Movie Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)
Based on Shelby Van Pelt’s novel of the same name, Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026) is a wonderful movie about connection—between both humans and animals—that leaves us wondering how different we really are. Check out my full movie review of Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026) below!
Movie Blurb
Tova (Sally Field) is spending the remainder of her life cleaning her hometown’s aquarium. She keeps everything clean and tidy, but she especially keeps her personal life separate and hidden from everything and everyone. Except, of course, Marcellus the octopus (Alfred Molina). Marcellus can tell that Tova is hurting and is missing something, so since she has saved his life before, he vows to fill the hole in her own life. When a young man named Cameron (Lewis Pullman) comes along to take Tova’s place cleaning the aquarium, Marcellus can tell that’s exactly who she needs.Â
Review | Heidi Dischler
I absolutely adored this book, so when I saw the movie adaptation being released, I was stoked to start watching. My husband was home when I started this movie, and while this genre isn’t something he typically watches, he said that he thought it was a pretty good movie (which is high praise, just saying).Â
So, basically, you follow Tova as you learn that she lost her son years ago and it still haunts her. Cameron has lost his mother and it still haunts him. Marcellus is narrating and basically bringing the two together in a very unlikely friendship. These are my favorite types of stories. One’s about human connection, healing, and so much more. A Man Called Ove is very similar to this. The Correspondent and Theo of Golden both have similar traits in that you get to see how good people can truly be.
What makes Remarkably Bright Creatures (both the book and the movie) unique is that a lot of the connection between Cameron and Tova is narrated by the outside view of Marcellus as he sees them grow in friendship together. Â
I absolutely LOVED watching Sally Field and Lewis Pullman bring Tova and Cameron to life. Their connection was so sweet on screen and became such a wonderful and nuanced part in the movie. These actors truly brought this story to life with their portrayals of these characters. Marcellus’ narration from Alfred Molina was absolutely perfect. His voice really captured Marcellus as a wise but arrogant octopus.Â
As for the twists and reveals in the movie, many can probably be predicted, but that’s not the point. The point is that they are genuine and really make this story special. Remarkably Bright Creatures was one of my top reads in 2023, and I can say without a doubt that it has definitely been one of the most memorable in the past few years. The movie adaptation was honestly so good and it will make you smile, laugh, and maybe even shed a few tears.Â
Overall, this movie adaptation really was amazing. I loved seeing this book come to life (and even my husband loved to see this story for the first time on screen). If you want something that will pull at your heartstrings, make you smile and remember how wonderful it is to be alive, then this is the movie for you. I also can’t recommend the book enough and definitely think you should read it first!
Where to Watch:
