"Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story," is arguably one of the most life-affirming films of 2024. Think of the Academy Award-winning documentary, "My Octopus Teacher" (2020), except one of the principal characters is a cuddly female Otter.

In brief, Billy & Molly is a true story about a married, childless man, "Billy," and the beautiful bond he develops with a young recently orphaned Otter, whom he names, "Molly." Billy's love for Molly grows nearly exponentially as the film unfolds. Some might say Billy is overly obsessed with Molly. But I think it's far bigger than that.

Man and Nature have always shared a very dense and complex relationship, but Billy and Molly's connection is unusually pure and simple. Basically, Molly needs Billy to survive, yet, as their mutual trust develops, Billy suddenly discovers how much he actually needs Molly too. Their unique connection reflects a universal theme that surely will resonate with anyone who has a genuine respect and admiration for nature, and an understanding of our own important role as the default "Custodians of Planet Earth."

To quote Charlie Hamilton James, the brilliant director and director of photography, "We've got a happy story. My hope is that people walk out with a smile on their face, and they're enlightened in some way, and for a few brief moments in this current world, they can smile and be happy."

No spoilers here as usual, but I will reveal that Billy and Molly was filmed entirely in Scotland's Shetland Islands, and the striking cinematography is stunningly stark yet nakedly beautiful.

I do love most animals. Looking at them anyway. I would care for one under the right circumstances.

Billy is the human. Molly is the otter.

Billy cares for a young otter he names Molly. She grows dependent on him, and becomes friendly with him. She becomes independent and self sufficient over time.

National Geographic is known for picturesque photography of wildlife and nature. Occasionally they produce wildlife films. I have seen a few. This ranks up there in their top 5 or 10.

It may get a 10 from me if I feel compelled to watch again. I just finished watching it before writing this. It is very good. Great pacing, beautifully shot, almost each scene is a beautiful photo.

Narrated well. The pacing is slow, but as soon as we see close ups of the otter, your joy and excitement will pick up.

Billy, his wife, and the poor dog, who is starving for attention, are the supporting characters. You feel for Billy, but the main star is Mollie the otter.

Again a surprise magical movie that is a documentary stylized as a story. Which it is. Enjoy. This is for all ages.

I have been an animal lover all my life, so when I saw the title I was immediately drawn to it. However, I was not expecting to be hit as hard as I was through this documentary.

I have had many interactions with animals in my life, as someone who has worked as a rescuer for cats and dogs. So I could understand right away what Billy felt, even though he did not have the right training or knowledge, I KNEW what he felt right away. I could relate to the love, the dread that comes with loving an animal. Caring for it. Your life starts revolving around it. The documentary showcases the relationship between them masterfully.

The cross between how you take care of a wild animal, and how much help you should really give them is a very complex question. This becomes a very important topic in the documentary as it goes on and in my opinion is a natural evolution any animal lover should have towards a semi-wild animal like this.

Give it a watch, it is adorable, emotional and lovely.