Film Review – Exceptionally Luminous Beings (2026)

      Remarkably Bright Creatures, 2026.

      Directed by Olivia Newman.

      Featuring Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Alfred Molina, Colm Meaney, Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, Beth Grant, Donald Sales, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Laura Harris, Meghan Heffern, Brandon McEwan, Emily Giannozio, and Miles Marthaller.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Through unexpected connections formed during night shifts at a local aquarium, Tova, an elderly widow, discovers a life-altering insight that may restore her joy and sense of wonder.

      Having spent over 1,000 days confined in an aquarium, Pacific octopus Marcellus (voiced with insightful, sophisticated, measured, sage-like wisdom by Alfred Molina) often finds himself annoyed by children who lick the walls and other visitors who disrupt the peace. However, he also keenly observes the night shift cleaning lady Tova (Sally Field), sensing her sadness and pain, and decides to make it his mission to help her while planning his escape. As co-writer/director Olivia Newman’s Remarkably Bright Creatures (co-adapted by John Whittington from Shelby Van Pelt’s book) unfolds, there’s a growing urge to escape the narrative, as its increasingly sentimental tone leads toward an utterly implausible conclusion. Indeed, it heads in that direction.

      Even more troubling is the notion that the story could be told without the octopus, as Marcellus primarily serves a philosophical narrative role, contributing little to the plot until required. When he’s not reflecting on humanity and their puzzling behaviors, he attempts to escape each night, often leading to near-drowning incidents due to being out of water before Tova, in a panic, returns him to the aquarium. There are moments in the film where it’s easy to forget the octopus is meant to be central to the story.

      The focus quickly shifts to the human characters, revealing that Tova, an elderly widow, is still grieving her son’s early death. As the local convenience store owner (Colm Meany) mentions, her late shift at the aquarium is her only anchor, and she takes her duties very seriously. Not long after, she accidentally sprains her ankle while working, insisting she can continue until management steps in and provides a temporary replacement. This turns out to be the down-on-his-luck Cameron (Lewis Pullman), who arrives in the small town looking for a man that owes him a significant sum of money. His troubles worsen when his van breaks down and he learns that his pregnant bandmates have decided to pause their touring.

      Cameron is portrayed as ineffective, more focused on getting paid for repairs than fulfilling his job responsibilities, which angers Tova, prompting her to assist him during his initial nights on the job with unsolicited advice. Their interactions create tension, while Marcellus observes that Cameron also harbors his own internal struggles (he begins to express his feelings, similar to Tova). Each character has additional layers, as Tova hides her plan to sell her house and move into assisted living from her friends—she dislikes rumors and gossip for reasons that become clear throughout the film. Additionally, every character is given a romantic subplot, which detracts from the aquarium's storyline and the insightful octopus.

      Despite some cheesy dialogue, the cast delivers heartfelt performances that nearly elevate Remarkably Bright Creatures. The issue lies in the film’s numerous ridiculous plot twists, which render its messages about family and the pain of gossip feel inauthentic and lost amidst the sentimentality. The final line of dialogue is hard to believe and as corny as one would expect for this type of film. What succeeds here is often overshadowed by a story too preoccupied with surprising twists instead of deepening character development and relationship dynamics.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder