Horror Hour with the Hannas: A Horror Movie Review Comedy Podcast · The Hanna’s

The Shape of Water (2017) - #staywet

·1 hr 25 min·5 clips

The Wikipedia calls him amphibian, but the hosts keep calling him a fish man and arguing about "stay wet."

Horror Hour with the Hannas brings on recurring guest Anna for a chat about this movie. Matt starts by treating it more like an adventure movie than a neat prestige romance, and the discussion moves quickly from there. That speed matters to him: he keeps circling back to how fast the film gives Eliza, Zelda, Richard Jenkins, and the fish man real personality, and why that makes the movie so easy to root for. The friendship stuff lands first. Hannah points to the little gestures that sell the bond between the characters, including the sofa tap-dance moment with Richard Jenkins and the way Octavia Spencer seems to read Eliza right away, even without words. Anna stays in the mix as the three of them compare notes, interrupt each other, and keep the tone loose while still getting to the point. Nobody is trying to make this a dissertation. Instead, they turn the film into a shared watch-party argument about pacing, chemistry, and why the movie feels so immediate. Matt is especially drawn to the momentum. He says the movie keeps his attention because it reaches its beats quickly, while still giving the characters enough room to feel lived-in instead of rushed. Hannah agrees with the heart of that read. Her focus stays on how the movie quietly builds affection for the people around Eliza, especially in the way the apartment world fills out through small jokes and steady warmth. Across the discussion, it comes off as romantic, funny, and a little strange in the way the hosts seem to like best, which keeps the whole thing lively. Even when the conversation wanders into side comments and playful corrections, it keeps circling back to why the movie works and why the central relationships make the whole thing click. By the end, the episode feels like a fast, affectionate group watch with enough bite to satisfy listeners who want horror talk that still sounds like actual people talking.

As heard by us

A brisk, affectionate read that treats The Shape of Water as a weird little adventure.

The Shape of Water gets a brisk, affectionate read here, treated less like solemn prestige cinema and more like a strange little adventure that moves quickly and still lets its people matter.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For a fast, hangout-style chat about a movie they clearly love.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Horror Hour with the Hannas: A Horror Movie Review Comedy Podcast