The movie begins with the camera slowly taking us down the hallway and into the interior of Elisa’s apartment as everything is submerged under water and floating. An unknown male narrator says, “If I spoke about it—if I did—what would I tell you? I wonder. Would I tell you about the time? It happened a long time ago, it seems. In the last days of a fair prince’s reign. Or would I tell you about the place? A small city near the coast, but far from everything else. Or, I don’t know… Would I tell you about her? The princess without voice. Or perhaps I would just warn you, about the truth of these facts. And the tale of love and loss. And the monster, who tried to destroy it all.” While the voice narrates, the camera glides to Elisa, who is floating peacefully above the couch, asleep. Slowly, the water drains from the room and Elisa settles onto her couch, and the audience is taken from fantasy to reality.
ELISA ESPISITO (40s) wakes up to her alarm. She goes through her “morning” routine (it is really evening because she works nights). Running water for her bath. Taking the bath. Boiling eggs. Eating breakfast. Shining her black pumps. She examines the scars on her throat when looking in the mirror. This scene sets up the location, the boiled eggs, her neck scars, and the wall calendar with the quote on the back.
Elisa takes dinner to her white neighbor, GILES (60s), and has a key to unlock his door. It is revealed that Elisa is mute. It shows her close friendship with her neighbor, and that he’s a highly intelligent, though struggling advertisement artist, with a lot of cats and reveals that Elisa loves to tap dance. It also establishes that the TV is always on in his apartment, which helps bring in a lot of the social context when they watch TV or listen to music.
Elisa leaves for work. While waiting for the bus, Elisa stares longingly at a pair of red high heels; she’s currently wearing practical black kitten heels. There is a fat white man holding a large birthday cake, with one large slice already gone, and some balloons also waiting for the bus. Elisa works as a night cleaner at a government facility. She takes the bus to work and her black friend and co-worker, ZELDA FULLER, is saving a spot for her in line so she can clock in on time. During work, Zelda talks non-stop, mostly complaining about her husband, BREWSTER FULLER. Zelda also acts as Elisa’s interpreter throughout the show.
While cleaning one of the labs they are assigned to—a lab that has a large tank full of water—Elisa and Zelda are there when a large, coffin-like tank arrives. The lab’s head of security, FLEMING, announces this is the biggest thing that has happened for that lab. Elisa stares at the tank, and something hits it, scaring her. The military officer in charge of the project is introduced as STRICKLAND (40s).
After work, Elisa goes to a diner with Giles. Giles orders two slices of pie, despite Elisa’s silent protests, and Giles shows interest in the PIE GUY working the counter. While Giles tries to carry on a conversation, Eliza folds a napkin, origami-style. Back at Giles’s apartment, the two eat the pie as they watch TV. After taking a bite, Elisa tries to spit the pie back out into her napkin, pointing out her tongue is now as green as the gelatin used in the pie. Giles puts both pies in the fridge to “save for later.” It is revealed that the fridge is completely full of barely-eaten green gelatin pies.
The audience watches Elisa go through her routine again. At work, Elisa and Zelda are cleaning the men’s bathroom when Strickland comes in to use the facilities. He disregards the women as he washes his hands. When they try to leave, he tells them to continue cleaning. He then proceeds to use the urinal as he carries on a conversation with the women. He doesn’t wash his hands after, saying it is a weakness in character if a man washes his hands both before and after attending to his needs.
While in the hallway, Elisa and Zelda hear screaming and see Strickland run out of the lab. He falls to the floor, clutching his hand. There is blood everywhere. Elisa and Zelda are getting their food in the cafeteria when Fleming interrupts them with an urgent demand that they clean the lab, and they only have 20 minutes before people arrive. There is blood everywhere. Elisa finds two fingers—one with the ring still on it—and calmly puts them in her brown bag from lunch while Zelda panics. As Zelda goes to tell Fleming about the fingers, Elisa looks at the tank and sees an amphibian humanoid creature swim toward her. He seems gentle, though he swims out of view when Fleming comes back. Eliza gives Fleming the bag with the fingers.
At home, Elisa tells Giles about the creature, and that it’s alive. She’s eating cornflakes. In the background, the song “Don’t You Know I Love You,” is playing on the TV.
[POV Switch]Giles takes his recently finished advertising artwork for Jell-O to the company. It is revealed that Giles was asked to leave, and his current artwork is rejected because the Jell-O is the wrong color and the people aren’t happy enough. He is asked to redo the artwork.
