Writer/Director Isaiah Saxon’s breathtaking feature debut, The Legend of Ochi, offers the exceedingly rare gift of cinematic magic in an age where studios consistently mine IP to exploit nostalgia for ticket sales. It’s the type of film that transports you to the age of the video store, where emerging monster kids like me studiously browsed […]
(L-R), Willem Dafor, Finn Wolfhard. Photo courtesy of A24.
Saxon combines a variety of old-school techniques and practical effects wizardry to introduce a richly rendered setting dislodged from time and, to an extent, reality. Present and past collide in the rural Carpathian village where horses are as prominent as cars, and Yuri’s affinity for heavy metal music is offset by her armor-clad dad’s love of retro folk tunes. It’s a richly rendered world where Saxon employs pristine matte paintings and awe-inducing articulated animatronics and puppetry for his Ochi, yet also utilizes the natural primordial beauty of Carpathia to enhance the whimsy and wonder. Saxon also infuses his feature debut with his music video background, ensuring that the sound design and moving score are as instrumental to Yuri’s emotionally complicated quest as the immersive practical effects and production design.
The Legend of Ochi is so ambitious in form that it makes Yuri a tricky role for any performer, let alone one as young as Zengel. Saxon’s vision of Carpathia is so imaginative and detailed that it could threaten to swallow any actor as thoroughly as the puffy yellow coat that threatens to swallow its wearer whole. Yet Ochi is at its strongest when it pares back the increasingly complex family dynamics to focus on Yuri and her bond with the baby animal she’s rescued. Zengel makes for a breath of fresh air as the defiant Yuri, nailing her deadpan, blunt delivery that fearlessly calls out Maxim’s shortcomings and later Dasha (Emily Watson), a mountain recluse with ties to both humans and animals alike. Yuri is tough as nails, marking her capable of undertaking a dangerous mission, but she’s also a vulnerable young girl trying to navigate her broken family. It’s Yuri’s fearlessness to express herself no matter the circumstance that makes her so riveting, bolstered by her charming bond with the young Ochi. It’s here where the magic of puppetry really soars.
(L-R) Helena Zengel, Baby Ochi. Photo courtesy of A24.
It’s the type of emotional motivation that draws easy parallels between Yuri’s family and the young Ochi; Saxon’s family tale centers on a girl with a broken home determined to repair Ochi’s. But in emphasizing the immersive visuals and affective creatures, Saxon’s debut struggles with its supporting ensemble cast. Wolfhard’s mostly silent supporting character hints toward a complex family history that never fully crystalizes and leaves Petro stranded without much to do, and the final moments between Yuri, Dasha, and Maxim feel too rushed and unearned to resonate. It’s up to David Longstreth’s impressive score to do the heavy lifting here.
Still, they don’t make movies like this very often anymore. It’s a family-oriented fantasy adventure film that relies on the techniques of yesteryear to instill magic, and The Legend of Ochi has it in spades. Saxon’s debut feature stuns for its use of animatronics and puppetry, and its original mythology. It makes for a film that calls the familiar marvel of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, My Neighbor Totoro, and Honey I Shrunk the Kids to mind without relying on familiar IP. Saxon hangs a unique vision on the timeless structure of the Hero’s Journey, putting craftsmanship first over narrative, and it makes for an astounding technical achievement that potentially positions The Legend of Ochi as a defining film for a new generation of emerging cinephiles.
The Legend of Ochi opened in NYC & LA on April 18 and expands wide in theaters on April 25, 2025.
