The Shape of Water

A loose sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s beloved classic Creature from the Black Lagoon with a subtle retro look and a unique and, I’d dare say, beautiful monster. It cannot be compared to Pan’s Labyrinth, as the older movie was more surreal, cruel, sad and less Hollywoodish. The Shape of Water is a charming American genre movie with a simple, even predictable premise, but created with love and with a load of lovely references for movie geeks. "Beauty and the Beast" meets "Romeo & Juliet". A fairy tale for adults in which the heroine no longer reads a fantasy book but masturbates in the bath. Given that it was made by Guillermo, there is a relative lack of of blood and violence. We get to see a black woman, a gay, a Trump-like American general and a secret Russian scientist with his heart in the right place. All decently written and directed, with everything is as it should be, though the runtime is slightly too long. One hundred minutes would have been ideal. (09/27/2017)

I was hyped for the new movie by Guillermo del Toro. A bunch of Oscar nominations only strengthened my excitement. But I really didn’t expect a fantasy premise to turn into a fantasy zoophilic romance. I don’t think this is the first time this idea has occurred to somebody in America but each time it only pissed me off. I can’t wrap my head around why Guillermo himself would waste his time on a story like this. (02/20/2018)

Guillermo Del Toro and his new film The Shape of Water unfortunately didn't impress me and del Toro has disappointed me after a long time. While The Shape of Water garnered rave reviews and won awards at the Golden Globes for Best Director and Best Score, and I certainly can't deny the solid direction, the period atmosphere and decent performances, Michael Shannon as the bad guy is perhaps the best thing about the whole film, but the rest of the cast left me cold. The film has quite a plodding pace, an unlikeable main character who is so desperate that she's having it out with a Fish Man, and too much romance for my taste that the suspense and the few brutal scenes remain rather in the background. Surprisingly the humour works here though (“Never trust a man even if he is flat down there”). As a romantic fairytale about a mute girl who falls in love with a monster it seems to work, as a horror film it hardly works at all. But it will find its audience, a female audience I suppose. 45% (01/10/2018)

Carefully, I expected a mysterious fairytale, into which Guillermo del Toro would pour in a smaller amount, in the best case scenario, and a larger amount, in the worst case scenario, of depression, the main character of his Pan's Labyrinth. However, everything is different, and instead, I am getting a retro version of Splash! for eighteen and older narrated by Richard Jenkins. Among the participating actors, Michael Shannon is the one who stands out the most, although he sells his traditionally wild and scruffy face as much as he can, his storyline as an ultra-negative agent falls somewhat deaf due to unsuccessful family/marital scenes. I perceive that the beauty and the beast are given the main focus, surprisingly at the expense of the development of other characters' storylines but still, this thoroughly captivating spectacle is very likable to me in terms of genre. It is narrated innocently and honestly, and does not try to be anything it is not even for a moment. (02/24/2018)

Set design great, nicely shot, a beautiful creature... and then there’s the rest of it. Messy and flaccid, of questionable artistic value, quietly loud, stereotypical – like it's all set in some artificial town full of robots playing humans. And yet they are all completely horny. I don't understand the Oscars (except for the sets), but neither do a lot of other people, so it's okay. 50%. (03/18/2018)

A stylishly magnificent tribute to old trash films, the beautifully captured atmosphere of the late 50s and 60s, an unconventional romance that grabs your heart, and a great performance by Sally Hawkins in the lead role. I have so far considered her a decent comedic actress, but what she showcased in this film has catapulted her very high in all aspects of character acting. Personally, I appreciate Guillermo del Toro's artistic playfulness, which reminds me of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's earlier works. Then there's the game with details, which you will probably fully grasp only upon repeated viewing. With this film, my poor knowledge of English came back to haunt me because many details escaped me. I wanted to know why the Golden Globes were awarded to the film, and now I know that they are in the best hands. So far, the rating on FilmBooster seems too low to me, the film probably hasn't yet found its target audience. Thank you, Guillermo, for the industrial charm of old times. Overall impression: 90%. (01/01/2018)

