‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ Delves Into Animal Intelligence & The Human Heart | At The Movies With Kasey
Octopuses are highly intelligent animals whose invertebrate bodies can move like liquid, making them hard to keep in captivity. Personally, I find them fascinating, and loved how Shelby Van Pelt’s novel Remarkably Bright Creatures made a misanthropic octopus the protagonist in a complex story about grief and resilience. When Netflix adapted the novel with Sally Field and Lewis Pullman as the human leads, my expectations were very high.
In the film, Tova Sullivan (Sally Field) works as the cleaning lady at an aquarium. She lives alone after her husband’s death, and the job gives her something to do. Eventually, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Marcellus (Alfred Molina), an octopus who is determined to escape from captivity in the final stretch of his life. Meanwhile, Cameron (Lewis Pullman) rumbles into town in a beat-up camper van looking for his long-lost father. After Tova falls and needs time off, the aquarium hires Cameron to fill in for her. In the two humans, Marcellus sees a common woundedness, and he is determined to bring them together.
Those who read the novel may remember that the narrative shifts between the perspectives of Tova, Cameron, and Marcellus, providing a deep look at the community through how they view the people in their lives. The adaptation uses Marcellus as a narrator, and although I was glad that the writers preserved his wry voice, simplifying the perspectives means that some characters, such as Ethan (Colm Meaney) and Avery (Sofia Black-D’Elia), have much less presence in the story. The changes make sense for the jump to the screen, though, and maintain the best parts of the novel. Aside from these adaptation considerations, the screenplay paces the story well, developing the characters so that when major plot points hit, the emotions do too.
I cannot imagine anyone better than Sally Field to play Tova. She has so many funny, nitpicky one-liners, and Field’s line delivery was pitch-perfect every time. Cameron could easily be an unlikable character, as immature and troubled as he is, but Lewis Pullman draws out his sincerity and vulnerability effectively. Together, they have great chemistry and comedic timing.
Tova’s house is something of a character in the story, too, as she contemplates selling it and leaving behind all the beautiful and painful history it holds to move into a retirement community. The production designer Jennifer Morden and set designer Codey Falkenberg did an exquisite job of bringing the home and the coastal community to life. I know if I lived there, I’d never leave.
If you loved the book, Remarkably Bright Creatures will give you a fresh look at beloved characters. With moving performances, a great screenplay, and stunning scenery, the film offers a poignant story of grief, community, and second chances.
Remarkably Bright Creatures was directed by Olivia Newman, who wrote the screenplay with John Whittington, based on the novel by Shelby Van Pelt. It runs 111 minutes and is rated PG-13.
If you missed Send Help when it was in theaters earlier this year, it is now available to stream on Hulu. The thriller focuses on Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), a dowdy and undervalued numbers cruncher in Planning & Strategy at a NextGen 500 company. Linda was promised a big promotion, but when the big boss dies and his son, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), takes over, Linda gets passed over for his frat brother. Then, on a business trip, their private jet crashes, stranding Linda and Bradley on an island somewhere near Thailand. A devoted fan of Survivor, Linda is ready to meet this moment, but being trapped with her terrible boss upends the power dynamic in increasingly volatile ways.
Send Help showcases Rachel McAdams and her range as an actress more than anything else. I think that Dylan O’Brien brings little to the projects he stars in, but the shallowness of his performance really stands out opposite McAdams. On the island, Linda gets the chance to flex skills that were unnecessary in the office, and with this newfound power, she flourishes. McAdams plays her transformation in a way that feels grounded, so that it is not implausible that the meek, rundown desk jockey would become so empowered and strong.
The screenplay does not downplay the critiques about the power dynamics of office culture, giving McAdams’s performance plenty to work with. As Linda finds freedom while stranded on the island, the story gives way to greater conflict between her and Bradley. Eventually, in trying to raise the stakes continually, the film starts to run itself into the ground. By the time the–albeit very fun–conclusion came, I was weary of the drama. If there were one fewer twist or dramatic conflict, the tension and suspense would have felt tauter and the plot less meandering. Nevertheless, Send Help was fun, thrilling, and full of great moments delivered by Rachel McAdams.
Send Help was directed by Sam Raimi and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. It runs 113 minutes and is rated R.
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