Netflix releases “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” a film adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s 2022 bestseller, bringing to screen the novel’s unlikely friendship between a lonely widow and an aquarium octopus. The story follows Tova, played by Sally Field, whose routines at the aquarium lead to a bond with Marcellus, the octopus voiced by Alfred Molina. As their connection grows, the pair move toward solving a mystery tied to Tova’s son’s murder, with the film drawing on the book’s premise of giving the octopus a narrative perspective. Several outlets also describe Marcellus as a temperament-rich presence and highlight the film’s emotional focus on grief, loneliness, and healing.
Critics offer mixed evaluations of how successfully the adaptation translates the source material’s unique concept, with some reviewers saying the film feels cozy and comforting, driven by warm performances. Others fault it for being uneven or for not fully matching the promise of its premise. Across reviews, however, Sally Field’s performance and the chemistry with Lewis Pullman receive strong, recurring praise.
