Remarkably Bright Creatures

Tova Sullivan is an elderly widow who works as a somewhat misanthropic night janitor at an aquarium in fictional Sowell Bay, Washington, despite having been encouraged to retire.

After the death of her son Erik years earlier, and more recently, her husband, Tova becomes more withdrawn from her everyday life, including her friend group she dubs the “Knitwits” who spend more time gossiping than knitting. At work, she shares her friends' gossip and develops a friendship of sorts with Marcellus, an elderly but wise octopus who longs to escape from the aquarium.

One day, Marcellus attempts an escape but is discovered by Tova, who finds him by tracking a slippery path on the floor. After attempting to return him to his aquarium, she slips, injuring her ankle and requiring her to take time off to heal.

Around the same time, Cameron Cassmore, an aspiring musician, ends up in town after experiencing motor trouble. Broke, he seeks temporary work to pay for the repairs to the van his recently deceased mother Daphne left him. Cameron is hired to replace Tova at the aquarium while she recuperates. Unable to stay away, she happens upon Cameron at work and chides him for his slacker attitude towards his job. She shows Cameron the value of taking pride in his work and shares her relationship with Marcellus, creating a bond between her and Cameron.

One day, Cameron searches the van and finds that Daphne left behind multiple personal possessions, including a ring left by Cameron’s father – who he does not know, with the letters "EELS" engraved into it, as well as a photo with the name: Simon Brinks. After some difficulty, Cameron finds him, who has since become a successful real estate mogul. Unaware that Cameron expects him to admit paternity, he agrees to meet Cameron.

Simon explains his relationship with Daphne was strictly platonic, as he is gay. He explains that Daphne helped front a heterosexual image for him with peers and his disapproving father while he was in school. Frustrated at the revelation - including news from his former bandmates that they wish to quit their band "Moth Sausage" - Cameron arrives at work and angrily hurls the ring into the eels' aquarium. Marcellus witnesses this and later escapes into the tank to retrieve it.

Throughout Tova has flashbacks which often include Erik. Just before he had taken ill, her husband Will had put them on a waiting list for a senior community. As Tova is now alone, she has quietly decided to move there, as they have confirmed a room is available.

Soon after Tova puts her house up for sale, she learns that Marcellus does not have long to live. After seeing him try to escape again - this time to a door facing the docks - she deduces that he wishes to return to the sea to die there. Tova puts Marcellus into a bucket and takes him to the end of the dock, then lowers it to the water's surface so he can crawl out and into the sea.

Looking into the bucket afterwards, Tova finds the ring. Cameron arrives a short time later and she explains to him that "EELS" was her late son Erik's initials. They realise he was Cameron's father, thus making him Tova's grandson and bringing both of them peace at last.

Afterwards, Tova decides not to move into the retirement home and Cameron sells his van, to move in with her. Cleaning Erik’s room to move in, he finds a box under the floorboards, which had been untouched since his disappearance. Opening the box, they find pictures of Erik with Daphne and a list of names with "Cameron" circled. This confirms their relationship and his paternity, revealing that Erik actually named Cameron before his passing.

The film's title is revealed in the final line, when the narrator, (Marcellus the octopus,) says; "humans, for the most part, are dull and blundering, but occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures."