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IMDbPro

The Shape of Water

  • 20172017
  • RR
  • 2h 3m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
411K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,054
53
Doug Jones and Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water (2017)
An other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment.
Play trailer1:49
33 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Fantasy
  • Romance
At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
411K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,054
53
  • Director
    • Guillermo del Toro
  • Writers
    • Guillermo del Toro(screenplay by)
    • Vanessa Taylor(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Sally Hawkins
    • Octavia Spencer
    • Michael Shannon
Top credits
  • Director
    • Guillermo del Toro
  • Writers
    • Guillermo del Toro(screenplay by)
    • Vanessa Taylor(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Sally Hawkins
    • Octavia Spencer
    • Michael Shannon
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.7KUser reviews
    • 1KCritic reviews
    • 87Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 4 Oscars
      • 138 wins & 358 nominations total

    Videos33

    New International Trailer
    Trailer 1:49
    New International Trailer
    Red Band Trailer
    Trailer 2:21
    Red Band Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 2:02
    Trailer
    Now Playing Everywhere
    Trailer 2:31
    Now Playing Everywhere
    The Shape of Water
    Trailer 2:37
    The Shape of Water
    Unconventional Romances to Stream Now
    Clip 2:41
    Unconventional Romances to Stream Now
    5 Takeaways from TIFF 2019
    Clip 4:06
    5 Takeaways from TIFF 2019
    How 'Pan's Labyrinth' Inspired 'Scary Stories'
    Clip 2:49
    How 'Pan's Labyrinth' Inspired 'Scary Stories'
    IMDb's Most Watched Trailers of 2018
    Clip 0:50
    IMDb's Most Watched Trailers of 2018
    Is 'Pinocchio' the Right Move for Guillermo del Toro?
    Clip 3:14
    Is 'Pinocchio' the Right Move for Guillermo del Toro?
    Theater
    Clip 1:02
    Theater
    Two Step
    Clip 0:44
    Two Step

    Photos431

    Doug Jones and Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water (2017)
    Michael Shannon and Guillermo del Toro in The Shape of Water (2017)
    Octavia Spencer, Guillermo del Toro, and Sally Hawkins in IMDb Originals (2015)
    Michael Shannon, Lauren Lee Smith, Jayden Greig, and Madison Ferguson in The Shape of Water (2017)
    Octavia Spencer and Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water (2017)
    Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, and Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water (2017)
    Guillermo del Toro in The Shape of Water (2017)
    Octavia Spencer and Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water (2017)
    Michael Shannon in The Shape of Water (2017)
    David Hewlett, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Guillermo del Toro in The Shape of Water (2017)
    Richard Jenkins and Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water (2017)
    Richard Jenkins and Cody Ray Thompson in The Shape of Water (2017)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sally Hawkins
    Sally Hawkins
    • Elisa Espositoas Elisa Esposito
    Octavia Spencer
    Octavia Spencer
    • Zelda Fulleras Zelda Fuller
    Michael Shannon
    Michael Shannon
    • Richard Stricklandas Richard Strickland
    Doug Jones
    Doug Jones
    • Amphibian Manas Amphibian Man
    Richard Jenkins
    Richard Jenkins
    • Gilesas Giles
    Michael Stuhlbarg
    Michael Stuhlbarg
    • Dr. Robert Hoffstetleras Dr. Robert Hoffstetler
    David Hewlett
    David Hewlett
    • Flemingas Fleming
    Nick Searcy
    Nick Searcy
    • General Hoytas General Hoyt
    Stewart Arnott
    Stewart Arnott
    • Bernardas Bernard
    Nigel Bennett
    Nigel Bennett
    • Mihalkovas Mihalkov
    Lauren Lee Smith
    Lauren Lee Smith
    • Elaine Stricklandas Elaine Strickland
    Martin Roach
    Martin Roach
    • Brewster Fulleras Brewster Fuller
    Allegra Fulton
    Allegra Fulton
    • Yolandaas Yolanda
    John Kapelos
    John Kapelos
    • Mr. Arzoumanianas Mr. Arzoumanian
    Morgan Kelly
    Morgan Kelly
    • Pie Guyas Pie Guy
    Marvin Kaye
    Marvin Kaye
    • Burly Russianas Burly Russian
    Dru Viergever
    Dru Viergever
    • Military Policemanas Military Policeman
    Wendy Lyon
    Wendy Lyon
    • Sally (Secretary)as Sally (Secretary)
    • Director
      • Guillermo del Toro
    • Writers
      • Guillermo del Toro(screenplay by) (story by)
      • Vanessa Taylor(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Guillermo del Toro said about Sally Hawkins, "Not only was she the first choice, she was the only choice. I wrote the movie for Sally, I wrote the movie for Michael [Shannon]... Sally is -- I wanted the character of Elisa to be beautiful, in her own way, not in a way that is like a perfume commercial kind of way. That you could believe that this character, this woman would be sitting next to you on the bus. But at the same time she would have a luminosity, a beauty, almost magical, ethereal."
    • Goofs
      The scene with Elisa (Sally Hawkins) flooding up her bathroom has the following problems:

