The Shape of Water

Guillermo del Toro’s best movie in years, The Shape of Water follows mute janitor Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) as she meets and befriends a unique amphibious creature being held in a top-secret research facility. It’s clear immediately that del Toro is aiming for a fairy-tale feel as evidenced by both the content of the narrative and the grandiose nature of the visuals, and there’s little doubt that The Shape of Water, as a result, boasts an opening stretch that’s rarely anything short of completely hypnotic – with the film’s engrossing vibe heightened by Hawkins’ captivating work as the sympathetic central character. (Hawkins’ stellar turn is undoubtedly matched by a seriously strong supporting cast that includes Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, and Michael Stuhlbarg.) Del Toro perpetuates the compulsively watchable atmosphere by peppering the proceedings with spellbinding set-pieces (eg a daring escape attempt), while the film benefits substantially from a script, by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, that takes the time to develop not just the protagonist but the various periphery figures as well. (It’s ultimately difficult to recall a movie that goes to such significant lengths to fully flesh-out its villain.) And although the film does flounder somewhat in its second half – the pace slows considerably, and there are palpable instances of padding during this section – The Shape of Water builds to an exciting climax and note-perfect resolution that effectively ensure it ends on an exceedingly high note, which undoubtedly confirms its place as an uncommonly impressive entry within del Toro’s decidedly hit-and-miss body of work.

***1/2 out of ****