Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)
Netflix movies, and streaming movies in general, have the reputation of suckage. Flat lighting, cheap drama, phoned-in acting. They’re basically Harlequin romances put onscreen (No offense to anyone who likes Harlequin romances, but they do have a certain reputation)).
Sometimes, though, life surprises us. We all know this. Even Netflix can surprise us, not that I’m trying to shill for them, but I was actually surprised to find Remarkably Bright Creatures. It’s beautifully filmed. It’s colorful. It’s well-written. It’s well-acted. It’s narrated by an elderly octopus named Marcellus.
Widow Tova Sullivan lives in a little seaside town in Washington state, and spends her nights cleaning the local aquarium. She’s made friends with Marcellus the octopus, who spends his days longing for the open ocean. He wants out of his tank so badly that he’ll undo the latch and hop around, leaving behind a trail of wet spots, and Tova has to coax him back in.
Marcellus isn’t the only one who’s longing to be free. Tova feels estranged from her lifelong friends, her son went sailing and never came back, and she’s all set to sell her house and move to an assissted living facility across the bay. She’d rather die than be a burden to anyone.
When Tova sprains her ankle she has to find someone to fill in for her. Enter Cameron, a guitarist in a band who’s come into town in his decrepit VW bus looking for the man who he believes is his father. He’s incredibly insecure and not a little flakey.
Cameron’s hard up for funds, and he’s not well-versed in the art of cleaning, either. Tova, despite her bad ankle, comes in to teach Cameron that there’s a right way to do things and to teach him how to handle Marcellus.
The cephalopod in question watches the friendship develop between this unlikely pair and wonders how he can help them. He knows his time is short and that they’re both hurting, but octopi are more intelligent than they’re often given credit for.
I could say more, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Believe me, it’s better this way.
Remarkably Bright Creatures is an incredibly sweet movie but not in a saccharine way. While the premise is a little far-fetched, as Marcellus would have to be omniscient to know as much as he knows about Tova and Cameron, these characters are very well-drawn. They’re not the most polished people, but they’re not slick Hollywood types, either. We feel as if we know them.
I can’t imagine anyone but Sally Field in the role of Tova. She brings a graceful mix of pepper, wisdom, and frailty to a character who’s on the verge of giving up but who keeps finding reasons not to. Alfred Molina voices Marcellus with perfect world-weariness.
And it shouldn’t be lost on anyone that the guy who once played Doc Ock plays a literal octopus.
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I turned on Remarkably Bright Creatures. Old Woman With Mop? Octopus With Remarkably Expressive Tentacles? Who knows.
It was a lark, that’s for sure, and it more than paid off.
Remarkably Bright Creatures is currently streaming on Netflix. Rated
My grade: A+
Principal Cast: Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Colm Meaney, Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, Beth Grant, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Brandon McEwan, Donald Sales, Mapuana Makia, Laura Harris, Anthony Harrison, Dan Payne, Shauna Johannesen, Chris William Martin, David Parent, Michael Delleva, Noah Craig
Directed by Olivia Newman.
Written by Olivia Newton, John Whittington, and Shelby Van Pelt.