‘The Legend of Ochi’: Isaiah Saxon’s Nostalgic Fantasy Adventure Is a Feast for the Eyes and Heart

Alci Rengifo

One of the secrets to the arthouse success of the studio A24 resides in its roster of millennial directors. Their obsession with childhood memories fuels a brand of filmmaking that attempts to raise the artistry level in genres that were meant as family entertainment decades ago. Isaiah Saxon, making his feature debut after a career in music videos and shorts, directs “The Legend of Ochi” like a discovered artifact from the 1980s. It is nostalgic up to a certain point, since its subtleties and tone are better suited for grown-ups. Yet, there’s no denying that Saxon manages to recapture some of the eerie ambiance of classic films and shows, featuring a title creature you wouldn’t mind bringing home.

Saxon sets his fantasy in the island of Carpathia, where the inhabitants live in a timeframe that seems to bridge the ‘80s and ‘90s with medieval fantasy paintings. Yuri (Helena Zengel) is a young girl living with her father, Maxim (Willem Dafoe), who has been raising her alone since his wife Dasha (Emily Watson) left. Now he mostly leads a group of local boys on hunts to track down the Ochi, wild colorful creatures slandered as goblins by local folk legends. While trekking through the woods one day, Yuri comes across a young Ochi with its leg caught in a trap. After she frees the creature, it becomes attached to her and the two go off on a journey to find its home. They will need to of course evade Maxim, who gathers his boy soldiers who include Petro (Finn Wolfhard), for what they assume is a rescue mission to find Yuri. 

“The Legend of Ochi” is first appealing on a level of pure texture. Saxon, who has directed music videos for artists like Björk, is trying to evoke various forms of media. In the lush cinematography by Evan Prosofsky one can find references to Frank Frazetta paintings, “The Lord of the Rings,” museum dioramas and ‘80s zoology books (which Saxon has cited as an influence). The script is chasing after movies like “The Neverending Story,” “Willow” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” while the effects are clearly influenced by Frank Oz. What Saxon keenly understands about those movies is not only how they looked and sounded, but the way their narratives treated young audiences with a certain level of maturity. The relationships between characters and cute creatures would become allegories for the way growing up requires learning harsh truths about the world. Not every moment of Yuri’s odyssey with Ochi is pure cuteness. An Ochi bite on her arm starts to swell and even leeches by a river can’t help. There are those moments of almost Spielberg comedy as when the pair tries to get food at a vintage-style supermarket and chaos ensues. Ochi, a mix of puppetry and CGI, is indeed lovable but capable of bearing some ferocious fangs when threatened.

The adults are naturally the enemy, or at least too jaded or stubborn in their prejudices. Maxim, played with his typical go for broke mania by Willem Dafoe, puts on absurd armor, blasts Wagnerian music on the radio and recites the Bible while hunting for the Ochi. He can only articulate the need to kill them with old fears not supported by reality. Petro wants to impress the older man and has a bad habit of being rude to Yuri in front of the other boys, then softening up when they’re alone. Good fantasy stories always include these nice lessons in human nature. Yuri then becomes one of those classic outsiders, preferring to wander with Ochi because home feels so alien to her. When she realizes she can communicate with her new companion, the bond only grows stronger. Another key lesson in adolescence is learning to look beyond conditioned fears and find real friends. The way Saxon uses fantasy to touch on these ideas is wonderful and dreamlike, enhanced by David Longstreth’s melodious music, also recalling the kind of film scores we don’t get much anymore. 

Saxon is so taken in by conjuring the world of “The Legend of Ochi” that the story itself is what feels less formed. Because the movie doesn’t run too long at 1 hour and 36 minutes, it’s not so glaring that an attempt at real build-up is never delivered. Unlike the movies Saxon is referencing, this one prefers ambiance over narrative. Yet, it’s a charming and immersive viewing experience. On a big screen you can drink in the gorgeous valleys, ethereal caves and mist. Radios play Eastern European pop from the ‘80s. The final moments do also find enough pleasant catharsis. If you take a younger viewer to this movie it can be an antidote to the kind of shallow, empty franchise machines blaring into cinemas every week. Even when it gets dense, maybe they can revisit later and realize the deeper meaning. Such was the case with those classics from 40 years ago. This is a genuine fantasy journey, providing a feast for the eyes and a few good ideas to take home. 

“The Legend of Ochi” releases April 25 in theaters nationwide.