User reviews

Decades ago, as a child, I read a book about a guy who befriends an octopus, becoming aware of its intelligence and curiosity and then having to live through the drama of his friend dying. My Octopus Teacher is basically the same thing, only it's a documentary. Octopi are marvelous creatures, both in their weird biology and their incredible intelligence. Numerous anecdotes have them use tools, enjoy beauty and create artistic work, be able to personally connect to the people they encounter. That is amazing from a completely non social creature that can rarely live more than a year. In terms of intelligence, no animal or man comes close in that small time span.

But these are just facts. The documentary is a personal account from a guy who by chance became fascinated with such a creature and spent a year diving underwater without a wetsuit or an oxygen tank and studying it, earning its trust and caring about it. You can see, in his narration, how difficult it was to just keep the distance necessary to observe the life of the octopus and not become part of it. There are scenes when the creature jumps on his hand and then explores his chest, cradling to it and accepting warmth and petting. It is that personal approach to the documentary which makes is so powerful.

Bottom line: this is the story of the life of one specimen of Octopus Vulgaris, as narrated and video documented by the film maker. The images are very beautiful and the account personal and lacking the fillers or pointless flourishings of common documentaries. The viewer is drawn into the life of this amazing creature. It's a good film.

There's not much to say about this documentary type movie. It show cases an animal that's one of the most intelligent creatures we know and interacting with it, in its own environment. I was pretty shocked by how much personality the octopus showed, and intelligence. It gives you such a large level of empathy and love for a creature that's so alien looking compared to a regular pet (a dog or a cat).

Definitely needed this in 2020. Would recommend this for anyone that enjoys the sea, or really, anyone.

A truly touching story of two species connecting on a level that is unknown to most. Animals are the greatest teachers out there, and what a blessing it is to connect with such an extraordinary creature. This just goes to show no matter how unlikely the connection, love can exist in any form.

As I sit here in my living room with the 'very unhealthy smoke' outside (from all the rampant PNW fires) I turned on Netflix and saw this Documentary. I thought Hmmm...that looks good. I was immersed from the get go. 23 minutes into it I paused it and had to text all my friends and tell them to watch it. I just put a post on Facebook to please watch this incredible film. It was one the THE very BEST documentaries I have ever watched. I always knew the octopus was smart but this film reminded me how smart. The bond between the octopus and filmmaker were beyond amazing. See this film now. And tell all your friends. There are important messages to take away from this documentary and we need to share those messages. We are part of this earth. Not just visitors. By the way, this is my first ever review. I felt compelled to write one after seeing this movie.

Everyone do yourself a favour and watch this beautiful documentary about Craig Foster and the wonderful relationship he had with an octopus. It highlights how highly intelligent these beautiful creatures are. I can't believe I cried over an Octopus

I just finished watching this at around 1AM by myself and was able to give it my full attention. It was easily one of the top 3 documentaries I've ever watched and certainly the most touching.

Our narrator and freediving host searches for strength and purpose to continue on in life and in doing so learns deep lessons in unlikely places.

My favorite thing about this documentary is the level of new scientific discovery that coincide with the narrators own emotional and universal development. I'm a sucker for anything that aims to prove our deep connection with the wild and the universe.

This one struck a chord in my heart and had my eyes welling up at the beauty of life on a couple occasions. Bravo

Elliott Osborne, 35, Chicago

What a beautiful film. Behind all the stunning imagery, emotion and story is the relentless discipline to dive every day for 5 years and then discover this bond over a year in freezing cold water. I have been to the kelp forest and gone into the water. To hold ones breath and be still to capture such astonishing beauty over such a long period of time is nothing but remarkable. In an age of staged nature films the simplicity and authenticity of the story is brilliant.

"A lot of people say an octopus is like an alien. But the strange thing is, as you get closer to them, you realize that we're very similar in a lot of ways." Craig Foster, Founder of Sea Change Project

A lot of people come to an undersea doc caring mainly for the spectacular cinemaphotography. Not so much here because the Netflix original, My Octopus Teacher, is all about the relationship between an invertebrate and a man--the photography helps rather than dominates.

Herman Melville could have learned a thing or two from narrator and diver Craig Foster, whose gentle delivery draws you in the way his octopus love does. Melville could have minimized most of his delivery, whereas Foster and co-writer James Reed gently tell us about this lovely miniature wonder and her world in the simplest, most lyrical way.

She soothes us with her daily routine (Foster spends almost a year observing her without scuba tank (a year is the lifespan of the Octopus). She coyly draws him in like a lover. If you have your Octopus knowledge only from Jules Verne, you be astonished how small she is and loving-at one point, Foster caresses her, revealing how small she is, and vulnerable. Yet, she trusts him as well she should. See this masterpiece just to witness him lovingly holding her.

Foster adheres to the Star-Trek non-intervention mandate and watches how his beloved aqua woman is pursued by a hungry shark. Drama ensues with a slow-burning suspense most horror films would love to have.

