The Shape of Water review

The Shape of Water ids the new film by Guillermo del Toro, and follows the relationship between a mute women and a man-fish.

As someone who really likes del Toro's films, I was probably predisposed to liking this film.

Of course, it looks great. The cinematography, lighting, production design and colour scheme all work well together to give off a great look to the film.

Doug Jones' Amphibious Man, also, looks great. The make-up/prosthetics/costume create one of the most memorable monsters of recent years. And underneath all that, Jones is able to convey emotion through his face and body as well as any other actor in the film... And there's a lot of good actors in the film.

I honestly don't think I've ever seen a bad Michael Shannon performance. He may be an intense character in pretty much every film he's in, but he does it so well. Sally Hawkins is able to act greatly despite her lack of lines. Octavia Spencer at times is almost like a surrogate voice for Hawkins' character, and has double the amount of lines of anyone else. Richard Jenkins gives a nuanced performance as Hawkins' neighbour. And Michael Stuhlbarg continues his habit of appearing in every other good film.

In short: Guillermo del Toro once again makes another great film, and a believable romance.