Elisa seeks out the creature in the lab by herself. She sits on the side of the tank and leaves an egg on the edge. The creature takes the egg and almost attacks her. She uses sign language to try to speak to the creature.
Elisa and Zelda meet with Strickland. He reveals he is prejudiced against black people, as he refers to “her people” and makes other derogatory remarks, though acts like this is nothing. It is revealed that Elisa is not deaf, but she has been mute since she was a baby. It is also revealed that Elisa was found in a river when she was a baby and was raised in an orphanage. Strickland instructs Elisa and Zelda that in the future they need to clean the lab quickly and get out. He is condescending to Zelda, asking, “Do you know what an affront is?” Strickland claims that God is created in man’s image. The General is on the phone for Strickland, and the women are dismissed as Strickland speaks with him. The General says he is coming to see the “Asset,” as they call the Creature, and Strickland reminds him that decisions need to be made. Strickland jokes about his finger loss, saying that nothing important was lost—the fingers have been sewn back on in hopes to save them, and it’s only a matter of time to see if they will stay.
[POV Switch]Fleming drops Strickland off at home, which is the average American house in the 1960s. As Strickland walks in, his two children are heading off to school. His son asks him if there will be jet packs in the future. Strickland says, “Believe it. This is America.” After the kids leave, his wife—the typical 1960s housewife (complete with pearl necklace, pumps, and dress)—invites Strickland up to the bedroom. She says that she likes living in Baltimore; it’s close to Washington DC. The two have sex, and when his wife tries to tell him his fingers are bleeding, he shushes her and says he wants “silence.”
Elisa cleans the lab and leaves out an egg on the edge of the tank. She brought along a record player and plays music. The creature takes the egg and seems to enjoy the music. Elisa teaches him how to sign “music,” and they begin communicating via sign language. There is a montage as Elisa goes through her routine to music, this time emphasizing how much water is part of her routine, and Elisa seems very happy. At the lab again, the Creature watches as she dances with a mop. Unknown to Elisa, DR. BOB HOFFSTETLER (40s) is also watching as she dances with the mop, observing her communicating by ASL with the Creature.
[POV Switch]Dr. Hoffstetler goes home, and then goes to a quarry, where he meets a burly Russian man in a black car and gives a secret code. It is revealed his real name is DIMITRI and he is a Russian spy. The burly man takes him to a restaurant, where he meets his handler, MIHALKOV, who is eating seafood at a table in the kitchen. Mihalkov goes over the extraction plan for the Creature. Dr. Hoffstetler explains that he has reason to believe the Creature is intelligent.
While Elisa cleans, Strickland notices her through his office window and stares at her contemplatively. Elisa and Zelda take the laundry to a service van waiting in the loading bay. Several of the black loading bay workers are taking a smoking break, and invite the girls to join them. At first they refuse, until the workers point out that the camera has been pushed up to create a blind spot so that no one can see them.
Elisa goes to the lab only to find the Creature out of his tank, chained up. She is upset, and sets her lunch down as she tries to help him. The lab doors open and Elisa grabs her lunch and runs to hide, not realizing the egg has rolled out onto a grate on the floor. Strickland comes back in, stating he took a candy break, and taunts the Creature, saying “Maybe you’d like to get another bite—go ahead,” as he sticks his hand close to the Creature. He then proceeds to torture the Creature using his electric baton. While doing this, Strickland accidentally kicks the egg, wondering what it is. But before he can act on it, the General arrives. Strickland mentions the creature was worshipped as a god in South America. They mention that the Russians put a dog in space, and the Americans laughed, but then they put a man in space, and now America is racing to catch up. Studying the creature’s lungs, which allow him the ability to breathe in water and out of water, might help them get ahead in the space race. The x-rays have been inconclusive, so they must vivisect the Creature to better understand this. Elisa hears their plans and is upset.
Elisa goes to Giles and tries to convince him to help her get the Creature out. Giles is on his way with his revised artwork, now with the green Jell-O and happier family. Elisa signs: “All that I am brought me to him. He sees me for what I am. As I am.” Giles argues with her, stating, “We are nothing—we can do nothing. He’s not human,” and walks past her. As he walks down the hallway, Elisa thumps the wall so he will look back at her. She then signs: “If we do nothing, neither are we.” Giles leaves.
