fun cross-genre flick

Rating: 8/10 (3 October 2019)

This lovely adult fairy tale mixes genres with wild abandon, ranging from monster movies to romances to musicals to caper films. The central character is intriguing, and the story is engaging.
The direction is impressive, though in a rather showoff-y way. There is a constant theme of water echoed in the aqua colors of the sets, and the sound editing has fantastic segues, but I'm not convinced this actually means anything. It's just kind of cool.
This is why I tend to feel that the director may well deserve his Oscar, but Get Out would have been a better choice for Best Picture. The Shape of Water is lovely but slight, hugely enjoyable but not that important.
Still, definitely worth watching.