When I heard Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures was going to be one of the book-to-screen adaptations among 2026 movie releases, I decided there was no better time to finally read the bestseller that has been on my TBR for a few years now. To my surprise, I raced through the novel in just a couple of days because I was so invested in the three narrators: Tova, Cameron and Marcellus the Giant Pacific octopus. Now that I’ve seen the movie that is out and available to stream with a Netflix subscription, I’ve got to talk not only about how the book and movie differ, but what I really like about seeing the story play out in a new medium.
They say that the book is always better than the movie, and I think that rings true (yet again) here. We got a really wonderful adaptation of Remarkably Bright Creatures that stays true to the heart of the source material. I’ll get into specifics now, but be warned SPOILERS are ahead.
There’s More To Tova And Cameron In The Book
When the movie first started, I’ll be honest, it wasn’t long before I found myself starting to get bummed out about how much it skips the early chapters. Thankfully, I stuck with it, because a lot of my worries about it faded away as the movie ultimately paves its own way for the better. I think the big reason why they differ so much is because the book is told from three perspectives and therefore gives readers a lot more time with each of their stories that just wouldn’t have fit gracefully in a movie that’s under two hours.
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Tova and Cameron originally start in very different places. For Tova, she learns of her brother’s passing at the start of the novel and has to go fetch his things. Her and the friendly neighborhood shopkeeper Ethan end up going together and that’s where she gets the idea to move into senior living. And, when we first meet Cameron, he’s visiting the aunt who raised him when he comes across some of his mom’s old things. Between that and his girlfriend breaking up with him and throwing him out of their shared apartment after he loses yet another job, he decides to travel to the PNW to find Simon Brink. So basically, it’s like the movie sped through the entire setup of the novel, but hey, I’m happy it still works.
But, I Love How The Movie Gave Them More Opportunities To Connect
It takes a lot less time for Tova and Cameron to connect at the aquarium in the adaptation, and actors Sally Field and Lewis Pullman beautifully bring to life the cute but tumultuous relationship I remembered. Somehow, I felt like I really got to know their dynamic even more in the movie. The film has all three characters central pretty much the whole time rather than them having more side quests, and keeps some aspects of their backstories close to the vest until other characters learn them.
This causes a lot of things from the book to simply be missing or cut for time, but because it also strengthens the core relationship in the story between Tova and Cameron, those things are ultimately trivial. By the end of my viewing, I was tearing up and so happy I got to see this version play out.
It Comes At The Cost Of Ethan Having A Lot Less To Do In The Film
While I think the movie is ultimately better for focusing more on Tova and Cameron, it does mean there’s a lot less of Ethan. For example, in the novel, Cameron goes on the car ride with Ethan to meet with Simon, but in the movie he does it with Tova. It ended up being one of my favorite parts of the film, but I loved Ethan in the book much more than in the movie.
Ethan is also the one in the book who figures out Tova and Cameron are related and orchestrates a dinner between the two of them to break the news, but that doesn’t go as planned and they learn together. At least they kept the band T-shirt thing from the book, but Colm Meaney and Sally Fields just didn’t have the chemistry I was looking for from them.
The Movie Also Changed the Backstory Behind The Camper Van
Another big difference I wanted to note that ties in with the central change I loved was the origins of Cameron’s camper van. In the book, he buys the camper van off a guy at the airport when he loses his luggage containing some things he was going to sell in order to afford the trip. In the movie, he inherits the van from his mom, who ODed in it, and it serves as this sad reminder of that loss. Another huge change here, but it allows the audience (and Tova) to connect with Cameron a lot quicker than the novel had time for.
And, The Open Mic Night Scene Wasn’t In The Book Either
One more thing I wanted to bring up is the open mic night scene in Remarkably Bright Creatures. This wasn’t in the book either, but I’m so happy they added it for the film. Getting to see that Cameron and his late father both loved the same music leading to his acoustic cover of Radiohead’s “I Can’t” really added to the emotional depth that I wanted from it. Cameron is in a band in both the book and the movie, so I think it was a good move to have him perform whilst I understand the source material not having it, because a book can’t quite capture a musical performance very effectively.
Anyway, the whole movie made me feel like I was being wrapped in a hug, and I need more life-affirming stories like it. Now that you’ve seen Remarkably Bright Creatures, you can check out what other movies based on books we’re excited to see this year! There’s many more to come.
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