Running Time: 95 minutes
This feature from A24 opens exclusively at theaters on April 25th.
Some time ago, this reviewer was working on a project that involved research on Eastern European myths and legends. It also required watching numerous film adaptations of fantastic tales from this area of the world. The Legend of Ochi is an original feature made by a US company, but my first impression is that the main source of inspiration for the project may have been the same kinds of pictures. It’s a visually spectacular effort, but one that does struggle to engage with the viewer on an emotional level.
The story is set on the island of Carpathia in the Black Sea. As the story begins, rebellious youth Yuri (Helena Zengel) explains that her village is populated by farmers who live by a strict 6pm curfew. This is because a strange breed of toothy creature called the Ochi appears at night, attacking livestock and, given the chance, people. Her dad Maxim (Willem Dafoe) trains his son Petro (Finn Wolfhard) and other young boys from town to hunt and kill these strange beings. In part, this is because he blames them for taking away his wife, Dasha (Emily Watson). Maxim heads out one night with his son, daughter and young recruits to hunt Ochi. It goes poorly, and Yuri begins to wonder about her father’s claims. Her doubts are confirmed when she encounters a wounded baby Ochi and sets out to return it to its family. Naturally, her father is none-to-pleased with the idea and takes his team out to stop her.
As mentioned, the visuals are incredible. The film was shot in Romania and the mountain locations (with some effects add-ons) are wondrous. The striking caves and the lush green fictional home of the Ochi are impressive to behold. Additionally, the art direction on all of the homes and buildings in the story are eye-popping. This includes Yuri’s rundown abode, as well as the dark cabin in the hills, and even a colorful grocery store in a less-than-prime shopping location. The furry Ochi themselves are an interesting creation as well, baring fangs while also looking cute and cuddly. The puppeteering used with the title beings in many sequences is impressive.
The themes are pleasant as well, if overly familiar. Yuri doesn’t care for her father and doesn’t feel like her brother sticks up for her. She doesn’t want any part of her family, but in the process of trying to reconnect the Ochi with its own guardians, starts to change. Eventually, Yuri and everyone else in her family come to understand the importance of maintaining bonds and forgiveness.
As mentioned, it’s a nice thought, but nothing about the message is new or inspired. Additionally, the picture never allows viewers to connect with its characters and so the emotional beats fail to make an impression. While beautiful, the fictional world on display and the people within it are very oddball. While the lead’s strained relationship with Petro generates some empathy, most do not. Maxim walks around in makeshift armor barking about wiping out the Ochi. The not-so-surprising appearance of a character sans a hand who almost immediately lectures Yuri about the creatures hardly seems like a reunion one would anticipate. Even the protagonist is excessively quiet and withdrawn. When she forms a bond with the creature (over their shared admiration of caterpillars, I suppose) the interactions and humor that follows rarely lands.
The movie is very enamored of its own quirkiness, which again, reminded me of the unusual elements in Eastern European movies based on fairy tales and myths. In those cases, much of the bizarreness is due to audiences in this part of the world being unaware of cultural signifiers and what certain elements in the stories represent. But it feels like the makers of this picture lean into the strangeness for its own sake.
The Legend of Ochi looks marvelous and aspects of it may entertain older kids (it likely isn’t appropriate for young viewers aged five or under). Pieces of the film are interesting, but the characters and the family drama don’t make the kind of impassioned connection one would hope for. This mythic tale may suffice viewers in the moment, but it isn’t a story for the ages.