You are likely to experience the mental cleansing the narrator did as he lost his depression, connected with his son, and found his place in the natural world, and thus the human world, while he became more intimate with her and her small world:

"What she taught me was to feel... that you're part of this place, not a visitor. That's a huge difference." Foster

I had mixed reactions to this documentary about a man's love for an octopus. I've seen a lot of reviewers complain that it's yet one more story about a self-absorbed privileged white guy whining about his white person problems and making the underwater natural world all about himself. I can see how people might react to the movie that way I guess, but I didn't feel that way while watching it. Instead, I thought it was a visually breathtaking film about our relationship with and responsibility to the natural world. The way he approached his subject didn't seem that intrusive to me, and there were several moments where he explicitly said he did not interfere with nature even when he wanted to because he didn't want to upset the natural balance. I thought this film was a good reminder that we co-exist with the natural world and it's to mankind's benefit to respect it and try to understand it, if for no other reason than that our lives depend on it.

And and can I just say that the octopus may just be one of the most fascinating creatures on the face of the earth?

Grade: A-

I just know I can't put into words how I feel about this movie, or even try to explain it. I literally cried over this. All I have to say is that it's a must. Such a beautiful story, such smart creatures.

If "My Octopus Teacher" does win the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature as predicted, (it's already won the BAFTA), I don't think I'll be complaining even if I think "Collective" the better film and the more worthy winner but that's only because "Collective" tells the more important story and is the more radical film. "My Octopus Teacher" is fairly radical, too, and as documentary filmmaking goes it's a beautiful job of work with some of the finest 'natural' cinematography I've ever seen, ("Blue Planet" eat your heart out).

It even has a plot of sorts and two leading players. One is Craig Foster, an explorer and cinematographer whose daily dives to a kelp forest in the seas off South Africa leads him to the films second character, a female octopus that Foster becomes very attached to and who, it would appear, becomes very attached to him, literally at times. Octopuses, it turns out, are highly intelligent creatures and Foster's octopus seems more intelligent than most, an 'alien' creature that can recognize an individual human being and want to be with that human, albeit in her own natural environment.

Of course, the octopus is also a wild animal in a wild, natural environment and much as he might want to Foster knows he can do nothing to change that; as we say, he has to let nature take its course while at the same time allowing himself to be 'taught' by the octopus, taught not just to care about the octopus itself but creatures in general and, strange as it may seem, interacting with this creature brough Foster closer to his own son. Superbly photographed and edited, its only falut lies in Foster's rather deadpan narration. He may be a nice guy but is somewhat dull in his delivery; luckily his camera speaks volumes.

Beautiful images, heartbreaking story, and ...I will definitely never eat octopus again....

This film redefines the documentary genre. The film touched me more than 99% of all films and was more exciting than the best thriller. You get a humility towards this world and everybody should have seen this film. At school it should become a compulsory subject.

My Octopus Teacher (2020) was co-written and co-directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed.

It stars Craig Foster and a female octopus that lives in the frigid waters at the southern tip of South Africa. (Craig's son, Tom, has a small role.)

After Foster finds the octopus, he visits her den every day--literally. After a while she becomes accustomed to his presence, and appears to accept him as a companion. (It's very difficult to avoid anthropmorphism when watching a nature film. However, I was convinced that there really was two-way relationship between the human and the invertebrate.

For the record, I don't usually enjoy nature films. I liked this one because of the interaction between human and octopus. (It's the same reason I like Bronx Zoo--it's as much about humans interacting with animals as it is about the animals themselves.)

My Octopus Teacher has a strong IMDb rating of 8.2. I agreed and rated it 9.

P. S. My close friend told me I'd like "the octopus movie." I dutifully looked for that movie, and found a science-fiction movie about a giant octopus that could entrap and sink huge ships. This movie is not that movie.

Such an amazing documentary, told from four hearts, about an unlikely connection between a human and an octopus. What's amazing about this movie is that was capable of making me feel good about nature as well as humans. The mere fact that we both want to connect, just shows that there is a stronger connection between us and the animal kingdom than most of us realize. Absolute must watch...

What a beautiful film .

This is the kind of nature documentary movie that makes you realise what a wonderful world we live in and how animals have a sense of innocence and beauty that most adult humans sadly lose .

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.

It's amazing that a creature like an octopus , and a wild one at that , can show trust in a human.

Craig Foster said that he fell in love with this octopus and the story is told so well that viewer does as well.

It's hard to imagine a creature like this being so intelligent but it genuinely is.

This just won a BAFTA for best documentary and is nominated for an Oscar and it's hard to believe there is a better film out there can pip this film to the award.

Absolutely Brilliant.

The octopus itself and its anthropomorphised story is gripping but the guy is so wrapped up in himself and his own epic journey it ultimately ends up feeling quite self serving.

Loved everything about this amazing documentary. The manner in which the story unfolds keep you needing to see and learn more about this amazing creature and its relationship with the filmmaker.

Brilliant !!