The Legend of Ochi Review
Recently, A24 has really dug into the bizarre with the films they’ve released in the last few months. While Parthenope and On Becoming a Guinea Fowl delivered emotional stories, ones that mostly popped out, like Opus, Death of A Unicorn, Y2K, really shocked audiences in more ways than one. So, when many heard first about The Legend of Ochi, the directorial feature debut of Isaiah Saxon, there was a lot of intrigue thanks to its astounding visuals and practicality. While it looks great on screen, The Legend of Ochi’s story about family and nature goes by the book.
The Legend of Ochi follows a young girl, Yuri (Helena Zengel), who inadvertently finds and builds a close connection with a young Ochi. However, when she runs away from home, her father and community leader Maxim (Willem Dafoe) leads a group of young boys, including his adopted son Petro (Finn Wolfhard), to get her back. As Yuri tries to reunite the Ochi with its parents, they find themselves in an ET-like journey throughout this fictitious, yet beautiful, world from Saxon’s mind.
Perhaps what really carries this film is the practical puppetry used throughout The Legend of Ochi. While it combines the practical effects with some CGI, what we get on-screen with the actual Ochi puppet is simply amazing. In addition, the sound design of the Ochi really accentuates how lively the entire film is given the film’s visually colorful aesthetic. It’s like if you combined the Clicker’s communication from The Last of Us with the cuteness from The Gremlins.
If you’ve seen some of the behind-the-scenes footage, the way that the young Ochi blends into the environment is done to perfection. Of course, it may seem like Saxon wants his own version of Baby Yoda, but it works given the film’s targeted audience.
As such, the chemistry that Zengel’s Yuri is able to develop with the puppet is what happens if you take Elliott and E.T.’s dynamic and apply it to a grander scale. Zengel really gives off this uneasiness that contains this hidden determination that makes Yuri an intriguing protagonist. This especially shows in one sequence in the second act, which plays out really hilariously in the end.
On the other hand, Dafoe’s Maxim acts and dresses like this Caesarian warrior who tries to inspire, only to feel really brash in the end. He can be somewhat comical, thanks to Dafoe’s performance, but this thankfully lessens into the third act. However, Wolfhard’s Pietro, who’s a little whiny, mostly lingers in the background and doesn’t really get much involvement until the final act.
However, the one character that bridges everything together is Emily Watson’s Dasha, who abandoned Yuri in order to pursue her Ochi research. While she doesn’t appear until late in The Legend of Ochi, her role in emphasizing that thematic idea of familial reconnection is incredibly important. Both Dasha and Maxim are tied by their traditional ways of viewing the Ochi as things to be studied or destroyed, but Yuri’s deep connection to the Ochi gives this family tree more depth that’s really needed.
However, the story of The Legend of Ochi doesn’t necessarily do anything new with the “adopted family” trope in the end. The narrative mostly plays it straight, even with some of its absurd undertones, and some of the dialogue, particularly with Maxim and Dasha, can be a little bit awkward. The finale can also be somewhat messy when every little thing comes back around, like Pietro. While it’s supposed to be feel-good, it feels somewhat rushed as it pretty much lasts for 10 to 20 minutes.
The Legend of Ochi is a satisfying tale about our inner connection to nature, with Isaiah Saxon truly invigorating his isolated and grounded world with a bit of that inspired childlike magic. While its story beats can be easily identified before they play out, Saxon and company delivered an enjoyable film for families to watch as they’re encapsulated by such wonderful visuals.
The Legend of Ochi releases in select theaters on April 18 and nationwide on April 25.
Rating: ★★★
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.
The Legend of Ochi Review
The Legend of Ochi Review