[POV Switch]Giles is met outside the company and his work is rejected outright. They want to use live models and artwork is a thing of the past. Giles goes to the pie restaurant and makes a move on the Pie Guy. He is roughly rejected, while at the same time the Pie Guy tells the two black patrons who arrive that they can only have food takeout. As the couple leave, the Pie Guy says his parting phrase, “Ya’ll come back now, ya hear,” in the same tone he’d used earlier with Giles, which made Giles believe there might be something there. The Pie Guy asks Giles to leave as well, saying: “This is a family restaurant.” Giles goes back to his apartment and tells Elisa he will help her.
[POV Switch] Dr. Hoffstetler has another meeting with the burly Russian where he is asked for the password at the quarry. He is taken to the restaurant to meet Mihalkov, who commands him to either delay the vivisection at least one week or to kill the Creature. Dr. Hoffstetler is given a “popper,” which will turn off all electricity for 5 minutes. It is revealed that Dr. Hoffstetler seeks to learn, while the Russians just want to beat America.
[POV Switch] Strickland is at a Cadillac dealership and ends up buying a teal Cadillac De Vil, which the salesman touts at the “car of the future.” As Strickland is driving home, younger people in the car next to him openly convey their approval of his car.
Elisa starts scouting around the lab as she tries to figure out how to get the Creature out. While smoking with the guys at the dock, Zelda notices Elisa sneaking around and gets suspicious.
[POV Switch] Strickland arrives and parks his new car in the loading dock. Giles paints his van to look like the laundry vans. He also forges himself a license as Elisa goes over the plan with him, and Elisa has him age up his ID because he can’t pass off as young as he is pretending. He has to move one of his many cats out of the way. Giles reveals he’s scared, and Elisa says she is scared too.
[POV Switch] Strickland purposefully knocks over some water and calls Elisa to his office. Elisa comes to clean up the spill and Strickland asks if she can make any noise, even a squawk, or is she completely silent. He then says he likes that she is mute. Elisa runs away from his advances, fleeing the room.
[POV Switch] Dr. Hoffstetler is shown in the men’s bathroom, prepping the syringe. Elisa is in the women’s locker room, obviously waiting for everyone to leave. It’s 4:30, and Giles will be there at 5. Elisa goes to the loading dock and moves the camera to create the blind spot. Dr. Hoffstetler goes to Strickland’s office and requests to have the termination procedure delayed—that a beautiful, intricate thing shouldn’t be destroyed. Strickland demands that Dr. Hoffstetler follow protocol, and knock before coming into his office. When Dr. Hoffstetler does, Strickland explains that as soon as that Creature dies, Strickland is free to move to a real city and not be at their “petting zoo” anymore. Dr. Hoffstetler argues that the Creature is capable of language. Strickland argues that so are the soviets, and “we” kill them, using a slur for the soviets in the process. During their argument, Dr. Hoffstetler notices the dock camera is moving and realizes something is going on. Meanwhile, Zelda gets on the elevator, realizing Elisa isn’t there and goes back for her. Noticing Elisa’s timecard is the only one left, she clocks Elisa out.
Dr. Hoffstetler catches Elisa at the lab, giving her the keys to unlock the creature. He gives her instructions on how to care for the creature as they take him to the loading dock. Giles shows up with the laundry van, though the guard is suspicious and spots the fake ID. From the security office, Strickland notices the van and races to the loading dock. The marine demands Giles get out of the car, but as Giles struggles with the seatbelt, Dr. Hoffstetler using the syringe on the soldier, killing him.
At the loading dock, Zelda stops Elisa, saying she’s out of her mind. Dr. Hoffstetler activates the “popper” and the lights go out, and Zelda quickly decides to help Elisa. The two take the laundry cart to the van. Giles gets out of the van, saying, “Who is that man (referring to Dr. Hoffstetler)? I think he just killed someone.” They load the creature into the van, and on the way out, Giles accidentally hits Strickland’s new car, damaging the front. Strickland arrives at the loading bay and shoots after the van as its on its way out. The lights come back on, and Strickland notices his new car is smashed. He races back to the lab and sees the Creature is gone.
Elisa puts the Creature in her bathtub. He still has problems breathing, so she grabs salt and adds it to the tub. The Creature can breathe again. She stares at the Creature with obvious love, and the question is raised: is this unrequited love?
