Director: Isaiah Saxon
Writer: Isaiah Saxon
Stars: Helena Zengel, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson
Synopsis: In a remote village on the island of Carpathia, a shy girl is raised to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when she discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a quest to bring him home.
As a distributor, A24 has released almost exclusively adult fare over the last 12 years since its inception, all while establishing themselves as a prominent voice in the independent film community and creating a massive following among moviegoers. That changes with The Legend of Ochi, as it marks the first movie in their catalogue to be rated PG and made for all audiences.
Based on an original story written and directed by Isaiah Saxon, the movie follows Yuri (Helena Zengel), a shy, introverted girl living in a village on the island of Carpathia. Her father, Maxim (Willem Dafoe) and adopted brother, Petro (Finn Wolfhard), are part of a hunting team that goes into the forest at night to find Ochi; mythical creatures who the villagers are afraid of and believe cause nothing but harm to humans and kidnap them. During one of these hunts, however, Yuri finds an injured baby Ochi, who is separated from the rest of its family. Wanting to help it return to its home, Yuri sets off on a journey across the island to find the other Ochi, as her father and brother attempt to find her.
The Legend of Ochi wears its influences on its sleeve, being a love letter to family fare such as E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and The Neverending Story with several shots and visuals a direct reference to each movie, and even the recent The Mandalorian with the young Ochi having parallels to the universally beloved Grogu. A blend of actual environments and matte paintings to showcase its backgrounds and environments, the old-school approach to filmmaking on display is commendable, with the Ochi portrayed with puppets and animatronics, with some CGI added throughout. The result is a mostly dazzling experience with impressive production design and Evan Prosofsky’s often colorful, vibrant cinematography, and filled with solid performances from Helena Zengel and Willem Dafoe, as well as Emily Watson as Dasha, a mysterious character with close ties to Yuri and Maxim, and all layered with a beautiful score from David Longstreth.
Saxon’s world building in Ochi is fascinating, often showcasing a land lost in time with the forest, as well as one incredibly contemporary with modern technology and buildings outside of it. His message about the world is clear: protecting the environment and animals is key to having a more beautiful planet. It is a message echoed across countless movies, but still an effective one. Where the movie does suffer, however, is in its callbacks to those inspirations Saxon derives The Legend of Ochi from, as it makes the progression of the narrative quite predictable. Certain moments where Yuri and the Ochi find themselves wondering how to escape a situation are met with the exact adversity audiences would expect to see, as well as similar solutions to get to the next scene. This further extends to the supporting characters like Maxim and Petro, who initially believe everything about the Ochi is wrong, only to have their beliefs challenged by Yuri’s actions.
Ochi’s world-building is also given a lack of expansion in parts, where its more unique aspects, such as their language, habitat, and mythos are sidelined in order to focus more on the humans and their pursuit, despite those elements being highlighted as more important to Yuri’s journey. As such, the movie can feel a bit incomplete in areas and lack a clearer focus. However, the child-like wonder of The Legend of Ochi and its creativity cannot be understated. Despite its flaws, the movie remains an overall very sweet and enjoyable watch, and a decent start to A24’s more family oriented fare.
