[Rating: Rock Fist Way Up]
Now Streaming on Disney+ and Hulu
The bond between humans and wild animals is one of the most intriguing narratives ever. You always hear stories about the bonds between animals that should have no interference with humans in the wild, that leave your heart all warm and fuzzy. Color me surprised when I stumbled upon the new National Geographic and Disney+ nature documentary Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story. Directed by Charlie Hamilton Jones, it explores a love story between a lonely man and a lonely river otter—an unexpected duo that forms a bond like no other.
Billy Mail and his wife Susan Mail live on the remote Shetland Islands. Just above the mainland of Scotland, it is known as the last barrier of the UK before the Arctic circle. Billy is a former native of the islands and has since moved back to get closer to himself. The Mails have no children and live their lives in a peaceful abode by the ocean. One day, Billy encounters a river otter. The otter, who he soon names Molly, doesn’t fear him and instead takes an inkling to him. After feeding her fish, Molly keeps returning.
Sure, this seems like a case where an animal gets fed so of course it’s going to come back. However, Molly soon starts coming back not for food, but company. Susan even goes as far as to think that both Billy and Molly needed one another, as Billy had loneliness from not being a parent, and Molly from losing her own family. Soon, Billy becomes protective of the young otter when a male arrives and sweeps her back into the waters. It becomes apparent that Molly is growing up and Billy has to let her be the otter she was always meant to be, without interference from humans.
This was such a sweet documentary. The bond that Billy and Molly make is so heartwarming that I want more of their story if there is one! I love too that this dived into the mental state of loneliness and how sometimes it is the most unlikeliest of things that makes us feel not so alone in the universe. For both man and otter, it was each other.
In the past few years, between this film and My Octopus Teacher, documentaries about humans and animals seem to be more commonplace. It’s remarkable when both sets of creatures become intrigued with one another. It is a bond of two completely different worlds coming together to understand each other, despite lack of verbal communication and creating a trust and sense of care and compassion!
Christian Ramos is a classic film fan, having had the dream to host Turner Classic Movies for years now. He also has a large amount of Oscar trivia in his head, remembers dressing as Groucho Marx one Halloween, and cherishes the moment Julianne Moore liked his tweet.
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