Remarkably Bright Creatures

Released 2026. Director: Olivia Newman

OCTOPUSES ARE SAID TO BE AMONG THE MOST INTELLIGENT SPECIES in the animal kingdom, even smarter than dogs. Not so surprising given that an octopus has nine brains. Not only can they recognise human faces, they've been observed to use tools and solve puzzles. In this movie adapted from a novel by Shelby Van Pelt, an octopus named Marcellus is about to do something more dramatic than a revelation by ancestry.com.

Marcellus lives in an aquarium in the seaside town of Sowell Bay. Among the people that stream past him every day, Marcellus's favourite is Tova, the night cleaning lady. Tova not only wipes away the fingerprints on his glass cage and keeps it shiny, she feels a kinship with the octopus that has grown accustomed to her routine. Human and cephalapod would look at each other and touch hand and tentacles on separate sides of the glass panel as Tova talks to Marcellus, as if she's chatting with an old friend.

Marcellus, voiced by Alfred Molina, tells us he feels an emptiness in Tova's heart. Widowed and without a family, Tova often keeps her private concerns to herself. She is not some senile old lady pushing a bucket on wheels while talking to fish and mollusks. She genuinely cares for these creatures. Doing things the right way is important to Tova, whether it's mopping the floor, treating animals or helping a young man who's just arrived in their little town in his beat-up jalopy.

The young man, named Cameron, takes over as the new cleaner after Tova injures her foot in a fall. Tova is aghast at Cameron's nonchalance at his job, so she diligently coaches him on Tova's right way of cleaning. In the process she also helps him acquaint with Marcellus, who has a sneaky way of escaping his tank now and then (told you they're smart).

Cameron's real reason for coming to Sowell Bay is to find the father he's never known. All he has is an old photo with a name he found among his mother's possessions but the search goes nowhere. Cameron, whose band mates decide to move on with their lives and leave him with an unfulfilled dream, is left aimless and despondent. He's a man in search of a past without a vision of the future.

Lewis Pullman not only resembles his dad Bill, he also channels the older actor's persona in some of his early roles playing likeable men not entirely confident and a little bland (in a nice away) in movies such as The Accidental Tourist, Sleepless in Seattle and While You Were Sleeping.

As for the aging Tova, living on her own is becoming a concern yet she is reluctant to move to a home for the elderly. So many memories in her old house, including a tragedy with her son Erik that still haunts her. Sally Field brings much sympathy to her character, tireless and generous, always putting others first whether or not they want her help. The way Tova goes about her business, nobody could be cross when she instructs you to wipe in a circular motion, give her a lift in her own car, or meddles in your love life.

While Remarkably Bright Creatures is not the kind of movie that churns along on the eccentricity of small-town folk, it has its fair share of distinct supporting characters to add texture and diversions to the main plotline. Tova is part of a group of women who meet over knitting and call themselves the Knitwits, played by Joan Chen, Kathy Baker and Beth Grant. Sofia Black D-Elia plays Avery, surf shop owner and Cameron's love interest. And fans of Star Trek will recognise Colm Meaney as the local cafe owner Ethan who has a soft spot for Tova.

One attribute characterises the movie from start to finish. Kindness is never far when everyone is always helping someone out, even an octopus is vying for the Good Samaritan award. Sally Field, it must be said again, makes the unfolding events feel genuine and enjoyable by being the chairwoman of an altruistic enterprise. The note she strikes determines the tone that perpetuates the prevailing mood. Field owns the character and it's hard to imagine a different actress in the role.

Director Newman keeps the movie light and leisurely, addressing the heavier aspects of its themes without really emphasising them. What she has made is a movie that waltzes delicately in the Goldilocks zone nimbly avoiding being maudlin or sentimental, or overly earnest and serious.

The idea of home is the unifying thread. Cameron is a drifter who doesn't know where home is. Tova is saddened at the prospect of leaving her cherished home. Marcellus is trapped in an artificial habitat while his true home is right outside the window.

The trio's journey of discovery leads to a conclusion that could only have been arranged by some kind of cosmic intervention. Equally surprising and heartfelt, the fairy-tale ending tells you two things. One, that Remarkably Bright Creatures may well be the feel-good movie of the year. Two, don't be afraid to touch an octopus.

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