Guillermo del Toro’s (Nightmare Alley, Crimson Peak) adult fairytale The Shape of Water is a movie we’ve seen so many different times in so many different forms that it’s a wonder that we’d even be willing to see it again. Starcrossed lovers find themselves in a forbidden love situation while fighting off some catastrophe or at least societal pressures. Think Titanic, a nearly perfect movie showcasing this, will always be remembered by everyone who watches it. So, how does del Toro pull off this story in a wholly original yet equally compelling way? He does it in a way that only del Toro can do. And in doing so, he creates the most unparalleled and (with no disrespect to Call Me By Your Name) the most romantic movie of 2017. This movie certainly is not for everyone. If Thor: Ragnarok or Justice League is more your thing, then I’m not even sure I’d consider The Shape of Water. It is the ultimate independent movie, and if you go into this movie with the mindset that you’ll be able to enjoy the ride and not have to think, you’ll be in for two long hours. In a year where the movies have been the worst since I began my blog in 2010, the uniqueness of the films (rather than their quality) has defined this year.

Until about 10 hours ago, I thought Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri) was a shoo-in for this year’s Best Actress award. Now I’m not so sure. Welcome, Meryl Streep (The Post, which I saw my first preview before The Shape of Water) and Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky, An Education). Why is she virtually unidentifiable from her role in Blue Jasmine? Margot Robbie (I, Tonya) and Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) are contenders. The award will still go to McDormand, but I’ll be very interested to see who wins at the Golden Globes and Independent Spirit Award beforehand. This race could be much closer than I had given it credit for.

Hawkins stars as Elisa, a mute night shift janitor at Occam Aerospace Research Center, a secret Cold War laboratory outside Baltimore, MD. The year is 1962, and the film unfolds against the tense backdrop of the Cold War. It is not explicitly explained why Elisa cannot speak, but the scars on her neck suggest that her vocal cords were cut out of her at a very young age. Zelda (Octavia Spencer – Hidden Figures, The Help) works with Elisa on the night shift, serving as her interpreter and conscience. Both women know that their job entails keeping the facility clean, keeping their eyes on the ground, and keeping their voices quiet (much easier for Elisa than Zelda). Just when they think they’ve seen and heard it all, an amphibious fish-man from the Amazon has been brought into the lab. It is quickly called the “most sensitive asset ever to be housed in the facility.” But, of course, we’ll ignore that this creature is only being wheeled in for anybody in the facility to see. We can only assume that security in 2017 isn’t quite as lax as it would have been in 1962.

The calm, soft, and generally happy-go-lucky Elisa has a pretty set routine. She’s fond of hardboiled eggs, pleasuring herself in the bathtub, and visiting her best friend Giles (Richard Jenkins – The Visitor, Let Me In), the much older man living in the apartment beside her before she goes to work. Giles is a skilled commercial artist and a closeted gay man. He was fired from his job because it is believed that his same-sex attraction tendencies were discovered (although it’s masked through the guise that he has a drinking problem). But, again, this is 1962, and there is not much acceptance worldwide. This is a recurring theme throughout the movie, and it is depicted through characters of color (Zelda), disability (Elisa), sexual orientation (Giles), and the unknown (the “Asset”).

While carefree and generally happy, Elisa doesn’t necessarily have much of a purpose in her life or something other than work that keeps her going. We see her routine enough to know that it is very repetitive. There is not a man in her life. Seemingly, she works to pay her bills and to have an existence. I don’t necessarily know if she is looking for something else in her life, but she and the “Asset” form a unique bond. Again, I wonder how a custodian can get alone time with this dangerous creature that no one has seen before. But again, this is a fantasy, and with fantasies, you’re able to suspend your belief you are more than with other films.

The “Asset” is brought in by Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon – Take Shelter, 99 Homes), an awful man assigned to this monster. He tortures the “Asset” with a cattle prod, trying to see what he can get out of him. It is believed that the “Asset” is intelligent and communicative. Strickland’s boss, General Hoyt (Nick Searcy – F/X’s Justified), wants the “Asset” ‘s tissues and organs harvested since they aren’t getting much out of him in his present form. Others with ulterior motives, including Robert Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg – Arrival, Steve Jobs), want to destroy the beast before he can prove what he can do. In either case, Elisa senses trouble and wants to find a way to help this creature with who she is forming a special relationship.

The Shape of Water is del Toro’s finest film. Although it is a tribute to the monster movies of a more classical period, it is a story that doesn’t get lost in the visuals. Crimson Peak, Pan’s Labyrinth, and some of del Toro’s other films have been guilty. In The Shape of Water, his fable is fortified by its look rather than becoming an overpowering presence. The drama shines through with rich characters who feel extremely real. The set design only enhances the feel. This film is a lock for a Production Design Oscar nomination.

And the acting is excellent. Hawkins and Jenkins have never been better. Shannon (who seems to be in every movie these days) did something in this film that I haven’t seen in a while. Sure, he’s typecasting himself as a man who can play an antagonist and anyone. Even in recent movies where he plays more of a good guy (Nocturnal Animals, Midnight Special), I don’t always feel he brings the intensity through the movie’s duration. Sure, he’s a talent. But sometimes I’m just like, “Again?” I haven’t loved him in a role since the fabulous Take Shelter, a film that should have earned him an Oscar nomination. In The Shape of Water, Shannon’s Strickland certainly is mean, but I don’t know how awful he is. He justifies his actions because the “Asset” is his responsibility. Watching him brutalize this ostensibly innocent creature is difficult to watch. And he doesn’t treat the other movie characters with the respect they deserve. He’s a sharp man who is doing his job. So, while he’s the most unlikeable character in the movie who does many things that you or I would never do, we must remember it was in the name of national security. It doesn’t make him any more likable, but we can better understand his character.