Both stories are about cleaners who fall in love with a creature being experimented on for top secret military reason. Both stories see the creature escape in a hamper, and both stories feature a fellow janitor who helps the main character pull it off. However, The Shape Of Water also has some big differences from the play, such as the addition of Richard Jenkins's character, the main character's gay friend, Giles. In The Shape Of Water, the main character is also mute, using sign language to communicate with both her peers and the creature.