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You know that feeling when you finish reading a really heartwarming novel, and then you're terrified the movie adaptation is going to ruin that imagination? That's exactly how I felt before sitting down in the theater to watch Remarkably Bright Creatures. This novel by Shelby Van Pelt has a very loyal fanbase, and netizens' expectations on social media were incredibly high yet skeptical. Many were wondering, how on earth could a giant octopus named Marcellus look real without coming off as a goofy cartoon?
After a long wait, this big-screen version directed by Olivia Newman finally dropped in 2026. I purposely waited a few days to see the initial reactions on the internet, and honestly, opinions are pretty divided. Some say it's an emotional masterpiece, while others feel the movie is too slow and plays like an over-budgeted TV movie. So, let me break this down in depth for all of you.
The film tells the story of Tova Sullivan, a widow in her seventies who works as a night cleaner at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Tova is the type of person who prefers to keep busy working rather than face the loneliness in her big house, especially after her husband passed away and her son, Erik, mysteriously disappeared decades ago. This is where the magic lies: Tova forms a unique friendship with Marcellus, a super-intelligent Giant Pacific Octopus.
First of all, let's talk about Marcellus. If you're expecting Marcellus to speak with a moving mouth like a Disney character, you're dead wrong. Olivia Newman's decision to use an internal monologue (voice-over) for Marcellus is a stroke of genius. The voice actor delivers the perfect amount of authority, intelligence, and a fitting cynicism toward the human race. The CGI used is incredibly seamless. The texture of Marcellus's skin, how he changes color according to his emotions, and the way his tentacles move to touch the aquarium glass feel very organic. Netizens were worried Marcellus would look like a cheap special effect, but I dare say the VFX team did a fantastic job.
However, this movie isn't just about a smart octopus. We have a subplot about Cameron, a messy young man who comes to Sowell Bay looking for the father he never knew. This is where I started to feel a slight issue. On the internet, many complained that Cameron's character is too annoying in the first half of the movie. I agree. Even though the actor's performance is pretty solid in delivering the persona of a lost young man, the character writing sometimes feels a bit forced to act as an emotional burden. We are asked to care about Cameron, but more often than not, I just wanted to go back to Tova's scenes at the aquarium.
The interaction between Tova (played absolutely brilliantly by veteran actress Sally Field) and Marcellus is the heart of this movie. Sally Field gives a very controlled performance. She isn't over the top in showing her grief. You can see the loneliness just from the way she wipes a table or the way she stares at the ocean in the late afternoon. When she talks to Marcellus, it doesn't feel like a crazy person talking to an animal. It feels like two souls equally trapped in their respective prisons—Tova in her grief and routine, Marcellus in his glass tank.
Narratively, the film follows the novel's plot quite faithfully. However, there's one issue that I think will be a topic of debate for you all after watching: the overly convenient coincidences. The film's plot relies heavily on a series of coincidences that bring Tova's past and Cameron's present together. In the book, Marcellus's internal monologue helps bridge these coincidences so they feel more plausible because he is a creature who observes everything. In the movie, sometimes the transitions between plots feel a bit rushed, giving the impression of "wow, what a small world, huh?". Some netizens on movie forums even called it forced destiny.
MagicReview gives Remarkably Bright Creatures a 8.3 out of 10.
That’s all we have for now. What do you guys think, is it fair for a movie to rely too heavily on coincidences to resolve its main conflict, or do you prefer a plot that is more realistic and complex? Let's discuss it below!
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