The Legend of Ochi cuts through the noise of what audiences have come to expect from family movies, raising the bar in a meaningful, artistic way for the genre moving forward.

The latest film from A24, The Legend of Ochi, follows Yuri after she discovers an injured ochi, a creature she’s taught to fear and hunt by her fanatical father, played by Willem Dafoe. Determined to reunite the baby ochi with its family, she leaves her father and adoptive brother behind to embark on an adventure across Carpathia, the island she calls home. In his feature debut, writer-director Isaiah Saxon brings to life a fusion of fantasy and family drama wrapped in a tight 90-min A24 package. 

Let’s start with the most important aspect of the movie– the ochi. The mythical creatures are brought to life as animatronic puppets and this deliberate choice makes this fantasy movie work. A blend of Grogu from The Mandalorian and Gizmo from Gremlins, the ochi (most importantly, the baby ochi) are the right blend of adorable yet mysterious as creatures of the island. Seeing and knowing that Yuri, played by Helena Zengel, was acting across from this lifelike puppet solidifies the bond formed in the movie. Plus, the baby ochi is so cute you can’t help but wish you could cross paths with one and become each other’s best friend. 

Despite the subject matter being more family friendly, The Legend of Ochi has an immaculate visual language. Shot across several places in Romania, the cinematography of The Legend of Ochi evokes a sense of wonder and awe. Cinematographer Evan Prosofksy highlights the scale of the natural settings of the forest and mountains that Yuri and the ochi traverse. The Legend of Ochi overall is a quieter film, and much of the film fills its space with impressive shots of Carpathia. The Legend of Ochi takes deliberate steps to communicate emotions nonverbally. Since Yuri and the baby ochi spend much of their time alone as they travel together, the film score carries and captures the adventure. David Longstreth, the film’s composer, utilizes woodwinds and strings to stir up the fantastical elements of the story. There’s a charm and wonder in Yuri’s quest, versus the drums as Maxim and Petro follow after her. 

Speaking of Maxim, Willem Dafoe is no stranger to A24 but his appearances have been varied with each role. Previously, Dafoe has starred in The Florida Project and The Lighthouse; the former, he was nominated for an Oscar for his performance. For The Legend of Ochi, Dafoe brings his usual mania but it channels itself in Maxim’s fanaticism and delusion in how he interacts with the world. Underneath his intensity, Maxim is a broken man who loses his wife, played by Emily Watson, due to his obsession in hunting the ochi. 

As far as the protagonist goes, Zengel balances an angry, lonely adolescence with a soft sense of wonder when she befriends the lost baby ochi. Yuri’s enthusiasm when she begins to communicate and understand the baby ochi is a triumphant scene and that’s in part due to Zengel’s ability to evoke that curiosity. For the screen time she has, Watson slips into Dasha and this family drama well. Dasha is hardened and closed off, yet only sheds some of this while her daughter sleeps and she braids her hair. 

The only actor who feels out of place is Finn Wolfhard. Petro himself is a unique character who was orphaned and then adopted as Maxim’s son. Petro dutifully follows Maxim’s order yet refrains from revealing the true nature of Yuri’s disappearance. Wolfhard does the best with what he’s given, but far too often, there’s very little of Petro for him to be fully realized as a character.

This leads into my main issue with The Legend of Ochi. As beautifully constructed and well-performed as the movie is, the narrative itself leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, we’ve seen fantasy adventure movies featuring children from broken families before. In an A24 version of a familiar story, The Legend of Ochi leans heavily into an eerie atmosphere more than fleshing out characterization of the dysfunctional family dynamics. Dasha leaves Yuri behind, which leaves Yuri alone with her eccentric father. Although Yuri lashes out and rebels against Maxim, there’s an underlying rage towards her mother, only seen when they reunite. Although the film ends with a touching reunion between Yuri and Dasha, mirrored by the baby ochi and its mother, this reconciliation doesn’t hit as meaningful as it should. Not to mention Yuri’s connections to Maxim, Petro, and the ochi hunting squad her father leads. There’s no sense of Yuri beyond her family. Between the fantastical score and gorgeous landscapes, the depth to the narrative is lost in the forest.

As one of the premier independent studios from the last decade A24 has made a name for itself with their character-driven stories. In recent years, they have said that they want to become bigger, expand the genres under their umbrella, and appeal to more audiences. The Legend of Ochi is evidence of this desire to be more mainstream while still maintaining its roots. Although the aesthetics and actors on paper are packaged as an A24 film, the narrative itself loses what makes this studio stand out. Not every movie can be a hit, but when A24’s reputation is as strong as it is, we want to see that level of excellence in every genre it tackles. For a movie that can appeal to families, it lacks the heart to endear them to the fantasy realism. 

Despite this, The Legend of Ochi is a film that gives audiences what it paid for– a gorgeous A24 fantasy movie brought together through the earnest bond between Yuri and the baby ochi. Saxon brings an artistic eye to his first feature film that puts most family films to shame. Although the narrative of the movie was lacking, it was made up for with strong performances of its core cast and stunning cinematography. The Legend of Ochi cuts through the noise of what audiences have come to expect from family movies, raising the bar in a meaningful, artistic way for the genre moving forward.

Grade: C+

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: Original Score and Cinematography

Where to Watch: In Theaters