The Shape of Water is a drama/romance directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor that tells the story of Elisa, a lonely mute woman who works as a janitor in a high-security government laboratory during the Cold War era in 1962 Baltimore. Elisa’s life takes an unexpected turn when she and her co-worker Zelda find a secret classified experiment involving a fish-like creature discovered in the Amazon. The creature or “Asset” is tortured by its captor and government agent named Strickland. Elisa, on the other hand, makes a connection with the creature that eventually evolves into love. It is one of the most nominated films this year at the Oscars including Best Film and it is clear as to why after seeing this film.
The quality of the film is undeniable. The cinematography is so breathtaking that the film looks like a dream. The cast is full of talented actors including Sally Hawkings who plays Elisa, Michael Shannon who plays Stickland, Octavia Spencer who plays Zelda, Doug Jones who plays the “Asset” and many other notable actors. Sally Hawkings shines in every scene she’s in, and they all do an incredible job of portraying the characters and giving life to the story.
Even though the movie is set in the 60’s it delves into issues that still resonate with us today. The protagonist is a mute, and her friends are a black woman and a gay man. They were treated as creatures different to the rest of society just like the fish-like creature they found. It also criticizes the typical power hungry American man.
You might be asking how is a love story between a man-like fish and a mute woman work; well I can’t really answer that, it just does. Guillermo del Toro gave a refreshing twist to the typical sci-fi monster movie and created a very unconventional love story. It is thrilling, pure, romantic and sensual in all the best ways. It’s definitely nothing you’ve seen before and just for that reason, it’s a must-watch.