My Octopus Teacher

7.920201h 25mReleased

Documentary

Overview

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.

StatusReleased

Release Date2020-09-04

Runtime1h 25m

LanguagesEnglishFrançais

CountriesSouth AfricaUnited Kingdom

Keywords

human animal relationship

Videos

2 total

Trailer

My Octopus Teacher | Official Trailer | Netflix

Stream

Netflix

Netflix Standard with Ads

US data via JustWatch

Cast & Crew

Craig Foster

as Self

Tom Foster

as Self

Reviews

Skarfrael

Dec 29, 2021

10/10

Not just a documentary (9 January 2021) Why I watched it? Because I love octopuses and the sea. Why I gave it a 10? Because it was something more than just a documentary. It was a personal experience. It got evident from the start. Great captures and the personal storytelling of Foster along with accurate and calming music did it: I immediate…

Full review

candicetop

Jan 4, 2026

9/10

a profoundly moving, visually stunning documentary that elevates a simple premise into a transformative emotional experience. It follows South African filmmaker Craig Foster as he returns daily to a cold-water kelp forest near Cape Town, slowly forming an intimate, almost meditative bond with a wild octopus he encounters there. The film’s greatest …

Full review