8.1
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
The Shape of Water (2017)
The Shape of Water (2017)
Overview
An other-worldly story, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962, where a mute janitor working at a lab falls in love with an amphibious man being held captive there and devises a plan to help him escape.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Rating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Progressive
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Christianity: Negative
Viewer Rating
8.1
Overview
An other-worldly story, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962, where a mute janitor working at a lab falls in love with an amphibious man being held captive there and devises a plan to help him escape.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Progressive
Primary
The film's central thesis explicitly promotes progressive ideology by critiquing systemic oppression and the dehumanization of "the other" by dominant power structures, championing radical empathy and liberation through unconventional love.
The film prominently features a diverse cast of marginalized characters, including a mute woman, a Black woman, and a gay man, who stand in opposition to a white, male antagonist representing oppressive power. The narrative strongly critiques traditional societal structures and champions empathy for those considered 'other.'
Secondary
The film features Giles, a gay man, depicted with dignity, complexity, and agency. While he experiences prejudice and loneliness, these are framed as external obstacles. His character is empathetic, crucial to the plot, and ultimately affirms the worth of LGBTQ+ lives and love, resulting in a net positive portrayal.
The film portrays Christianity through the antagonist, Richard Strickland, whose rigid, judgmental faith is explicitly linked to his cruelty, bigotry, and hypocrisy. The narrative frames his religious devotion as a source of his oppressive worldview, offering no significant counterbalancing positive portrayal.
The film "The Shape of Water" does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or themes within its narrative. The story focuses on a mute cleaning woman, her gay neighbor, and an amphibian creature, without exploring transgender identities or experiences. Therefore, an evaluation of its portrayal of transsexual characters is not applicable.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The Shape of Water is an original story with characters created specifically for this film. There is no prior source material, historical basis, or previous installments from which characters' genders could have been established and subsequently altered.
The Shape of Water is an original story with characters created specifically for the film. There is no prior source material, historical record, or previous installment to establish a character's race before this film's production, thus precluding any race swaps.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.3
7.2
Critic Ratings
9.2
8.7
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