PARK CITY – Somewhere in the Black Sea, residents of the remote island of Carpathia have spent decades, maybe centuries, trying to vanquish a species of vermin known as the Ochi. Never heard of an Ochi? Well, this fictional creature on a fictional island in a fictional world will remind you at first of a Mogwai from “Gremlins” until it grows up and becomes something slightly more ape-like. As a baby, however, it’s undeniably adorable. A cute, nostalgic creature sprung from the mind of filmmaker Isaiah Saxon. And, along with some truly breathtaking visuals, the pint-size Ochi is the best part of Saxon’s long-in-the-works opus, “The Legend of Ochi.”
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A world premiere as a family matinee (questionable choice) at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Saxon’s passion project starts simply enough. A young girl, Yuri (Helena Zengel), lives with her stern and slightly out-there father Maxim (Willem Dafoe), and a cadre of young juvenile delinquents who have been put under his care. Maxim’s life mission is to wipe the Ochi off of the island. The creature’s bite has terrible effects, the animal has supposedly killed countless human beings (it could never have been in self-defense), and Maxim believes they are the reason his wife left both he and Yuri many years ago.
On a mission to take out some of these monsters in the mountains, Yuri becomes separated from the boys and encounters a young Ochi injured in a steel-jaw trap. Before she knows it, she’s rescued the Ochi and brought it home for medical treatment. The pair bond, but when Petro (Finn Wolfhard), one of Maxim’s grown-up charges, discovers the creature is on the premises, Yuri and the Ochi begin a grand adventure. When Yuri reunites with her mother, Dasha (Emily Watson), she learns the Ochi are truly not as evil as they have been portrayed by scared villagers (a plot point that was obvious from the get-go). You can sort of figure out the rest of the tale from that point forward.
If there is one thing that “Ochi” demonstrates it’s that Saxon’s skills as a visual artist are auteur-worthy. His choices may not always make sense, and they may seem slightly misguided at times, but Saxon’s world-building is often glorious. And the puppetry used to (mostly) bring our young Ochi to life is worthy of the Jim Henson Workshop. Collaborating with cinematographer Evan Prosofsky and production designer Jason Kisvarday, the trio creates fantastical and lush images an A.I. supercomputer could only dream of. But it’s often, not enough.
Over-scored within an inch of its life by David Longstreth (granted, it’s pretty), “Ochi” falters in a clumsy third act that’s too predictable even for a family film (if that’s truly Saxon’s intention). There are intriguing ideas peppered throughout, but Saxon can never seem to get the pieces to coalesce. He’s also hindered by a disappointing turn from a seemingly miscast Zengel, who portrays Yuri so coldly that you find it hard to root for her (and you sort of need to). But the familiar plotline and a tone that is simply too dark at times are the movie’s biggest hindrances (even Henson’s “The Dark Crystal” wasn’t this bleak). And despite Longstreth’s orchestral efforts, there are few heartstrings to pluck during the film’s predictable climax.
The ideas are fun, though. Saxon’s choice to embrace a pseudo-Eastern European aesthetic for this alternate universe is all sorts of wild. And, as with every movie he’s starred in over the past decade, Dafoe is having the time of his life. His energy is palpable (why Wolfhard has less than 10 lines is another question). Moreover, you can feel the painstaking detail Saxon has put into every frame. You can’t always tell a passion project when you see it on screen, but you certainly can here.
Without question, Saxon’s visual mastery and that adorable Ochi will make this someone’s favorite movie for quite some time. That’s undeniable. But will it be yours? Unlikely. [C]
“The Legend of Ochi” opens nationwide on April 25
