Great movies are those that accomplish what they set out to

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2018)

I gave The Shape of Water a 10/10 because it is perfect in every way that it wants to be. No, I don't think it's the greatest movie of all time; no, I don't think everyone will enjoy it as much as I did; no, I certainly don't think it's my favorite movie ever (although it's probably top ten).
It gets a 10/10 because I think Guillermo accomplished everything he set out to do in making this beautiful, haunting, genuinely gorgeous fairy tale. I hope it isn't too bizarre for people to go see, because the story is fantastic. The visuals are visceral and emotive and precisely Guillermo Del Toro. The soundtrack is superb.
There hasn't been a movie that captivated me and had me deeply invested in the characters right off the bat like this one did. There's no moment where you stop and go "wait, this is a little too weird for me", it just works. Michael Shannon is fantastic in his role, but might be overshadowed by the flawless Sally Hawkins. Without the addition of Spencer, it might have been too overwhelmingly tragic at times-- she was a nice comedic break in a really pretty heavy story.
I might come back and re-review this later, but for right now all I have left to say is: wow.