Del Toro is on his best ever form. He has turned the story of the origin of Abe Sapien to an Oscar-winning picture that plays with the rules of the genre. Sally Hawkins is fantastic and convincingly falls in love with the creature from the black lagoon. We even get some full-frontals. The perfect, period socio-political commentary (he even dares to claim that some Communists can be good) is slightly disrupted by gay/feminist offerings that somewhat divert from the story. The stylization, the music, the make-up… just perfect. A fairytale for adults in the very best sense. (02/17/2018)

Beautiful, charming, sweet. A great cast, great ideas, and creative direction. Years later, I'm still reminiscing and currently enjoying the comic variation on the "Shape of Elvira" theme. I'm almost afraid to watch the rerun lest the memory fade. (01/31/2020)

An utterly unique and bizarre retro-futuristic fantasy, an original mix of childish naivety, teenage infatuation and adult sexuality, combined with occasional brutality. Michael Shannon and his black fingers are so over-the-top. I get the Oscars, it's "something different" than what’s usual in the film medium, but I didn’t get a proper film experience. (03/05/2018)

A great fairy tale with a deliberately B-movie story, but with its message and how it caresses on the soul, it trumps films that are more ambitious. Sally Hawkins is magical in the lead role, and Michael Shannon has created such a hideously entertaining story that I think it should belong to film history - his ambitious maniac is an example of someone completely unique in recent times. Del Toro's precise directing and Desplat's music, whose main motif you want to constantly whistle during the film, wraps it all into a beautiful experience that was seriously worth waiting for, although it premiered more than two months ago across the pond. (02/14/2018)

A beautiful cinematic caress that delighted me both with a beautifully told sci-fi story from a time when there was no need to overwhelm the viewer with special effects, and with a creative stylistic hand that manages to upgrade the story effortlessly to the demands of modern audiences. Weak on the emotions and with a slightly overwrought script, but excellent actors and top-notch direction referring to the film formulas of the fifties. (02/14/2018)

When I first saw the trailer for Guillermo del Toro's latest film, I figured that The Shape of Water would rank right up there with Faun's Labyrinth in terms of original story and polished production design. Even though this unconventionally conceived romantic film falls slightly short of del Toro's amazing masterpiece in quality and poignancy, it's still a film that won't leave viewers cold and indifferent. I have no words for the amazing production design and the eerily beautiful appearance of the "monster", as I would only be echoing the comments of others. The central lovestruck couple don't say much, but you still get the feeling that their relationship, full of looks, sign language and bizarre shrieks, is exceedingly warm, maybe even slightly creepy, but all the more magical. Alongside the gory, no-nonsense scenes that are a hallmark of del Toro's films and recur throughout his oeuvre, there was room for humour, particularly provided by Octavia Spencer as Zelda and Richard Jenkins as Giles. Sally Hawkins' innocent and slightly pouting expression contrasts perfectly with the demonic appearance of the main villain with the face of Michael Shannon, beside whom even the screeching expression of the "monster" seems more endearing. In short, one of the strangest films of recent times, and one that certainly won't get buried under a layer of dust and forgotten thanks to the story, the performances and the visual styling. (01/01/2018)

Well, I sure have mixed feelings about this film. On the one hand, it had an amazing retro vibe, professionalism poured out of every frame, and Michael Shannon delivered another version of agent Van Alden with his signature charm. On the other hand, I was expecting more than just a weird fairy-tale romance between a cleaning lady and Aquaman. Anyway, I'm really glad that Elisa didn’t work at a vet clinic. I don’t think of myself as a prude, but interspecies relationships just aren’t my thing. On a final note, I thought I could speak decent Russian. Either I was wrong, or the creative team overestimated their powers, and not a little. (04/14/2018)

I didn't know what to expect from this film. Why does a romance between a girl and a monster have 13 Oscar nominations? To be honest, I'm not sure of the answer to that so far, this isn't a film that the Academy would normally award, but it has to be admitted that it's a beautifully directed film, with beautiful visuals, stunning performances and great cinematography that isn't afraid. Yes, it's definitely an experience. And the music! (01/26/2018)