone with no story behind…

CinemaSerf

May 29, 2024

7/10

I appreciate that this probably isn't to everyone's taste - but I really enjoyed it. Set in 1960s America this is a story about a mute woman "Elisa" (Sally Hawkins) who ends up working as a cleaner at a top secret military facility where an aquatic creature is being held captive/experimented upon. Over the course of the film, she befriends him and they establish a bond despite the cruel treatment he is receiving from a truly unpleasant "Colonel Strickland" (Michael Shannon). Octavia Spencer is a…

The Shape of Water is a well-written and beautifully executed film that truly lives up to its expectations. Guillermo del Toro brings his signature visual style and emotional storytelling to create a unique blend of fantasy and romance. While I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, it's a film that's captivating and deeply engaging. Sally Hawkins delivers a standout performance as Elisa, conveying so much emotion without a single spoken word. Her connection with the creature is the heart of the sto…