From the decadence of a romantic opera-style theatre to the pastels and pie displays of a midcentury diner to the steely government labs, The Shape of Water is a love letter to the Cold War era.

One of the many unique aspects of this adaptation of the classic story by Mary Shelley is that Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller have the capacity to trade roles as the eponymous scientist and his troubled creation, each actor knowing the lines of each character and fully versed in each role. In this showing on Halloween night at the Lucas, we got the treat of Cumberbatch himself as the Creature. It is, quite simply, the performance of a lifetime.

Margot Robbie skillfully embraces the skater’s vulnerability without ever showing her as pathetic; Harding’s innate competitor’s pride and defiant spirit remain throughout, and that’s what always made Harding such a compelling figure.

Throughout the film, small doses of magical realism soften the edges of its harsh and timely reality. As predator chases prey and cancer eats away, any shred of tenderness and compassion from a dinner guest is welcome, but often disappoints.