I saw The Shape of Water on a cold Friday night back in 2017. The theater was freezing. I kept my coat on and held a warm popcorn tub like a little heater. The movie started with a room under water, and I actually stopped chewing. You know what? That floaty start pulled me right in. If you're curious about how the film fared with critics, its Rotten Tomatoes score paints a pretty clear picture of the raves it earned.
A few years later, I watched it again at home with the lights off. I turned on captions, made tea, and peeled two boiled eggs. Felt right.
What It’s Really About (At Least to Me)
A quiet janitor named Elisa works the night shift in a big lab. She can’t speak, but she signs and hums and moves with purpose. She finds a creature in a tank. He’s not a monster to her. He’s a someone. (There’s a straightforward, spoiler-packed rundown on Wikipedia if you ever need a refresher.)
That’s the story. But also, it’s about being unseen. Being lonely in a loud place. It’s about the people who clean up the mess while others break things. I’ve been the person who stays late and keeps it all tidy. So yeah, it hit a nerve.
Scenes That Stuck to My Ribs
- The egg scene: Elisa brings the creature boiled eggs. Simple, sweet. I actually salted my egg in sync with her. Silly, but I did.
- The bathroom flood: She stuffs towels under the door, turns the taps, and the room becomes a lake. My heart thumped. Wild idea, but shot so calm.
- The dance daydream: Black-and-white, soft lights, old-school swing. It felt like a wink to classic movies I watched with my grandma.
- The lab hallway: mops, buckets, green walls, boots squeaking. I could almost smell bleach.
- The cat moment at the neighbor’s place: it’s messy and scary and sad. That scene made me jump and then sit very still.
- The candy sticks: the bad guy chews them all day. The crunch got under my skin. Sound design doing sneaky work there.
- The pie shop: bright green pie, fake smile, stale taste. Sometimes pretty things are rotten. That’s the point.
The Look and the Sound (No Fancy Talk, Promise)
This movie lives in blue-green tones. Teal. Sea glass. The color grading feels like a mint milkshake—cool and smooth. The sets are packed but neat: old radios, shiny tiles, a diner that looks sweet but feels cold. That’s production design, by the way—how the world on screen gets built.
The music? Soft and swirly, like a slow waltz. It nudged me along without shouting. I still hum the main theme while I do dishes. The water noises—drips, pipes, bathtubs—act like a heartbeat.
And Sally Hawkins, who plays Elisa, says a lot with her face and hands. It’s careful work. You can tell they planned the blocking (where actors move) with love. Doug Jones in the suit moves like a river. Not easy. Very smooth.
The Emotional Bits I Didn’t Expect
I cried twice. Once when Elisa rides the bus alone with rain on the window. Once when she leans her head on the tank glass like it’s a shoulder. It’s not loud crying. Just that warm sting in your nose and eyes. The movie treats longing like it’s normal. Not drama. Just daily life. The last time a movie caught me off-guard like that was the bittersweet island drama Aloha, which squeezed tears from me for totally different reasons.
Also, this is a love story, but it’s not neat. There’s violence. A few scenes are rough on the eyes. Some folks in my row turned away. I get it.
Tiny Details I Noticed on Rewatch
- A green theme everywhere: candy, cars, walls, pie. Red pops in at key moments. That shift helps you feel the stakes.
- ASL hands in tight frames. I paused to see the shape of each sign. The movement reads like music.
- Background TV shows tap dance while the characters are stuck. Cute, but a little bitter.
- The lab’s hum. A constant tone. It makes you tense without knowing why.
- Scrubbing scenes matter. Work is a kind of love here.
- Ever get stuck trying to name a film you only remember in fragments? I found a surprisingly handy rundown on solving that exact problem here.
What Worked Great For Me
- A tender lead who doesn’t speak. Brave choice, strong payoff.
- A creature that looks real, not rubbery. The practical effects hold up.
- Music that wraps around you, not over you.
- A world that feels full, from diner to drainpipe.
- A love story that treats “different” as normal, not a joke.
What Bugged Me (A Little)
- The villain feels loud and simple. I wanted one more layer to him.
- The middle slows down. I liked it, but my friend checked her phone.
- Some gore with fingers and blood made me queasy. I warned my mom before she watched.
Who Will Like This
- Fans of fairy tales with grown-up edges.
- People who enjoy slow builds and mood.
- Anyone who loves classic Hollywood vibes but wants a sharper bite.
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While you’re lining up your next movie night, you might also explore What a Way to Go, a stirring documentary that pairs surprisingly well with del Toro’s watery dream.
Maybe skip if you want big laughs, fast cuts, or a clean, shiny ending.
A Quick Story From My Night
When the credits rolled, a man in my row said, “I didn’t expect to care that much.” I smiled in the dark because same. I walked out into the wind, held my coat tight, and kept hearing water in the gutters. Felt like the movie followed me home.
Final Take
The Shape of Water feels gentle but brave. It’s weird, but kind. Even with the rough parts, it left me softer. I give it 4.5 boiled eggs out of 5.
Watch it on a rainy night. Lights low. Maybe hold your snack a little closer than usual.