The Shape of Water
2017 · Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Original language: English
- drama
- fantasy
- romance
The story
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.
What it’s like
Warm amber and teal light against sludgy green-grey industrial surfaces, with the palette shifting to saturated jewel tones whenever the water comes into frame. Del Toro's camera moves slowly and deliberately through a 1962 Baltimore that feels humid, rain-streaked and faintly dreamlike, lingering on tiled bathrooms, old diners, and the glow of a cinema screen. The score is lush and wistful, built on strings and soft brass, and the sound design makes water a constant presence: dripping pipes, rushing tanks, muffled bubbling. The mood is tender and whimsical, with a melancholy undertow and a fairy-tale sincerity, and the pace is unhurried, letting quiet domestic routines and wordless glances carry the emotional weight. The romance is gentle and sensual, with brief nudity and a nonexplicit love scene. Violence is present and sometimes sharp, including a torture sequence and a few sudden deaths, though it is never gratuitous and mostly lands as cruelty rather than gore. It suits a rainy evening, a slow comfort watch, or anyone who loves old-Hollywood romance wrapped in a dark, uncanny shell, and it is most rewarding for viewers who enjoy sensual, romantic fantasy with an adult edge.
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