Sometimes, the darkest fairytales are the most beautiful.
The Legend of Ochi transports the viewer to a secluded northern village on the island of Carpathia. For years, the people of the area have feared the mighty Ochi, mysterious creatures that hunt in the night. Led by the relentless Maxim (Willem Dafoe), a team of young hunters are being trained to end the threat of these vicious beasts. However, things go off the rails when Yuri (Helena Zengel), Maxim’s daughter, discovers an injured baby Ochi after one of Maxim’s nighttime raids. Determined to return the lost creature to its family, Yuri sets out into the night, despite the dangers that she has been taught await her in the wilderness.

Written and directed by Isaiah Saxon, The Legend of Ochi is something wonderfully unique. This is the sort of fairytale storytelling that feels rare in today’s cinemas. It’s dark, heartwarming and entirely unique. While the film is drawing comparisons to classic Amblin films, Ochi is no E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Certainly, this is the sort of film that holds the same spirit of adventure from Spielberg’s classic childhood fantasies but I still feel like this film is something else.
Instead, I believe Ochi is far closer to films like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. In the 1980s, it was these fantasies that stood as the dark-spirited cousins to Spielberg’s more upbeat stories. Here, the puppetry and animation carry an edge that keeps us at a distance. As Yuri treks through the wilderness, Saxon’s use of shadows and fog maintains a certain level of threat. The sheer immensity of the Romanian hillsides feel menacing and overpowering when compared to the small size of our young protagonists. Even at its most charming, there are few spaces that feel ‘safe’.
Baby Ochi may be adorable but he has no problem bearing his fangs.

After all, Ochi’s world is steeped in the corrupted nature of man. Characters seek to kill the ‘beasts’ out of revenge. Marriages have been dissolved due to dark obsessions and fear. Adults such as Maxim bear the scars of their anger and they are committed to passing that darkness of its heart from generation to generation. (In fact, there are moments when the use the most vengeful of Scriptures to do so.) After all, the Ochi have plagued this village for years, giving the people a reason to fear for their safety in their own homes.
In this way, Saxon embeds Ochi with some difficult conversations about the effects of trauma and how it can eat away at us from within. For several of these characters, the past has a stranglehold on their future, leading to hearts of hatred and vengeance. Each one of them is broken and their rage seems to be the thing that keeps them alive. (It’s worth noting that these moments are elevated by another exceptionally energetic performance by Dafoe who positively spews venom when he needs to do so.)

But, in the midst of these shadows of evil, the core of the Ochi is filled with majesty and mystery. For those willing to slow down and sit at its feet, the ferocity of the natural world offers something truly magical—even life changing—for its characters. There’s a ‘miracle’ (their word, not my own) embedded in connecting with the soul of nature.
This is a story that fights for the innocence of youth in a world that would love to strip it away. (Admittedly, there’s that Amblin comparison again.) Having been told by her father since childhood of the treachery of the Ochi, Yuri’s experience with them shows her something new. But, as Yuri discovers the beauty of the world of Ochi, so too is she allowed to rediscover her own lost sense of wonder and hope. It’s difficult journey towards a new way of seeing the world but Yuri’s determination brings unexpected healing.

In this spirit, credit must be given to Saxon’s script for rarely making ‘easy’ decisions. Simply put, there are moments in the storytelling here that Ochi actually usurps our expectations in the best of ways. Without giving spoilers, there are moments when Ochi appears to set up one outcome yet chooses things that are more complex instead. As a result, Saxon manages to keep this world feeling entirely original.
As a result, there’s very little not to like in The Legend of Ochi. Remarkably refreshing, Ochi is a mischievous mixture of rage and enchantment. Though this is a family film, Saxon manages to weave a tale that also willingly sits in the shadows of the soul. And somehow, that blend of light and dark makes it feel entirely magical.
The Legend of Ochi is available in theatres on Friday, April 25th, 2025.
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