The Legend of Ochi

There's no doubt that Isaiah Saxon's debut film is a feast for the eyes. The Legend of Ochi oozes with an aesthetic reminiscent of the 80s and films such as E.T. and The Dark Crystal, not least thanks to its spectacular practical effects and a distinctive aesthetic that undeniably brings its world to life. The fictional island of Carpathia where the film takes place is downright mesmerising, but as we all know, a beautiful exterior is far from everything, and as enchanting as its surface may be, the story and the superficial characters unfortunately leave a lot to be desired.

In The Legend of Ochi, we follow teenage girl Yuri who goes against her father, played here by Willem Dafoe, as she embarks on a journey into the unknown to reunite an injured animal with its family. A furry little thing that, like Gizmo or Grogu, is the film's greatest asset, a criminally cute creature that is very obviously designed to primarily capture the younger audience.

There's no real plot or structure here, as most of the film is told as if it's a half-remembered dream. It's perhaps fortunate that the world through which the journey takes place is so much more interesting, filled with organic mystery that is at times downright mesmerising. The environments breathe and live, the trees whisper their secrets, and when Ochi's eyes twinkle at dusk, it's hard not to shudder.

Evan Prosofsky, who also worked on The Lighthouse, bathes the film in cold daylight and deep shadows, while Saxon, with his background in music video production, shows off his skills. Ochi really does have an incredibly strong visual style, with the Carpathian Mountains in Romania obviously doing a lot of the work, but the use of classic matte paintings also contributes a lot to the impression, which at times can actually be likened to a Frazetta painting that has been left out in the rain a little too long.

But as mentioned earlier, it doesn't really matter how visually enchanting the film is when the story is so hopelessly predictable and the characters underdeveloped. There's nothing here that hasn't already been told by other, more competent directors and the journey into the wilderness feels very familiar and lacks any kind of depth. There is simply very little to engage, and although Helena Zengel gives a solid performance as Yuri, the sparse dialogue is not enough.

Even the otherwise brilliant Dafoe feels wasted here. His role as Yuri's harsh father is one-dimensional and it's very clear that Saxon wants to focus as much of the film as possible on Ochi and his relationship with Yuri, with very little room for anything else. In the end this makes it feel like a slightly half-baked story. Even though The Legend of Ochi is a complete knock out when it comes to the world and the effects used to bring it to life, this is not enough to satisfy. The nostalgia feels a bit cheap and the story is prevented from reaching its full potential.

For those who appreciate practical effects and a unique aesthetic, The Legend of Ochi is well worth giving a chance. Still, it will most likely go down well with younger audiences, and with a running time of 96 minutes, it's all over relatively quickly. But if you, like yours truly, are looking for a slightly deeper narrative experience, you will unfortunately be a bit disappointed.