What we flagged
View all categories
Our take
My Octopus Teacher is a gentle, awe-struck nature documentary about a filmmaker who returns to the cold ocean every day and forms a bond with one octopus. The mood is calm, curious, and sometimes sad. You see natural hunting, sharks, and the hard facts of an octopus life cycle, with only mild words like hell in the narration. We land at 8 and up because predator scenes and the animal's fate can upset younger children even though the film is tender, not gory
Uplifting themes
Patience, respect for wild animals, and healing through nature come through clearly. Wonder is treated as a practice, not a stunt The diver models quiet attention and care without trying to own or cage the animal. Curiosity pairs with restraint, which is the heart of his approach Octopus behaviour, kelp-forest ecology, and predator-prey balance are shown with rare closeness. Families leave knowing more about ocean life
Story (may spoil tone)
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.
Details
Violence The octopus hunts crabs and faces sharks in real ocean footage that nev…
The octopus hunts crabs and faces sharks in real ocean footage that never softens nature. Animal harm is natural and brief, shown as survival rather than cruel spectacle
Language Narration drops the odd hell when wonder or stress rises in the kelp fo…
Narration drops the odd hell when wonder or stress rises in the kelp forest. Coarse language barely registers across an otherwise gentle voiceover
Frightening Shark approaches and the sense of a vulnerable creature in open water c…
Shark approaches and the sense of a vulnerable creature in open water create mild dread. The camera stays respectful rather than jump-scare
Grief / bereavement The bond ends the way wild lives often do, and the filmmaker sits with…
The bond ends the way wild lives often do, and the filmmaker sits with loss. Younger viewers may need a hug and a talk afterward
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
What other parents think.
Be the first family to leave a watch note.
Talk after watching
- What did the octopus teach him that a classroom might not?
- How should people treat wild animals when curiosity makes us want to get closer?
Ask ClearAge
My Octopus Teacher
Ask about this guide, or name another film to open its ClearAge page.
