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Young Ochi and Helena Zengel in The Legend of Ochi.
Most movies aimed at children tend to be relatively low-brow, with easy-to-understand stories and humor that doesn’t make anyone think too hard. The movie studio A24 is best known for its edgy films, with their only real attempt at making a “kids movie” in their 13-year history being the off-kilter Marcel the Shell with Shoes On in 2022.
True to form, though, the new The Legend of Ochi is far from your typical kids movie despite its PG rating. Yuri (Helena Zengel) lives on the remote fictional island of Carpathia with her father, Maxim (Willem Dafoe) and her adopted brother, Petro (Finn Wolfhard). The kids have been taught from a young age to fear the creature known as the Ochi, and accompany their dad and other children on nighttime hunts to protect their livestock from the bloodthirsty animals.
When Yuri comes across a young Ochi stuck in a trap, though, she finds she is able to communicate with it in the Ochis’ chirping language. Finding herself bonded with the creature in an unexpected way, Yuri sets out to return the young animal back to its home, with Maxim, Petro, and others hot on her tail.
Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Isaiah Saxon, the film often comes across like a light version of Wes Anderson. Saxon includes all kinds of quirky elements like Maxim dressing up like a knight during the Ochi hunts, unusual geography on the island, and - randomly - a candy-colored grocery store. Of course, Dafoe himself has appeared in five Anderson films, underscoring Saxon’s inspiration.
But whereas Anderson generally uses the peculiarities in his films for deeper purposes, Saxon has difficulty finding much meaning in his storytelling. What seems to be at play in the film is a culture of misplaced fear, epitomized by the banishment of Yuri’s mom, Dasha (Emily Watson) after she was bitten by an Ochi. But Saxon can never properly explain why she now lives on her own, or capitalize on any emotions from when she and Yuri are reunited.
The lack of adequate answers to questions that arise is what plagues the film for most of its running time. Consequently, the film is a non-starter in most ways; there is almost no excitement or suspense to be had as Yuri tries to achieve her quest. Saxon even fails at what should have been the easiest part of the film, making audiences fall in love with the cute-yet-ferocious young Ochi.
Zengel, whose only previous notable role was in the 2020 Tom Hanks film News of the World, does her level best to make Yuri interesting, but she can’t rise above the film’s other faults. Dafoe knows how to play oddball roles, but this one never makes any sense. Wolfhard and Watson don’t get enough screentime for them to make a big impression either way.
While A24 can usually be counted on to deliver memorable films that skew outside of the normal output of Hollywood, The Legend of Ochi never finds its footing. If it’s supposed to be a kids movie, it misses the mark by a long shot, with little that could be considered attractive for the younger set.
