What is “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” the Bestselling Book Turned Netflix Movie?

Today sees the release of Remarkably Bright Creatures, Netflix’s adaptation of the bestselling novel that has spent months on the New York Times bestseller list. Directed by Olivia Newman, who made Where the Crawdads Sing, the film stars Sally Field as Tova, a widow who works as a cleaner at a local aquarium. She befriends Cameron (Lewis Pullman), a down-on-his-luck 30-year-old who is hoping to find his dad. Binding them together is Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus residing at the aquarium. He also provides the narration. He’s voice by Alfred Molina, because being typecast in octopus-related roles is his new thing.

If you’re not a reader then you might not be aware of just how big a deal the book of Remarkably Bright Creatures is. Written by a debut author, Shelby Van Pelt, it’s reportedly sold over two million copies and gone through 30 reprints since 2022. It’s seldom left the bestseller lists and was chosen by Jenna Bush Hager for her book club. At a time when publishing seems reliant on romantasy and the James Patterson assembly line, this is a proper success story, and an organic reader-driven phenomenon at that.

I enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures quite a bit. It’s witty, emotional, and makes good use of its gimmicky set-up without sliding into self-parody. Marcellus is a curmudgeonly narrator with a sly eye and a penchant for stealing stuff when nobody’s looking. He views humanity with a mixture of fascination and weariness, curious as to how these creatures have dominated the planet when they often seem unable to get through the day in one piece. But the humans here are also interesting, even if Marcellus is the obvious scene stealer. Tova is a widow who lost her son several years prior and is overwhelmed by her grief. Cameron is having a quarter life crisis and is adrift in a city where nobody knows him. It’s the octopus who has his sh*t together.

I do not mean this as an insult, although I’m sure many will read it as such: I’m really surprised that Remarkably Bright Creatures wasn’t an Oprah Book Club selection. When I think of Winfrey’s much-vaunted book club and the titles she helped to turned into mega-hits, this is the sort of novel that comes to mind. It’s a woman’s story with a lot of themes around ageing, grief, and community. It’s emotional but ultimately uplifting. It’s accessible and gentle but avoids the urge to be saccharine. It’s the exact kind of book I could see Oprah claiming would help people to live their best lives. Perhaps she hates cephalopods.

The book feels like a solid representation of the kind of enduring literary genre that seldom gets critical respect but flies off the shelves once it finds its readership. Think of authors like Jodi Picoult or Kristin Hannah, who deal with hefty women-driven issues and have no qualms about indulging in high emotions, or Elin Hilderbrand, the queen of the beach read. Much like film and TV, which frequently seem unaware of the existence of women over 50, this literary subgenre shows what happens when you actually appeal too an underacknowledged audience. It turns out that women have disposable income and like to buy books. Who knew?!

Perhaps, if the film of Remarkably Bright Creatures is a hit, we’ll see an influx in stories about older women. Or more octopi. That’d also be cool. Certainly, it’ll ensure tha Van Pelt’s book remains on the bestseller list for a few more months.

Remarkably Bright Creatures premieres on Netflix today.