Guillermo del Toro’s “Emotionally Absorbing” 92% RT Fantasy Sneaks Back Onto Streaming Charts

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Despite Valentine’s Day being over, people are still enjoying ‘The Shape of Water.’ Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed 2017 film has become a hit on HBO Max, quickly climbing to become one of the platform’s ten most popular movies.

As of February 17th, The Shape of Water is currently number two on HBO Max’s list of most popular movies. It’s joined by other well-known films like The Smashing Machine and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, which is currently the most-watched title on the platform, according to FlixPatrol.

The movie The Shape of Water has been popular on the streaming service, appearing in its top 10 most-watched films for six of the last seven days. It reached as high as eighth place on both February 11th and 16th.

Set in Baltimore in the early 1960s, The Shape of Water tells the story of an unusual romance between Elisa Esposito, a mute janitor, and a mysterious, amphibian creature held at a top-secret government lab. Their connection proves that meaningful communication can happen even without spoken words.

The film stars Sally Hawkins as Elisa, a talented mime artist, and boasts a strong supporting cast including Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, and Nick Searcy. Filmed in Toronto and Ontario, Canada, it was a success with both audiences and critics.

With a box office gross of $195.2 million – about ten times its $19.3 to $19.5 million production cost – The Shape of Water remains popular almost a decade after its release. It still boasts a high 92% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a 77% audience score.

Although general moviegoers didn’t connect with The Shape of Water as strongly, it was a hit with Hollywood award groups. The film won two Golden Globes and three BAFTAs, and it dominated the 2018 Academy Awards with 13 nominations, ultimately winning four Oscars, including Best Director for Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo del Toro Has Since Made Netflix His Streamer of Choice

Even though Guillermo del Toro recently had a hit show on HBO Max, he primarily works with Netflix. He signed a multi-year contract with Netflix back in 2020 to produce a variety of new movies and TV series for them.

Neither Netflix nor Guillermo del Toro have publicly shared the specifics of their deal, but it has already produced several successful projects. These include the Emmy Award-winning Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the Academy Award-winning Pinocchio adaptation, and more recently, works by the director.

The Shape of Water is currently available to stream on HBO Max.

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2026-02-17 18:07