Grief, family, the desire for human connection — three inevitable aspects of humanity bubble to the surface in the heartwarming Netflix film Remarkably Bright Creatures. The movie feels like a warm towel after a cold swim. Like a mother’s hug after a good cry. While there’s a tenderness that coats the surface of the film, Remarkably Bright Creatures never drifts too deep into sentimentality like a Lifetime movie or clichéd melodrama. The fact that it manages to stay afloat in reality is largely due to the anchor that is Sally Field. A true titan of acting, Field once again proves she has the depth and prowess to lead audiences into uncharted waters.
Tova Sullivan (Field) is the nighttime cleaning lady at an aquarium in the small, sleepy coastal town of Sowell Bay, Washington. As she considers retiring and moving into a senior living community, Tova must train her replacement, Cameron Cassmore (Lewis Pullman), a young wanderer who drifts into town and gets stuck there after his live-in van breaks down. While Tova and Cameron seem to have nothing in common, the aquarium’s resident octopus, Marcellus (Alfred Molina), recognizes their potential for connection and healing. Who knew the reminder we all collectively need in 2026 would come from a CGI sea creature?
On paper, the plot seems preposterous and downright silly. However, on actual book-bound paper, the 2022 novel “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” by Shelby Van Pelt, was a best-selling success, tugging at the hearts of readers worldwide. Not much has changed in the general sentiment of humanity in the four years since its publication, so it’s no surprise that the message still resonates. What is surprising is that director Olivia Newman captures the beloved book’s unique characters and distinctive warmth with such vividity, clarity, and sincerity.
As Newman brings Van Pelt’s story to life, Van Pelt’s story brings life to Newman’s visuals. The two are symbiotic, like underwater creatures themselves. Remarkably Bright Creatures is yet another positive example of an adapted film in collaboration with its original creator. Much like 2025’s Hamnet, having the author as an executive producer allows for the film to flourish, inviting readers (aka bought-in audiences) along for the journey with a sense of trust and optimism. While not always possible for adaptations — obviously with classic works especially — as studios adapt newer novels more and more, having the author on the project as a collaborator enhances the stories crafted on-screen. It’s an exciting trend for readers and watchers alike.
While its overall style resonates with cozy familiarity, Newman presents Marcellus’s character with a lucidity that cuts through the film’s conventional tone. An ethereal, apropos fisheye lens, with edges blurred by light and space, gives us a glimpse into Marcellus’ point of view. His intimately astute internal monologue, brilliantly performed by Molina, lets Marcellus’ musings on the species of humans to hover over the narrative of Tova and Cameron like an iridescent film of benevolence. His objective curiosity allows us to slip into his tentacle-filled viewpoint momentarily. What emerges is an air of empathy toward the wounds and hurts that ooze from Tova and Cameron.
The inimitable Field hasn’t graced our screens in a leading role in over a decade. Or half a decade if you count her stage work screened for National Theatre Live in 2019, “All My Sons,” which coincidentally costars Bill Pullman, whose son, Lewis, is her co-star here. Remarkably Bright Creatures marks a much-welcome return for Field. Her puddles-for-eyes pull at every emotion that inevitably bubbles to the surface from this heartwarming tale. As a grieving mother and widow, Field’s Tova feels like our own grandmother, neighbor, or woman we see at the grocery store. She brings the character to life with everyday familiarity while enhancing it with her remarkable talent.
A jumpy, on-edge Pullman plays off Tova’s softer manic qualities with ease. While Pullman’s Cameron feels slightly less developed, there is still a strong sense of hurt that comes through his performance. These wounds must come to the surface in the story of Tova and Cameron, as it’s the fiber that connects them. It’s the sinewy gray matter that exists within all of us, muddled by grief and tragedy, that sometimes becomes intertwined with others, like an octopus’ tentacles.
Whether you’ve read the book or not, Remarkably Bright Creatures feels like a lush exploration of a well-established story and world. With heavy-hitters like Field and Molina building on their decades of craft, combined with emerging new talents like Pullman, it’s a refreshing breeze to the streaming world. Instead of Netflix gummy mush, this dish serves a diverse array of humanity. With a lonely, grief-stricken woman, a fumbling thirty-something looking for a purpose, and a sentient outsider who longs for a return home, Remarkably Bright Creatures is one of the brightest, most robust streaming films we’ve seen in years.
Review Courtesy of Kasey Dunifer
Feature Image Credit to Netflix