      1. Unless she also stopped up her toilet, the level of water in her bathroom would never have risen past that point. 2. Even if her bathroom is only 15X15X15 (conservative estimate), the amount of water would weigh approximately 200,000 lbs (1ft3 water = 7.5 gallons, 8.3 lbs per gallon). 3. Her apartment is shown as being above a theater, with a 1 foot crawlspace with wooden beams. The combined lack of obvious steel supports would have ensured that her entire bathroom would have been dropped into the theater.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Giles: If I told you about her, what would I say? That they lived happily ever after? I believe they did. That they were in love? That they remained in love? I'm sure that's true. But when I think of her - of Elisa - the only thing that comes to mind is a poem, whispered by someone in love, hundreds of years ago: "Unable to perceive the shape of You, I find You all around me. Your presence fills my eyes with Your love, It humbles my heart, For You are everywhere."

    • Crazy credits
      The opening credits roll over footage of a flooded apartment.
    • Connections
      Featured in FoundFlix: The Shape of Water (2017) (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      You'll Never Know
      Music by Harry Warren

      Lyrics by Mack Gordon

      Performed by Renée Fleming & The London Symphony Orchestra

      Arranged & Conducted by Alexandre Desplat

      Recorded & Mixed by Jonathan Allen at Studio de la Grande Armée, Paris

      Assistant: Ludovick Tartavel

      Piano: Frédéric Gaillardet

      Double Bass: Riccardo Del Fra

      Drums: Jeff Boudreaux (as Jeffrey Boudreaux)

      Bass Flute: Alexandre Desplat

      Courtesy of Decca Music Group Limited

      Under license from Universal Music Operations Ltd.

    User reviews1.7K

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    A love story with a twist.
    Sally Hawkins puts in a lovely, sweet, almost sympathetic performance as the central character, it's her delicacy balanced against the harshness of the amphibious man that makes it so interesting.

    It's not a film I'd sit through several times over, but I have seen it twice, and was as impressed with my second viewing as the first. It is a beautiful film, with the most glorious soundtrack, a feast for the eyes and ears alike.

    I'm sure there was a social message here, it was perhaps over my head, what I saw was a good old fashioned love story, one with a difference, and a load of eggs.

    It's sad, moving, funny, it's definitely very, very weird, but if you've seen any of his other movies, then you'll realise the inevitability of that.

    It's a unique watch, and a rewarding one, 8/10.
    helpful•11
    3
    • Sleepin_Dragon
    • Feb 18, 2022

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 22, 2017 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Mexico
    • Official sites
      • Fox Searchlight
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • American Sign Language
      • Russian
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Người Đẹp và Thủy Quái
    • Filming locations
      • Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Double Dare You (DDY)
      • Fox Searchlight Pictures
      • TSG Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $19,400,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $63,859,435
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $166,564
      • Dec 3, 2017
    • Gross worldwide
      • $195,333,312
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 3 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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