A beautifully shot, emotionally accessible nature documentary with a strong human hook. It’s at its best when it balances wonder, intimacy, and the quiet discipline of observation, even if some viewers may find the personal narration a little self-mythologizing.
My Octopus Teacher
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Documentary
Fri · 1h 25m
Director: James Reed, Pippa Ehrlich
Starring: Craig Foster, Tom Foster
Overview
After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.
Director
James Reed, Pippa Ehrlich
Cast
Craig Foster, Tom Foster
Curator Review
Verdict
A beautifully shot, emotionally accessible nature documentary with a strong human hook. It’s at its best when it balances wonder, intimacy, and the quiet discipline of observation, even if some viewers may find the personal narration a little self-mythologizing.
Best for
viewers who like intimate nature documentaries
people drawn to emotional, meditative storytelling
audiences interested in animal intelligence and behavior
fans of immersive underwater cinematography
Skip if
you want a purely scientific documentary
you dislike sentimental voiceover or personal narration
you’re looking for fast pacing or a broad environmental survey
Overview
My Octopus Teacher is a rare nature documentary that feels both small and expansive: a single relationship becomes a meditation on grief, attention, and the strange reciprocity between humans and the wild. The underwater photography is consistently mesmerizing, turning the kelp forest into a living, breathing world that rewards patience and close looking.
Worth noting
What makes it resonate is the film’s sense of discovery. The octopus is not treated as a mascot or a gimmick; she is presented as intelligent, elusive, and fully herself, which gives the film real emotional weight. At the same time, the documentary’s personal framing can feel a little too polished or self-important for some viewers, especially when the narration leans hard into meaning.
Bottom line
Even with that caveat, it’s an unusually moving and accessible documentary, one that can make a familiar ecosystem feel mysterious again. If you’re open to a reflective, human-scale story wrapped in spectacular natural imagery, it’s well worth watching.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Solana (5★) · 4212 likes
Went into this worried he was going to fall in love with the octopus, but now I think I might be in love with the octopus
Simon (4★) · 3188 likes
If you catch me trying to befriend the cockroach in my bathroom after watching this doc, mind your own business.
Karsten (3.5★) · 2177 likes
oscar bait because 1) surprisingly not the first time the oscars nominated a movie about a human wanting to fuck a fish 2) bait! like the fish
harry (2.5★) · 2039 likes
Octopus: literally just vibing Human : it’s...for me? 👉🏼🥺👈🏼
Chance Lee (2★) · 2037 likes
The octopus is one of the only animals I won't eat because of guilt; however I'd have no problem eating this guy, who frames the nature documentary as a sad straight rich white guy story about himself and fits the octopus into a manic pixie dream girl trope to fit his needs.
Themes
human-animal connection, nature observation, grief and renewal, marine life, loneliness, curiosity, interdependence, personal transformation