‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ review: An eight-legged love story

An octopus brings an elderly cleaner and a young drifter together in Netflix’s charming adaptation of Remarkably Bright Creatures.

Remarkably Bright Creatures, the new Netflix film based on Shelby Van Pelt’s 2022 bestselling novel, is a love story. Just not the one you’re expecting. Yes, it features love between people—romantic, platonic, familial. But it’s fundamentally the story of an octopus and his love for two humans.

Marcellus (voiced by Alfred Molina), an aging octopus, lives in an aquarium in Washington. Day after day, his tank is visited by patrons who stop and stare at him, docents who describe his life and species. Most people are loud and rude, he thinks. He likes people who leave smudges on the glass, a mark of their curiosity. But Marcellus prefers nighttime, when only the cleaner, Tova (Sally Field), is in the building. “We prefer our solitude,” Marcellus observes of Tova. And she’s fond of Marcellus, too. Tova’s a recent widow planning to leave town for the retirement home across the bay, hoping to leave behind her house full of painful memories. Her teenage son died years ago, and she’s left his room untouched. However, she’ll miss Marcellus. She’s taken a liking to the lonely octopus in the tank, who seems to watch her as she mops the floor.

There’s a third creature to round off the trio of lonely protagonists. He comes in the form of Cameron (Lewis Pullman), who’s in town to find father he’s never met. Cameron has nothing with him but a dilapidated van and a guitar. The only place hiring is the aquarium, which needs a replacement for Tova. And Marcellus, watching it all unfold, is the first to realize that Tova and Cameron’s meeting will change their lives.

An unlikely friendship.

Remarkably Bright Creatures, in the wrong hands, might have been cutesy or cringe. An octopus narrating a film about lonely souls sounds twee and saccharine. Director Olivia Newman, co-writing with John Whittington, instead make this a meditation on finding your home in unexpected places.

There’s a warmth to their treatment of their heroes. Tova’s loneliness is palpable despite having a welcoming group of friends (Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, Beth Grant). Their days are full and lively, while Tova claims to enjoy her melancholy, repetitive days. Cameron’s desperation to belong comes crashing down when his band breaks up, but he finds a kindred spirit in witty, adventurous Avery (Sofia Black-D’Elia), a local shop owner.

Marcellus keenly observes Tova and Cameron with the heart of an anthropologist, making observations that only we can hear. “I notice the same sadness in his eyes,” Marcellus notes of the pair. He sees a kinship in them long before they ever realize it.

A fully-realized cast of characters.

Each performance in Remarkably Bright Creatures shines and feels fully-realized, leaving the impression that each character is living a life beyond their own scenes. Field and Pullman are a winning unlikely duo, building a friendship that highlights the differences in their generations. A highlight of their multigenerational friendship includes their different interpretations of modern dating, as Tova encourages Cameron to pursue Avery. Molina is a compelling narrator, giving Marcellus the gravitas one might expect from an aged octopus, however unconventional a point-of-view that is.

As Tova and Cameron’s lives expand beyond their work at the aquarium, the revelations at the heart of Remarkably Bright Creatures unfold smoothly. Marcellus’s sharp observation leads him to draw conclusions about Tova and Cameron’s journeys that we might figure out before they do. But it’s a delightful journey to go on, all the same.

The bottom line.

Film adaptations are so rarely better than their source material, but Remarkably Bright Creatures is a vivid, charming elevation of Van Pelt’s moving novel. It’s a warm, hopeful film about the power of connection. A film about loneliness, discovery, and growth without a hint of cynicism or sappiness? Now that’s something remarkable.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is now streaming on Netflix. Watch the trailer below.