[POV Switch] Strickland notices the “popper” and knows it is Russian technology. He states that no one has to know right away that the Creature is gone, but Fleming says he’s already called it in. The General is on the phone for Strickland.
Elisa checks the docks to see when the canal opens for how soon they can release the Creature. She gives the Creature a greeting card with a picture of an ugly man holding a fish in a bowl. She points at herself as the ugly man and the fish as the Creature. The Creature takes her hand.
At work, Zelda openly worries about her lying capabilities as they take the elevator down to work. The doors open and reveal military police everywhere. [POV Switch] As they watch the two women clock in, Strickland and Fleming theorize it must have been a group of highly trained individuals—at least 10 men—to get the Creature out.
[POV Switch] Giles babysits the Creature, drawing him. He asks the Creature, “Have you always been alone?” While Giles falls asleep, the Creature escapes and eats the head of one of Giles’s cats. Giles finds him and gets upset, and the Creature is scared and runs away. Giles is accidentally injured as the Creature runs past him. On TV, Ed the horse is talking about how he’ll have to volunteer to go to space.
Zelda and Elisa meet with Strickland as a long line of cleaners wait in the hall to be questioned. He asks if they know anything. Elisa stares him straight on, her gaze challenging, while Zelda prattles on. Strickland asks if they’ve seen anything “trivial,” and condescendingly explains what trivial means. The two women then keep using the word trivial. Strickland finally dismisses them as unimportant, questioning himself for interviewing the help. On the way out, Elisa signs F-you. Strickland demands to know what she signed, kicking the desk in frustration, and Zelda at first says she didn’t see, and then says Elisa signed “Thank you.”
Dr. Hoffstetler comes to the women’s locker room to check with Elisa and Zelda to see if the Creature is okay. He reveals his real identity as Russian. Elisa gets a phone call from Giles and learns the Creature has run away. She races home and then goes searching for the Creature, finding him in the empty movie theater below. He is watching a movie where Egyptian slaves are at a quarry, getting rock for building.
Elisa takes the Creature back to Giles’s apartment, and while she is treating Giles’s wound, the Creature pets his cats. Giles tells him to not pet the cats. The Creature comes over and has Giles touch his head while he touches Giles’s head in a bonding moment. [POV Switch] Strickland meets with Dr. Hoffstetler, stating he has a promising lead. Dr. Hoffstetler insists Strickland use his title “doctor” because it is protocol.
The Creature is back in Elisa’s tub; she touches him and he touches her, starting to remove her clothes. She runs away, just as she did with Strickland, but then goes back. Sex is implied. Back at work, Elisa is wearing the red pumps. Zelda notices how happy she is and guesses what happened.
[POV Switch] Dr. Hoffstetler is at his apartment, ironing his pants when Mihalkov and the burly Russian show up. Dr. Hoffstetler is worried they will kill him and manages to get hold of a knife. He says he killed the creature, but found nothing of importance during the vivisection. The Russian leader says he may be misremembering.
[POV Switch] Strickland is watching TV with his family. His wife brings out a green Jell-O parfait. He leaves, going to sit in his car. He sniffs his fingers and is revolted. He touches them and puss comes out.
It is raining outside. The rains have come and the canal will soon fill. Elisa goes to the bathroom where the Creature is in the tub and turns on the water faucet in the tub and sink, blocking the holes so the room can be submerged. She signs: “You and me. Together.” She disrobes. As the room fills, the water starts to drip into the theater below, and the apartment manager goes to check on things. Giles is woken up as the apartment manager is knocking on Elisa’s door, and on his way to his door, Giles notices his reflection. His hair is regrowing on his bald patch. He opens the door and tells the manager, who is complaining about the leak, that he will take care of it, claiming it must be a broken pipe. Giles goes into the apartment to check the water, worriedly calling for Elisa. He manages to open the bathroom door. Water goes everywhere, revealing the Creature holding Elisa, who is smiling. Giles smiles and closes the door, obviously approving of the union. Later, Giles and Elisa are laughing about it and Giles tells Elisa that his wound has been healed and his hair is growing back, all since the Creature touched him. He states that maybe the Creature is a god; he suggests they should keep him a little while. It is still raining outside.
[POV Switch] Dr. Hoffstetler takes a phone call—he will be extracted in 48 hours. Dr. Hoffstetler looks out the window and sees he is being watched by someone in a car outside.
