Scored entertainment-first on WhatSphere's content-balance model 3
Its director stated on the record that "the movie is about connecting with 'the other' The idea of empathy, the idea of how we do need each other to survive, Ideology is separating all of us, more a…" 1. Its director stated on the record that "i've always used the fantastic as a parable, The true monsters are in the human heart, It was not their appearance, This is almost like an antidote to a lot of…" 2. Taken together, the content-balance model places it entertainment-first at 19 of 100 3.
- 1Creator statementdirector: "The movie is about connecting with 'the other.' The idea of empathy, the idea of how we do need each other to survive. Ideology is separating all of us, more and more, in the most intimate spaces. We…"NPR, December 2017 source ↗
- 2Creator statementdirector: "I've always used the fantastic as a parable. The true monsters are in the human heart. It was not their appearance. This is almost like an antidote to a lot of the cynicism and disconnect that we exp…"Collider interview, 2017 source ↗
- 3Content balanceAdvocacy 19 of 100, tier entertainment-first.WhatSphere content-balance model, score_version 1
WhatSphere presents the sourced record; it does not cast the judgement. Every statement above is drawn from a stored, sourced row — shown beside it — and nothing is asserted beyond what those receipts support.
Synopsis
An other-worldly story, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962, where a mute janitor working at a lab falls in love with an amphibious man being held captive there and devises a plan to help him escape.
Age: 77 — strongly mature-audience
Quadrant Scores
Audience Representation
Where to Watch (US)
HBO Max
HBO Max Amazon Channel
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Spectrum On DemandAmazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At HomeWhat did the audience think? Rate The Shape of Water — every voice counts equally, no account needed. Clean reviews appear instantly.
Put its audience profile side by side with any other title.
Advocacy Over Time in Drama
The average advocacy score of Drama titles by release year, with this title marked. Higher is more advocacy-driven.
| Year | Average advocacy | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 0 | 2 |
| 1925 | 0 | 2 |
| 1927 | 0 | 2 |
| 1928 | 0 | 3 |
| 1929 | 2 | 2 |
| 1930 | 0 | 6 |
| 1931 | 1 | 4 |
| 1932 | 0 | 5 |
| 1936 | 0 | 2 |
| 1937 | 0 | 3 |
| 1939 | 7 | 2 |
| 1940 | 0 | 3 |
| 1941 | 0 | 2 |
| 1942 | 0 | 5 |
| 1943 | 0 | 3 |
| 1944 | 0 | 7 |
| 1946 | 1 | 3 |
| 1947 | 0 | 2 |
| 1948 | 2 | 4 |
| 1950 | 2 | 6 |
| 1951 | 1 | 5 |
| 1952 | 1 | 6 |
| 1953 | 0 | 10 |
| 1954 | 1 | 4 |
| 1955 | 1 | 8 |
| 1956 | 2 | 7 |
| 1957 | 1 | 10 |
| 1958 | 3 | 6 |
| 1959 | 1 | 9 |
| 1960 | 0 | 12 |
| 1961 | 1 | 7 |
| 1962 | 2 | 12 |
| 1963 | 0 | 14 |
| 1964 | 1 | 8 |
| 1965 | 2 | 11 |
| 1966 | 0 | 10 |
| 1967 | 0 | 7 |
| 1968 | 1 | 9 |
| 1969 | 0 | 10 |
| 1970 | 1 | 10 |
| 1971 | 0 | 8 |
| 1972 | 0 | 9 |
| 1973 | 0 | 14 |
| 1974 | 1 | 15 |
| 1975 | 2 | 13 |
| 1976 | 1 | 20 |
| 1977 | 0 | 8 |
| 1978 | 0 | 5 |
| 1979 | 1 | 11 |
| 1980 | 1 | 13 |
| 1981 | 0 | 8 |
| 1982 | 1 | 13 |
| 1983 | 0 | 15 |
| 1984 | 1 | 14 |
| 1985 | 2 | 11 |
| 1986 | 2 | 12 |
| 1987 | 1 | 19 |
| 1988 | 2 | 13 |
| 1989 | 1 | 16 |
| 1990 | 0 | 14 |
| 1991 | 2 | 14 |
| 1992 | 2 | 18 |
| 1993 | 1 | 23 |
| 1994 | 2 | 25 |
| 1995 | 2 | 26 |
| 1996 | 2 | 29 |
| 1997 | 2 | 23 |
| 1998 | 3 | 24 |
| 1999 | 3 | 42 |
| 2000 | 2 | 41 |
| 2001 | 2 | 41 |
| 2002 | 2 | 41 |
| 2003 | 2 | 36 |
| 2004 | 2 | 65 |
| 2005 | 2 | 67 |
| 2006 | 1 | 82 |
| 2007 | 1 | 68 |
| 2008 | 1 | 49 |
| 2009 | 2 | 28 |
| 2010 | 5 | 22 |
| 2011 | 3 | 24 |
| 2012 | 2 | 19 |
| 2013 | 4 | 24 |
| 2014 | 6 | 22 |
| 2015 | 7 | 19 |
| 2016 | 5 | 23 |
| 2017 | 8 | 31 |
| 2018 | 5 | 35 |
| 2019 | 7 | 36 |
| 2020 | 5 | 34 |
| 2021 | 9 | 35 |
| 2022 | 14 | 34 |
| 2023 | 12 | 18 |
| 2024 | 9 | 17 |
| 2025 | 3 | 14 |
| 2026 | 9 | 11 |
| This title (2017) | 19 | 1 |
● This title (2017): advocacy 19 · explore Drama →
Cast & Crew
Kevin Scott (director) · Dan Laustsen (director)
Made for the Same Audience
Titles with the closest audience-sphere profile — not just the same genre.
Same Audience, Lower Advocacy
Made for a similar audience but scored lower on advocacy — the closest less-message-driven picks, ranked by audience-sphere proximity.
Related Titles
