Written and directed by Isaiah Saxon, The Legend of Ochi takes audiences on a fantastical journey of exploration and closely examines family dynamics in this beaut of a film from A24, who has set a standard that’s been embraced by film lovers.
On the remote island of Carpathia, a village has been tormented by ochi, a monster known mostly by lore, who are rarely seen but often heard. A quiet young girl named Yuri (Helena Zengel) is, like other children in her village, raised to fear the mysterious species. But when she finds a wounded baby in the wild, she risks everything to return him safely to his family.
In his feature film debut, Saxon has delivered a unique film in 2025; one that conjures nostalgia for us while conveying a tale of E.T.-like wonder for today’s children. The way the film was shot feels genuinely 80s, where the baby ochi is Gen Alpha’s E.T., and his journey home is reminiscent of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. It comes at a time when we see less stop-motion and puppetry and more CGI and expensive technology. Part of the magic of the film comes in its simplicity.
While CG and VFX played a helping hand, they weren’t prominent in conveying the film’s magic. The baby ochi used no animatronics. The puppet was operated by multiple puppeteers in blue-screen suits. The full-grown ochi? Three primary actors in physical suits with limb extensions. A combination of actors, puppeteers, and remote-control operators was responsible for delivering the charm and enchantment of the ochi.
While I could wax idiotic on the impact of puppetry (Fraggle Rock, The Muppets, The Dark Crystal), some phenomenal actors empowered the film. Yuri’s father, Maxim (Willem Dafoe), was both scatterbrained and hilarious, but was dead-set on eradicating the species that brought him so much pain. Placing blame on the ochi for ruining his family and causing his wife’s disappearance allowed him to skirt accountability. In Yuri’s eyes, their mother left them with nothing but sweet memories to hold on to, while in actuality, his actions pushed her away. Maxim spoke of his wife Dasha (Emily Watson) in a way that Solomon would be proud of. After watching her powerful performance in Dune: Prophecy, it was nice to see her in a more kid-friendly role. Dasha took solace in the forest, minding her business and tending her flocks. It’s later in the film that the family inevitably addresses their failures, and Yuri bridges memory gaps.
The comically militant Maxim leads the village children on daily hunts for the mythical species. One of those children, Petro (Finn Wolfhard), caught Yuri with the baby ochi as she was leaving their home. Their interaction set the tone for the rest of the film, as Petro was heralded as a sort of golden child among the fray. When he fails at convincing her to hand over the creature, she blasts him with, “You’re only kind when nobody’s watching.” Realizing the ochi aren’t what they seem goes against everything she’s been taught. With distrust building, she’s determined to reunite the baby with his family, knowing that she, too, would want her broken family pieced together.
The blissful visuals and melodic sounds play perfectly into the fantasy that Saxon created. The biggest enemy of this film will be its pace. For a film targeting young children and families, the film plods along, making 96 minutes feel like 200. It’s a widely known fact that these Gen Alpha kids need constant stimulation and are unfamiliar with boredom. With more music than magic (ochi), this film may not get the response it deserves.
The Legend of Ochi gets an 8 out of 10. Nobody knows your child like you. If you know they can’t sit still, this is not the movie for them. Anything younger than middle school may lack the patience needed to grasp an understanding of everything going on, on top of the film’s tragically slow pace. It would’ve benefited the film to move at a faster clip and involve more action (or ochi) and less talk. Also, the MPAA was kind to give this a PG rating instead of PG-13. There wasn’t a lot of cursing, but enough was heard to bring the film’s rating into question.
The Legend of Ochi premieres in theaters on April 25.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of A24
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: April 25, 2025