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The Shape of Water (2017)
Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water is set in Baltimore, Maryland in 1962, and follows Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins), a shy, mute woman who works as a custodian at a secure government facility. While at her job, Elisa meets and falls in love with a human-amphibian hybrid man, who is being held and experimented on at the facility by the evil Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon). Risking her life and the lives of her friends, Elisa hatches a plan to help her amphibian lover escape, pursued by Strickland and his forces in the government.
The Shape of Water
- Director
- Guillermo del Toro
- Release Date
- December 1, 2017
- Studio(s)
- Searchlight Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Searchlight Pictures
- Cast
- Richard Jenkins , Doug Jones , Octavia Spencer , Michael Shannon , Sally Hawkins , Michael Stuhlbarg
- Writers
- Guillermo del Toro , Vanessa Taylor
- Runtime
- 2h 3m
- prequel(s)
- The Creature From the Black Lagoon
- Budget
- 19.5–20 million
Summary
From master storyteller, Guillermo del Toro, comes THE SHAPE OF WATER - an other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963. In the hidden high security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of silence and isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. This marks del Toro's return to small-scale filmmaking, following bigger, genre offerings such as the Hellboy films and Pacific Rim. It has been compared by many to his earlier fantasy movie, Pan's Labyrinth in regards to tone and drew much inspiration from the classic monster flick The Creature from the Black Lagoon. In interviews, del Toro has made clear his intention to turn typical conventions on their head by having the female lead fall in love with the monster. Originally, del Toro had envisioned making The Shape of Water in black and white as a means of keeping the budget down, but the film is presented in color. The Shape of Water toured the fall festival circuit in 2017, making stops at Venice (where it won the Golden Lion) and Toronto. It received widespread acclaim, with many critics praising del Toro's eye for stunning visuals and a heartfelt, emotional story. Sally Hawkins also earned raves for her performance as Elisa, a mute janitor. Despite being a fantasy film, many are predicting The Shape of Water will be one of the top contenders at the Oscars due to its various merits. Want to know more about The Shape of Water?
Watch the Shape of Water Trailer
The Shape of Water Has a Human/Fish Monster Love Scene
Screen Rant's Shape of Water Review
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