The Legend of Ochi kind of popped out of nowhere, but I had heard good things about it. I sat down last night and got settled in. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I found that I was surprised by a wonderful little movie.
It stars Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, and Willem Dafoe. Isaiah Saxon is the writer and director, a relative newcomer. It’s produced by A24, who like to make something a little different.
The Story
The overall story isn’t that new; a young person finds a creature/alien, and they become friends. Movies like E.T., Mac and Me, Lilo and Stitch, and The Iron Giant all spring to mind. The story here is:
In a remote village on the island of Carpathia, a shy girl is raised to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when she discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a quest to bring him home.
As I say, this is nothing all that new, but it’s about the execution, which is done very, very well. Honestly, there isn’t much to break down in the story, not without spoilers, so I’m going to leave it.
You won’t find a deep story, but I found myself engaged with all the characters and just having fun with the ride.
The Cast
I didn’t know Dafoe was in it, so when he popped up in The Legend of Ochi, I was pleased. He’s one of those actors who picks interesting roles and adds a little gravitas to a movie.
His character here looks after orphans and trains them to hunt the ochi, he spends most of his time in a Viking armour. It turns out, he wife was killed by them and they need to be wiped out. Wolfhard is one of the kids, but don’t worry, he’s not in it much.
Zengel is a great little actress, which is good, because she has to carry the whole movie. She does this well, she’s not a girl boss, she’s just a young kid, trying her best.
Ochi is another of the cast, and again, works really well. I’m not sure if it was a puppet or CG, it was honestly very good. It was a little on the cute side, though, it looked a bit like Grogu in a ginger wig.
The Other Cast Member
The other main protagonist in The Legend of Ochi is the music. I cannot remember the last time I saw a movie where the music played such a big role. I know that music is always vital in a movie, and it plays a bit part, but not like here.
Watching Starman again the other day, when the main theme kicked in in that one scene, I got goosebumps. A sudden hit of a great score and nostalgia, all at once. The Legend of Ochi has an amazing score, but it’s very obvious.
It’s hard to explain, but the music is almost overblown in places, but it’s done in a way to help the story along. I love how it was too much, it just added something. As I said, I can’t remember when a movie has done this in the past.
The composer, David Longstreth, worked wonders with a mix of modern but also traditional music. I loved it and will get the soundtrack.
Overall
The Legend of Ochi is a PG, and a kids’ movie, although some scenes are a little scary for very young ones. As an adult, I really appreciated the movie making, the acting and the music. This is a very beautiful movie, with stunning landscapes.
What this also is, is it’s not a Hollywood movie. You know how most movies these days are almost paint-by-numbers. Everything is by the book, very little creativity, and it’s just churned out?
This is one good thing about A24, they are taking chances on new IPs, with new directors and not just churning out reboots, prequels or reimagining an old IP. Their movies have been a little hit and miss, but you have to agree, they are original.
The Legend of Ochi is a good family movie, with an older story, but a good core to it. I really appreciated the movie-making and enjoyed a beautiful movie. If I knew where my kids were, I would let them watch it.
The Legend of Ochi is now streaming and on VoD, and it’s worth a watch.
