You had me at a talking octopus. Seriously.
Netflix just keeps jacking up its prices like we’re all made of money, but sometimes they release a title that makes me pause before pressing "cancel." Remarkably Bright Creatures is one of those movies for me.
I wanted to hit cancel, but I didn’t. I went into this film expecting yet another slow, over-polished book adaptation that I would pay very little attention to. Instead, after about twenty minutes, I realized I’d completely stopped multitasking. I was hooked. There is something about the movie that draws you in, in a calm, understated way. It’s emotional, but not in a forced ‘please cry now’ sort of way. Honesty, just honesty, rules the roost in this flick.
And we should all just appreciate that . . . even if Netflix keeps pricing us out of their subscriptions.
Thankfully, the film, directed by Olivia Newman and based on the book Remarkably Bright Creatures, doesn’t make the story into some glossy Hollywood melodrama. A huge part of it is the environment. The film has so much of the Pacific Northwest vibe. Cloudy skies, sleepy harbor towns, cold ocean air, dim aquarium corridors. You can almost feel the wetness coming through the screen. Sure, it was shot in Vancouver, but it definitely gives everything this soft, melancholy setting that fits the story so well. And it’s not just a setting; the town feels lived in, like these characters have been hauling their loneliness around there for years.
Sally Field is wonderful here. Incredible. Natural. The sort of performance that makes you feel like the camera stumbled across a real person, not an actor. Tova is grieving, alone, and sometimes just as stubborn as hell, but there’s still warmth underneath all of that. And then there’s Marcellus, the giant Pacific octopus voiced by Alfred Molina. On paper, that sounds ridiculous, yet it somehow becomes the emotional heart of the entire movie. That might have been a disaster. A grounded drama with a talking octopus is a risky swing. But the film plays it totally straight, and because of that, Marcellus seems thoughtful, funny, observant, and sometimes kind of devastating.
Lewis Pullman also brings so much to the movie. The chemistry between him and Field is what drives the story along emotionally. The mystery linking the characters slowly unfolds, not with massive twists or overdramatic revelations every fifteen minutes. I liked that the film sometimes trusted silence. The conversation dies down. People sit with the unsaid. Scenes are given room to breathe. It’s not perfect – the pacing occasionally strays a little too far – but by the end I was far more emotionally involved than I’d expected to be.
This feels like the kind of movie you put on randomly late at night and then text your friends about in the morning. It's not flashy. No attempt to build a franchise universe. It’s just a reflective story of loss, loneliness, and serendipitous connection. And somehow, against all odds, a sarcastic octopus delivers some of the best moments of the movie.
Netflix may still be testing our patience with these ever-increasing price hikes, but this flick is definitely worth a look before you finally cancel.
MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Runtime: 111 mins
Director: Olivia Newman
Writer: Olivia Newman
Cast: Sally Field; Lewis Pullman; Colm Meaney
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Tagline: Based on the Best-selling Ohenomenon
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Netflix
Official Site:
Release Date: May 8, 2026
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Through unlikely bonds formed during night shifts at a local aquarium, Tova, an elderly widow, learns of a life-changing discovery that may bring her joy and wonder once again.
