Following 2022’s Where the Crawdads Sing, director Olivia Newman is back with another book-to-screen adaptation — Remarkably Bright Creatures. The drama was adapted from Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling novel of the same name and is available to stream now with a Netflix subscription. Critics screened the movie ahead of its release, and the same word keeps coming up in the reviews.
Sally Field stars as Tova, a widow who confides in the octopus Marcellus (voiced by Alfred Molina), who lives at the aquarium where she cleans at night. Tova forms an unlikely bond with Lewis Pullman’s Cameron, who has his own issues to overcome. This one will hit you right in the feels, if the Remarkably Bright Creatures trailer is any indication, and pretty much all of the reviews I’ve read come with a warning to keep tissues nearby. They also keep using the word “warm” to describe the new Netflix movie.
‘Warm And Rather Wonderfully Old-Fashioned’
Pete Hammond of Deadline praises the cast of Remarkably Bright Creatures, which hit the 2026 movie calendar on May 8, saying that Sally Field balances some heavy emotions with a light, maternal touch opposite Lewis Pullman, while Al Molina is the perfect voice for the octopus. The special effects are remarkable in their own right, resulting in a flick that’s both “warm and rather wonderfully old-fashioned.” Hammond says:
At a dark and dismal time for humanity, this is one of those sweet healing stories that is so irresistible it hits you right in the heart. Director and co-writer Olivia Newman, who adapted Van Pelt’s novel with John Whittington, has nailed just the right tone and been lucky enough to have Field, an acting icon, bring it to life.
Not that we have to be told that Sally Field is an amazing actress, but the critics did anyway!
‘Sedate And Traditionally Heartwarming’
Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert says Sally Field is so strong that in her most vulnerable scenes, even her fellow castmates seem awestruck by her performance. The movie is “sedate and traditionally heartwarming” — like a Hallmark movie about people healing their psychic wounds — earning 2.5 out of 4 stars from the critic, who writes:
I’m not sure why this story absolutely needed to be narrated by an octopus, or how much it gains from that approach. But the CGI is so amazing and Molina’s narration so, well, human, that you rarely question the curmudgeonly cephalopod’s authenticity, even when he escapes his tank and crawls across a concrete floor in a laboratory so harshly lit that it ought to spoil the illusion; or wryly describes events he couldn’t possibly have witnessed and Tovah would not have shared with him. The movie expects you to just roll with all this stuff. Or slither. Sometimes you can’t. But when the film escapes the confinement tank of its numerous hand-me-down cliches, you’re happy to follow the water trail to see where it leads.
Hmm, I never thought about an octopus slithering before. With that many legs?
‘Warmly Funny, Tearfully Touching’
Angie Han of THR notes that while Sally Field and Lewis Pullman are great on their own, they’re “even more winsome together.” Their chemistry is “crackling,” turning this imperfect flick into a “warmly funny, tearfully touching” experience. Han says:
Remarkably Bright Creatures might be approximately the 87th work I’ve seen this year about the charms of life in a small coastal town. But for anyone besides Marcellus, who insists to the end that all he wants is to return to his old home deep under the sea, it might also be the most seductive. It’s as cozy as an old woolen blanket, as sweet as a mug of hot chocolate and, ultimately, as moving as the sight of a sky turning purple over an endless horizon.
These reviews of Remarkably Bright Creatures are really making a movie night in sound great. The critics continue…
‘Like A Warm Hug’
Molly Freeman of ScreenRant calls the adaptation a “quirky, deeply heartfelt film,” with Sally Field capturing both her character’s detached persona and bone-deep grief. With Lewis Pullman’s endlessly charming Cameron and Al Molina making Marcellus an utter delight to watch and listen to, Remarkably Bright Creatures is “like a warm hug.” More from the review:
In the end, Remarkably Bright Creatures is an excellent film for anyone looking for something heartwarming and cozy to watch. The cast elevates an already strong script, and the premise of a sentient octopus narrating the events of the film gives it a sweetly peculiar way to differentiate itself from the myriad of similar movies. While it doesn't completely stand out from the rest of the pack, Remarkably Bright Creatures is compelling enough to be worth a watch.
Having an octopus narrator does seem to separate the movie from the pack a bit, though critics note the use of plenty of clichés.
‘Enjoy A Little Cry And A Warm Hug’
Megan Lachinski of Next Best Picture rates Remarkably Bright Creatures 7 out of 10, calling it “engaging and heartwarming,” with the human leads’ scenes together being the best in the movie. Lachinski continues:
The film’s message is less about the remarkably bright creatures themselves, and more about the power of finding healing and solace in community. It’s a forgettable yet instantly re-watchable, feel-good story that tugs on your heartstrings and knows how to do it. Some scenes try a bit too hard to pull at your emotions, veering off into cringe, but generally find their way back to touching. The sappiness tempers the heartwarming emotional core that balances out at the end. But there’s space for both sorrow and joy, so curl up with a cozy blanket and a hot cup of tea, light a candle, and enjoy a little cry and a warm hug.
There are lots of promises of cozy feels, warm hugs and even some hot chocolate that have me excited for a Netflix movie night. The movie overall has a 71% Rotten Tomatoes score, so the majority of reviews seem to be positive.
If you want to check out Remarkably Bright Creatures, the movie is available to stream now on Netflix.
