Memories of visits to aquariums feel similar to memories of visits to the zoo for me. However aware I may be today of the inhumanity of these animal “sanctuaries”, as a child I loved them deeply, because going there meant spending hours with my family, long walks, often jumping on a trampoline and always some kind of treat at the end. The first aquarium I visited was the one in Genoa, where I walked beneath domes full of colorful jellyfish with one hand in my mother’s and the other in my aunt’s. Peak girlhood. And yet, I have to admit that I had not thought about aquariums for years, not since my last visit as a teenager, when I filled my hands with various (plastic) crystals from the souvenir shop at the exit. That was the case until last weekend, when I watched the new Netflix film, Remarkably Bright Creatures, which forever changed the way I look at aquariums.

A few days ago, I decided to refresh my knowledge of BookTok books, because over the past year I had mostly been reading novels that were not circulating through my algorithm, and I came across the book Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. It is a novel that spent as many as 64 weeks at the top of the hardcover bestseller list and has sold two million copies since May 2022. The novel immediately intrigued me because it did not sound like the classic formula of a book popular on the internet, parts of it were told from the perspective of an octopus. You will have to read Remarkably Bright Creatures before the film comes out on Netflix, said the creator of the video I was watching, and I made a mental note to look for this book on the shelves.

However, Netflix beat me to it after all. When I turned on the streaming service over the weekend in search of something light but good, the new film Remarkably Bright Creatures was at the top of the list. It looks like I will be reading the book after watching the film after all, I thought. And know that I will, because this was one of the most beautiful films I have seen recently.

After Tova gets injured at work, her position is temporarily taken over by the new guy in town, Cameron, a musician who has come to town in search of “the man who owes him”. However, as he is forced to pay off the cost of repairing his car, Cameron stays in town, takes the job at the aquarium and, entirely by accident, befriends Tova, who, as a true control freak, refuses to simply hand over her job to a stranger. Marcellus’s monologue then tells us that the two are connected by a similar sadness, and it is clear to the viewer that these are great losses, a grief that can only be healed through connection with other people.

Unexpected circumstances give rise to an unusual and touching friendship between an eccentric old woman and a somewhat lost guitarist who, in his van, genuinely reminded me of Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. The cold seaside town awakens warm feelings as we watch the protagonists discover the beauty of friendship, community and the charms of caring for one another in a world where individualism has become the norm. Although it touches on truly devastating subjects, the film approaches them in a way that actually awakens hope and optimism in the viewer. This film also manages to strike a perfect balance between an extremely entertaining plot (which is often truly funny) and an important message that stays with you long after watching.

The pace and plot of the film, as well as the way it combines humor with difficult subjects, reminded me of Fredrik Backman’s novels, which I find endlessly interesting. Because of that, I have to admit I felt a little sorry that I had not first discovered this story through the novel, because I think I would have liked the story even more in that format. However, I liked the film so much that I will gladly read the book too, which I have no doubt will bring me to tears. In any case, if you are not among the many fans of this book, I suggest giving Remarkably Bright Creatures a chance, in any format (and preferably both).

SOURCE: vogueadria.com