Movie review
December 1, 2017 · 123 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The Shape of Water is a 2017 fantasy romance in which a mute janitor at a secretive 1960s government lab falls in love with a captured amphibious creature and helps him escape amid Cold War intrigue. The core narrative engine centers on empathy, romantic/sexual union across profound differences, and a band of societal outsiders defeating oppressive authority and prejudice. Audience-visible elements include recurring portrayals of racism, sexism, and homophobia as defining flaws of traditional American institutions and white male power, a diverse ensemble of marginalized characters positioned as moral heroes, and an explicit interspecies romance framed as redemptive subversion of norms.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Shape of Water.
Woke representation / casting
Deliberate inclusion of Black woman and gay man as central moral allies plus mute lead and non-human creature as positive “other” creates visible outsider-identity emphasis tied to the acceptance theme; fits fantasy logic without total mismatch or unearned girlboss dominance.
Woke political dialogue
Multiple scenes depict and condemn casual racism, sexism, and homophobia through the villain and side characters, explicitly countered by cross-difference friendship and empathy as the correct stance.
Identity-driven story themes
The entire plot and character arcs revolve around romantic/sexual acceptance of radical difference (species, disability, race, sexuality) and misfit solidarity defeating “normal” society; this is the central story engine an average viewer cannot miss.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Systematic portrayal of 1960s government, military, and traditional social norms as cruelly prejudiced and authoritarian, with white male entitlement and toxic masculinity embodied in the villain; debunks nostalgic “great America” while affirming non-traditional bonds and outsider resistance as redemptive.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Moderate but documented labeling as “woke cinema,” widespread Trump-era political allegories, and disability-community pushback; complaints focus on agenda and casting but stayed secondary to acclaim.
Creator track record context
Del Toro’s established outsider-empathy fantasies plus repeated public statements linking the film to contemporary racism, sexism, and anti-MAGA critique supply clear supporting pattern.
Production
