A visually stunning thriller

Rating: Null/10 (26 December 2017)

I'm a fan of thriller movies, and among all the thrillers I've ever seen, "The Shape of Water" is definitely one of the best in terms of visuals. The cinematography, production design, visual effects, and music score are all top-notch, making the viewing experience rather pleasant. It is surely a strong contender in the technical categories of the coming Oscars.
The acting performances are also noteworthy. Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins and Michael Stuhlbarg all give unforgettable and natural acting. Michael Shannon proves again why he is one of the best actors in his generation by perfectly playing the villain.
The storytelling and character development, on the other hand, are not that satisfying. Overall speaking, the pace is fine and taut. But the third act is overlong, and some interactions between "the thing" and humans (after people rescue "the thing" from the lab) are completely unnecessary. The director may try to make the audiences emotionally resonant, but fails in the end. The love between Elisa and "the thing" looks especially strange: no human wants to make love with a monster. The character development is largely disappointing in the sense that almost every character is flat and one-dimensional.
All in all, I would give the film a 75/100 rating.