It’s raining. Elisa checks the docks again. [POV Switch] Giles draws a picture of Elisa and the Creature embracing. He goes to the window to stare at the rains. Next door, the Creature is staring at the rains. It is revealed that the Creature is wilting and suffering—Elisa listens to his chest as his breathing is wheezing, and she hears his heart beat.
[POV Switch] The General shows up, angry with Strickland because he hasn’t found the Creature yet. Strickland mentions he’s been loyal and efficient his whole life, and he’s only failed this once. Strickland asks, “When is a man done proving himself? A good man? A decent man?” The General responds that decency doesn’t really matter, it’s just an export because we don’t use it. He then tells Strickland to fix this mess. Strickland goes to the men’s bathroom, popping his pain pills like candy. The fingers that were sewn back on have turned black. Strickland gives himself a pep talk in the mirror, saying “you deliver.”
Elisa pulls off the date on the calendar, revealing today is the day to release the Creature at the docks. The daily quote on the backs says, “Life is but the shipwreck of our plans.” Elisa has dinner with the Creature, both of them sitting at the table. In her imagination, she bursts into a song and dance routine where she is in a beautiful ball gown, dancing with the Creature as she sings the song, “You’ll Never Know How Much I Feel.”
Elisa is crying at work. When she gets home, there is blood in the tub water and more scales have come off. Zelda is with her and tries to call Dr. Hoffstetler, but as the phone rings, he is shown leaving his apartment to meet for his extraction. [POV Switch] Dr. Hoffstetler goes to the quarry, not realizing he is being followed by Strickland, who was the one watching from the car outside his apartment with Fleming (who tells Strickland his fingers look bad and he looks very sick)—Strickland kicks Fleming out of the car, into the rain, to pursue Dr. Hoffstetler. At the quarry, Dr. Hoffstetler meets the two Russians. This time, there is no secret password; instead, the burly Russian shoots Dr. Hoffstetler in the gut just as Strickland pulls up. Strickland shoots both men, and then tortures Dr. Hoffstetler, realizing he has been a spy and must know where the Creature is. While torturing Dr. Hoffstetler, Strickland talks about the candy he likes, and how he likes to savor it, even though it is not a “sophisticated candy.” He again asks for names and ranks of the strike team that took the Creature. As he is dying, Dr. Hoffstetler says, “No names. No ranks. They clean.” And Strickland realizes that the two women took the Creature.
[POV Switch] At her home, Zelda is cooking dinner for her husband, Brewster, as the two argue. The doorbell rings, and they yell at each other about who will answer it. Strickland is at the door, pushing past Zelda and demanding answers. Brewster, the bigger man, stands up to defend his wife and home, and Strickland tells him to sit down. Brewster immediately sits, going quiet. He remains quiet as Strickland holds Zelda against the wall by the throat, relaying the story of Sampson and Delilah (because Delilah is Zelda’s middle name) and how Delilah dies in the end. Strickland talks about how the Lord forgave Sampson and gives him back his strength, and while Sampson died, he took all the Philistines with him. While talking, Strickland rips off his dead fingers and throws them aside. He threatens Zelda again, though she stays silent. Then Brewster speaks up, saying the mute has the Creature. Strickland leaves. Zelda calls Elisa to warn her that Strickland is coming, and then calls the police. Brewster demands, “Why help her?” Zelda rips into him, saying he’s always been silent, why did he have to talk now?
[POV Switch] Strickland shows up at Elisa’s apartment, but they are already gone. He has no idea where they have gone. He notices the calendar, which has “docks” written on it.
At the docks, Elisa and Giles take the Creature to the water. Giles says goodbye, putting his hand on the Creature’s head while the Creature places his hand on Giles’s head. Giles then allows Elisa and the Creature to say goodbye. The Creatures signs: You and me. Together. Elisa signs: No. Without me.
Behind them, Strickland knocks Giles out with a board. He then shoots the Creature, and then Elisa. They lie next to each other, dying. Strickland says: “I do not fail. I deliver.” Strickland is then knocked to the ground by Giles, who then runs to Elisa’s side. Elisa is dying. The Creature stands, healing himself in a moment, and then goes to Strickland, who is now standing. Strickland states: “You are a god.”
The monster slashes Strickland’s throat, killing him. The police arrive with Zelda. The Creature takes Elisa and jumps into the water. Giles has a voiceover, speculating on Elisa’s fate as the screen shows the Creature heal Elisa and turn the scars on her throat into gills.