Otter 501
If Otter 501 were only about otters, it would be your favorite movie. From scenes of an orphaned baby otter clinging to its surrogate mother's chest to an older pair of otters lazily going in for a hug, you would be a heartless monster not to love it. Unfortunately, this quasi-documentary also contains humans. Specifically, one terrible actress who wastes a considerable portion of the film with video diary updates filled with fake emotions that she posts for her supposed "friends" on Facebook. The otters in Otter 501 are real; the girl is not. Despite the fictional twist, the lengthily and close-up otter scenes manage to make Otter 501 incredibly worthwhile. The camerawork is excellent, catching beautiful underwater shots of the animals diving for food and capturing wild otters' exhilarating day-to-day activities (read: sleeping). At times, the film's an emotional rollercoaster. Let my notes explain: "Otters everywhere! OH NO GREAT WHITE SHARK."
by Alex Zielinski