1 Major Remarkably Bright Creatures Change Fixes A Book Criticism

Warning: This article includes MAJOR SPOILERS for Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures!

Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures fixes one big complaint about the Shelby Van Pelt book by changing one character dynamic. “That Octopus Book” is absolutely beloved, but that doesn’t mean the book is above criticism. It’s possible to adore a story and also realize there were ways to improve it. Two of the book’s biggest weaknesses are the fact that people find Cameron insufferable and want Marcellus to have more scenes. Luckily, Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures makes changes to the book that deepen the characters and improve their dynamics.

They rewrite Cameron’s backstory in Remarkably Bright Creatures, making him more sympathetic. There’s a lot more complexity to the 30-year-old onscreen, which is in part due to Lewis Pullman’s fantastic performance. Additionally, they changed the dynamic between Cameron and Marcellus in the Netflix original movie. This helps with making Cameron more likable. More importantly, though, the increase in Cameron and Marcellus moments gives the octopus more screentime than he might have otherwise received.

Courtesy of Netflix

In the Remarkably Bright Creatures book, Cameron and Marcellus never seem to actually make an emotional connection. Tova introduces the two, and their dynamic gets a little friendlier. However, he is transformed more by Tova, Avery, and Ethan than he is by Marcellus. His relationship with Marcellus feels more like a side note than a feature of the book. This undercuts the idea that Tova, Marcellus, and Cameron become friends and change each other’s lives.

In the movie, there are more moments of just the two of them. Cameron starts out resentful of the fact that Marcellus wants him to clean in the way that Tova did. Then, Cameron starts opening up to the octopus, talking to him while scraping gum off the floor or sitting by the tank. He confides in him about his feelings for Avery and his mistakes. He opens up about how much he wants to find someone to love. Even though Marcellus finds him droll, he still comes around to the young man. It’s incredibly sweet that he comes to say goodnight to Marcellus every night.

By giving Marcellus and Cameron a relationship, Marcellus the Octopus gets more time onscreen, and he feels more central to the plot. What’s more, I felt more devastated when Tova let Marcellus go without Cameron getting to say goodbye. Yes, it’s his own fault because he leaves Sowell Bay in a rage. If he had stayed, he’d have been there when Tova decided to let Marcellus go back to the sea.

However, it still feels like a loss, and Lewis Pullman plays it that way. Even though he’s trying to keep his reaction measured, Cameron seems really sad when Tova tells him that Marcellus went home. He looks like he’s on the verge of tears.

Marcellus’s Desire To Help Cameron & Tova Makes More Sense In The Netflix Movie

In the Remarkably Bright Creatures book, Marcellus mostly sees Cameron as a means to an end. He wants to help Tova heal from her loss, and he realizes that Cameron and Tova’s secret familial connection is the way to do it. If he can get them to realize that Cameron is Tova’s grandson, then she won’t feel so much grief about having lost her son, Erik. I never got the impression that he cared about helping Cameron heal from his grief.

However, Marcellus’s desire to help Cameron and Tova connect makes much more sense if he actually has a true connection with the both of them. Theoretically, he could find a way to help Tova without Cameron. She doesn’t need to know she has a grandson. She just needs confirmation that her son didn’t die by suicide. On the other hand, Marcellus trying to help both Cameron and Tova makes sense if he cares about Cameron’s grief as well. Ultimately, the change they made to Marcellus and Cameron’s dynamic really benefited all of the characters and the overall story, making Remarkably Bright Creatures feel even more like a warm hug.