TL;DR: My Octopus Teacher is the ultimate "anti-brain-rot" documentary. It’s a visually stunning, emotionally heavy story about a filmmaker who befriends a wild common octopus in a South African kelp forest. It’s safe for kids (ages 7+), but be prepared for some "circle of life" intensity and a few tears. It’s a perfect bridge for families looking to move from mindless scrolling to meaningful co-viewing.
Quick Links
- Watch it on: Netflix
- Best for: Ages 7-14 (and parents who need a mental reset)
- Pairs well with: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown or the game Abzû
- Discussion level: High (Empathy, vulnerability, and environmental stewardship)
If you’ve spent any time on Netflix in the last few years, you’ve probably seen the thumbnail: a man underwater looking intensely at a very camouflaged octopus. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2021, and for good reason.
The film follows Craig Foster, a filmmaker who is essentially suffering from a mid-life burnout. He starts free-diving in a cold kelp forest off the coast of South Africa to reconnect with himself. While down there, he encounters a young octopus and decides to visit her every single day for a year.
This isn't your standard National Geographic narrator-over-nature-footage vibe. It’s deeply personal. Foster narrates the story like a memoir, explaining how this tiny, eight-armed creature taught him about fatherhood, fragility, and our connection to the natural world.
We talk a lot about "digital wellness" and "quality content," but it’s often hard to define what that actually looks like in practice. My Octopus Teacher is the gold standard of high-quality media.
In a world of "Ohio" memes, Skibidi Toilet, and the high-speed dopamine hits of TikTok, this documentary is slow. It requires patience. It asks the viewer to sit with silence, to observe small details, and to care about a creature that most people only encounter on a seafood menu.
For parents, this is a "gateway" documentary. It’s short enough (85 minutes) to hold a kid’s attention but profound enough that you’ll actually want to talk about it afterward. It moves the needle from "watching a screen" to "having an experience."
Learn more about the benefits of co-viewing documentaries with your kids
You might think a documentary about a guy and a mollusk would be a hard sell for a kid used to Roblox, but there are three specific reasons it hooks them:
- The "Alien" Factor: Octopuses are basically the closest thing we have to extraterrestrials. The way she camouflages, uses tools (like making a shield out of shells), and outsmarts predators is genuinely cool. It feels like a real-life superhero movie.
- The Stakes: There are several sequences involving pajama sharks hunting the octopus. It’s tense. It’s not "scary" in a horror movie way, but it’s high-stakes survival that keeps kids engaged.
- The Connection: Kids have a natural capacity for empathy with animals. Seeing a grown man be so gentle and curious about a tiny creature validates their own sense of wonder.
While the movie is rated TV-G, here is the "real parent" breakdown:
Ages 4-6
They might enjoy the "pretty fishies" for about 15 minutes, but the narrative is too sophisticated. There’s also a scene where the octopus loses a limb to a shark. It grows back (spoiler!), but it can be upsetting for the very little ones. Stick to Octonauts for this crowd.
Ages 7-10
This is the sweet spot. They are old enough to understand the "friendship" and the biology. Be ready for the "Circle of Life" talk, though. Octopuses have short lifespans (about a year), and the documentary covers the end of her life cycle. It’s handled beautifully, but there will likely be questions about death.
Ages 11-14
Middle schoolers might act "too cool" for a nature doc, but the themes of vulnerability and finding one's place in the world usually resonate. It’s a great way to talk about mental health (Foster’s burnout) without it feeling like a lecture.
Ask our chatbot for more nature documentary recommendations for middle schoolers
Let’s be real for a second: Craig Foster gets very attached to this octopus. Some critics have called it "weird" or "creepy." If you go into it expecting a dry scientific study, you’re going to be disappointed. This is a story about a human man projecting a lot of his own emotional needs onto an animal.
Is it a bit dramatic? Yes. Is the music designed to make you sob? Absolutely. But in an era where we are all increasingly disconnected from the physical world, Foster’s "obsession" feels more like a necessary correction than something weird.
Also, a heads-up on the "Circle of Life" moments: The film doesn't shy away from the reality of the kelp forest. There is hunting, there is blood (though not much), and there is the natural conclusion of an octopus's life after mating. It’s not "unwatchable" by any means, but it’s not a Disney movie where everyone lives forever.
If you watch this with your kids, don't just close the laptop and go to bed. Use these prompts to spark a conversation:
- On Empathy: "Why do you think Craig felt so bad when the octopus got hurt? He didn't touch her or help her—was that the right choice?"
- On Observation: "What was the coolest 'trick' the octopus used to hide? How did she learn that?"
- On Nature: "Craig said he felt like a 'visitor' at first but then felt like he belonged. What’s a place in nature where you feel like you belong?"
- On Vulnerability: "The octopus is so soft and has no shell. How does she stay safe in such a dangerous place?"
If your family loved the vibe of My Octopus Teacher, here are a few more recommendations to keep the momentum going:
If you want more "wow" factor and less "guy talking about his feelings," this is the gold standard. The "Green Seas" episode features more kelp forest action and is narrated by the GOAT, David Attenborough.
This film (and the book) mirrors the themes of an outsider learning to survive and connect with the natural world. It’s a perfect fictional companion to the documentary.
This is a "meditative" video game. There’s no combat, no "game over," and no timers. You just swim through beautiful ocean environments, interacting with sea life. It’s the perfect "digital wellness" game for kids who want to explore the ocean after watching the movie.
For kids who want a bit more "science" in their gaming, this one lets you play as a deep-sea explorer. It features footage from Blue Planet II and focuses on tracking and studying whales.
My Octopus Teacher is one of those rare pieces of media that actually makes you feel better after watching it. It’s an antidote to the frantic, loud, and often shallow content that dominates our kids' feeds.
It’s a reminder that the world is big, weird, and beautiful—and that sometimes, the best thing we can do with a screen is use it to remember why we should eventually turn it off and go outside.
Next Steps:
- Add My Octopus Teacher to your Netflix watchlist.
- Plan a "Friday Night Doc Night"—popcorn included.
- Check out our guide on how to balance educational content with entertainment