Octopus!, directed by Niharika Desai and narrated by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, opens with footage of an octopus predicting which football team will win the upcoming matches. I instantly remembered watching such reports on news channels when I was a kid, and given the flair for spice and drama in the DNA of Indian journalism, the anchors used to refer to this eight-limbed marine animal as "Octopus Baba." I went on Google and found out that this astrologer-cum-animal was Paul and, according to Wikipedia, his "predictions were 100% (8/8) right for the 2010 World Cup and 86% (12/14) correct overall." What's amusing about this Wikipedia page is that Paul has a Career section. I chuckled and then thought that the documentary, too, has a similar amusing tone. Waller-Bridge's droll voice (she is the narrator) informs you about a female octopus, Samantha (RIP Jeffrey); tells you a story of another octopus, Doris, who must single-handedly navigate the deep waters; cracks witty jokes like when an octopus feels shy after showing his beak, and educates you about octopuses rise to fame and glory. Waller-Bridge says that Aristotle wrote, "The octopus is a stupid creature," and from there, "everything went downhill." But when Hokusai painted The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife, the marine animal became a part of tentacle erotica and is now considered an intelligent creature by many human beings.
Did you know that octopuses taste everything they touch? They also apparently don't care much about socializing (there are exceptions, however) and can camouflage themselves quickly (they could have been competent secret agents). A female octopus dedicates her life to caring for her eggs - one of them remained hungry for four-and-a-half years! The documentary introduces us to a scientist, an expert on octopus behavior, who introduces us to facts while getting a tattoo. An explorer, Piero, has written research papers on these sea creatures and is on a mission to find a colony of octopuses. We also meet an artist who films ocean dwellers, and then there is a writer, Sabrina, who tries to understand how that female octopus remained hungry for four-and-a-half years. Of course, let's not forget Tracy Morgan, who has an aquarium at his home. He has learned so much about life by looking at aquatic animals. Did you know that his daughter dances in front of the fish to entertain them?
On the one hand, the interviewees share their knowledge and their experiences; on the other hand, we follow Doris, who, at one point, experiences both adolescence and middle age simultaneously (she goes through a lot). The documentary is quite funny; just wait till you hear about Doris's meet-cute with Mike (he has commitment issues, no prospects, and comes from the rough part of the ocean, which means Doris absolutely loses her virginity to him). But Octopus! doesn't have just one tone - it beautifully, convincingly moves from comedy to drama to tragedy. I liked the music that plays over the end credits; there's something melancholic about it. After hearing so many positive things about the various cephalopods, it feels jarring to watch a fisherman beating one of them to death. Some interviewees mentioned that they don't mind eating an octopus, and at the same time, they also love these creatures. A fisherman mourns that there aren't many cephalopods to catch in the water. Well, you can probably stop hunting them. And if you can only give your future generation the skill of being a fisherman (maybe due to social or economic conditions), then there is obviously a deeper problem that needs to be addressed, which Octopus! leaves hanging in the air. Nonetheless, this is a strange documentary worth watching for Waller-Bridge's remarks and for the ease with which it swims across a broad spectrum of emotions. Octopus! is funny, sad, informative, and moving.
Final Score- [7/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times
Note: All 2 episodes are screened for this review.
Premiere Date: May 8, 2025, on Prime Video