I needed something calm. That’s what brought me to Remarkably Bright Creatures. I’ve enjoyed Sally Field’s calm demeanor in other movies, and that was what I wanted to spend an evening with.

I got my calm. I also ended up with so much joy in my heart.

I’ve now watched this movie three times, and I would happily watch it over and over. Only a handful of touching movies have that place in my life: Julie & Julia, Ira & Abby, Roman Holiday, and Splendor in the Grass. This one belongs with them.

Sally Field plays Tova, a widow who works cleaning an aquarium and forms an unusual friendship with Marcellus, an octopus. Cameron, a younger man she begins training, also becomes part of her life. That’s enough of the premise to get you started. There are things I’m very glad I got to discover as I watched.

What I loved most was Tova’s way of connecting with both of them. She is gentle and kind, and her patience with Cameron stayed with me. There’s a shared silent grief between them, along with a tenderness in the way she treats him, as if he were already her own family.

Watching that relationship unfold was beautiful. There is more I could say, but it would give away something I want you to experience for yourself. I’ll just say that the tenderness meant even more to me as the story went on.

Then there’s Marcellus. Magical, cynical, witty Marcellus.

His connection with Tova was especially personal for me because of the way he helps break down her isolation. I’m an isolated person myself. I find solace in non-humans, especially my dog, Rogue. So the comfort Tova finds in his company felt familiar to me.

Sometimes being in the company of an animal is exactly what I need. Seeing that connection given so much room in this movie was part of what made me love it.

And for all its calm, it held my attention completely. All three times. I never felt pulled out of it or wished it would move along. I wanted to spend time with these characters, and I still do.

I don’t have a list of complaints to balance out the praise. My experience with this movie was positive, and I’m happy to leave it that way.

If you’re wondering who I’d recommend it to: people who need cozy. That was me when I first pressed play. Now it’s a movie I know I can return to when I want that feeling again.

Five stars. Ten out of ten. I’ll be watching it a fourth time.

Where to Watch

Want to watch it yourself? Check JustWatch to see where it’s currently streaming, available to rent, or available to buy.