Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor’s script for The Shape of Water tries for a blend of B-movie spookiness and capital-R romance, but there are faults in both its narrative engineering (why is there only one surveillance camera in a top-secret government laboratory?) and its political follow-through (the staging of the final scene confirms that for all its attempts at social commentary, this is pure escapist entertainment). It’s a balance that distinguishes Get Out from two of its main competitors for Best Original Screenplay, neither of which maintains a similar equilibrium. Of course the film is a comedy, which is not to say that it isn’t serious its power resides in the unresolved tension between humor and horror that permeates Peele’s entire design. The best Key and Peele sketches split the difference between absurdity and sociology, which is why the controversy over Get Out’s inclusion in the Golden Globes’ Best Comedy category was so ridiculous (even more ridiculous than usual when it comes to the Golden Globes).

Since debuting at Sundance in 2017, it’s been providing think-piece fodder from a variety of different angles, from explanations of its demographic-busting box office success to admiring profiles of its creator, whose switch from sketch comedy to what he termed “social thrillers” demonstrated a truly elastic talent for satire.

Peele’s debut feature does not lack acclaim or exegesis. Check out all of The Ringer ’s coverage of the 90th Academy Awards

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