Remarkably Bright Creatures Reviews: Critics Praise Sally Field’s Performance

Netflix has gone and done the seemingly impossible, and adapted Remarkably Bright Creatures for the screen.

Shelby Van Pelt’s novel became a bestseller upon its release in 2022, telling the story of a lonely widow who befriends an octopus in the aquarium where she works.

As the story unfolds, she and the octopus, named Marcellus, team up to solve the mystery of her son’s murder, with certain passages even told from the marine creature’s perspective.

Because of its unique premise, bringing the story to life in film was always going to be a difficult task, but on Friday morning, Netflix unveiled its new movie version of the hit book, starring two-time Oscar winner Sally Field alongside Lewis Pullman and the voice of Alfred Molina as Marcellus.

The question is… how did they do?

Well, overall, critical reception has been pretty mixed, but one thing reviews can agree on is a stellar performance from Sally Field, as well as the fact that anyone looking for some cosy comfort viewing is onto a winner with this one.

Here’s a selection of what has been said about Remarkably Bright Creatures in the lead-up to its release…

“[Sally Field’s role] requires some heavy emotional bridges to cross as well as a light touch and maternal instinct to make this pairing with Pullman, as well as the vocal performance of Molina, work as well as it does […] Netflix has a warm and rather wonderfully old-fashioned movie winner with this one. There won’t be a dry eye in the house.”

“Respectable and heartfelt, [Remarkably Bright Creatures is] a very straightforward page to screen interpretation that gets the job done and the tears flowing thanks to strong performances by Sally Field and Lewis Pullman.”

“As a film about animals, Remarkably Bright Creatures is human-centric treacle. But as a film about people, its gentle sense of humour and depth of feeling are enough to sweep you away on a wave of emotion […] 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.”

“I’m not sure how much of the film would really work without [Sally Field] anchoring it – she adds volume to what’s otherwise a pretty low-level hum – but with Field smoothly moving between comedy and drama in a film that can’t always move quite so gracefully, it all just about stays afloat […] If Newman doesn’t quite get the tears she’s clearly craving, she manages to leave us charmed enough for it not to matter all that much. Remarkable might be a stretch, but decent will do.”

“Heavy on benevolent feeling and shy of outright human conflict, the film floats and sprawls and spirals like the creature to which it’s glowingly in thrall, but a bit of spine wouldn’t go amiss.”

“As a film, this tearjerking story about giant sea creatures, broken people, and huge secrets works well enough. Much like Van Pelt’s novel, it’s a cosy little drama with twists and turns that feel both inevitable and delightful. It’s all bolstered by Field and Pullman’s performances, which crackle with chemistry and good choices.”

“Too heartwarming to dismiss […] Remarkably Bright Creatures doesn’t need to be remarkable to be worthwhile. It just needs to be comforting, and if Netflix wants to keep owning the Mother’s Day weekend with films like this, then I welcome that effort.”

“[This] touching drama is like a warm hug […] Remarkably Bright Creatures is an excellent film for anyone looking for something heartwarming and cosy 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.”

“Remarkably Bright Creatures is a heartfelt character piece, featuring a cast that elevates the material and keeps the book’s potentially maudlin tentacles in check.”

“Mostly, Tova and Cameron use Marcellus as the non-consenting recipient of all their trauma-dumping. In fact, the poor creature is happily disappeared from the narrative for a good chunk of the film’s runtime, and no one really seems to miss him.”

Remarkably Bright Creatures is streaming now on Netflix.