My Octopus Teacher - A lesson in curiosity

 

Stream it on Netflix 

While I have not seen many nature documentaries, most of the ones I have seen have either been fascinating or dull. In my experience, your enjoyment of any given nature documentary depends on the subject matter. If you are interested in the animal or natural wonder in question, you will likely enjoy it. Today's film, My Octopus Teacher, is a bit of a rare beast. Aside from the runtime feeling too long and a little repetitiveness, this movie is truly a wonder. It is a decent story of how much closer to nature we as people are. 

The film follows the discoveries of a diver in South Africa, who makes friends with a small female Octopus. At least, we assume it's female. For almost a year, the man dives into the reef every day to visit and observe his Octopus friend, as she goes about her day hunting for food and evading predators. Armed with his camera, the man captures every nuance of his little friends' daily life, learning something new with each visit. Discovering how intelligent this little squishy creature is and how much alike they are in many ways. 

Visually, the film is beautiful. The underwater cinematography is breathtaking, the many colors and forms of life under the sea are magnificent to behold, and watching the little Octopus showcase its intelligence while forming a friendship with a human is astonishing to witness. The same can be said of the sound design & music, both of which capture the sheer wonder of ocean life and the terror that can be lurking just around the corner of your eye. 

The only nitpick I have with the film is that it feels a bit too long. A few of the movie shots repeat in some areas, and parts of the narration feel as though they could have been shorter. Also, while the slow movement of the visuals and the soothing sounds of the music and ambiance is appropriate, it can sometimes be too relaxing, causing you to fall asleep potentially. Not out of boredom, but from how calming everything is (mostly). 

My Octopus Teacher is a beautiful curiosity. If you got nothing else to do for a little while, give it a look. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.