The Legend of Ochi

This rare family film in the A24 canon is an imaginative, visually sumptuous creature feature reminiscent of 80s classics.

Maxim (Willem Dafoe, Light Sleeper, MIFF 1992) is training young boys to fight and hunt enigmatic ochi – strange creatures blamed for attacks on livestock on the mythical island of Carpathia. Among the group is his daughter Yuri (Helena Zengel, System Crasher, MIFF 2019), the only girl among weapon-bearing recruits. When Yuri stumbles across one of the injured primates caught in a bear trap, though, her instinct isn’t to kill but to heal. Hiding the wounded creature, she resolves to outwit the bandits, including adopted brother Petro (Finn Wolfhard, Stranger Things) and her own father, and return it to its home. Soon, Yuri discovers a gift that matches her courage: she can speak the ochi’s strange, high-pitched language.

Isaiah Saxon – an acclaimed music video auteur who previously co-directed Björk’s memorable clip for ‘Wanderlust’ – lent on animatronics, printed and scanned matte paintings, puppetry, and specific Romanian locations to craft The Legend of Ochi’s audaciously handmade landscape. In making the film, which premiered at Sundance and also features Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves) in a key role, Saxon says he wanted to channel the emotional depth of Paris, Texas and the wide-eyed wonder of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Make no mistake, however: nostalgic it may be, but The Legend of Ochi is a declaration of cinematic originality.

“Visually dazzling … Studio heads who have led countless multimillion-dollar trips to the green-screen warehouse should hang their heads in shame when they see it.” – The Guardian