Å®ÉúСÊÓÆµ

Life

New Å®ÉúСÊÓÆµ recommends Phoebe Waller-Bridge's documentary Octopus!

The books, TV, games and more that New Å®ÉúСÊÓÆµ staff have enjoyed this week

By Bethan Ackerley

25 June 2025

Octopus! Press Images from Amazon Prime

Octopus!

Prime

Phoebe Waller-Bridge has worked on some unusual projects since Fleabag, the comedy-drama that made her name and broke many a heart. , a two-part documentary on Amazon Prime Video about (you guessed it) octopuses, may just be the oddest one yet.

That exclamation mark is an omen of the whimsy to come – this is an eccentric portrait of one of the most unusual animals to have ever lived. Rather than taking a strictly scientific approach, it is a look at octopuses through the eyes of people who adore them. They have many fans, myself included – who knew I was in a club with comedian Tracy Morgan, who credits the cephalopods for their “vulnerability”?

There are many octopuses featured here that I instantly fell in love with, from femme fatale Samantha, who kills her mate during an erotic encounter, to Inky, who broke out of a New Zealand aquarium and made it to the ocean. This is a fitting tribute to our tentacled friends.

Topics:

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Å®ÉúСÊÓÆµ events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop