31-07-2025
The Legend of Ochi review — is Willem Dafoe's fantasy the new ET?
On the remote island of Carpathia villagers live in fear of the 'ochi', who dwell in the misty pine forests. These fanged, monkey-like beasts snatched away the mother of a shy farm girl named Yuri (Helena Zengel), at least according to Yuri's eccentric father (Willem Dafoe does Willem Dafoe), who wages war on the ochi aided by a ragtag battalion of boy soldiers (including Finn Wolfhard from Stranger Things). However, when Yuri befriends a cute, wounded baby ochi, she runs away from home to find her mum (Emily Watson), leaving a note that reads: 'I am strong, cool and don't believe what you say about anything.'
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That rebellious sentiment should make this weird little family movie from A24 ( Everything Everywhere All at Once) strike a chord with a tween audience. Shot on location in Transylvania for about $10 million (ie less than Avatar's catering budget) and using hand-painted matte backgrounds, the striking feature debut by the music-video director Isaiah Saxon relies on puppetry rather than CGI to impressive effect. The human cast are also memorable. Dafoe imbues a loving vulnerability to his toxic patriarch, Watson has fun as a hard-ass Jane Goodall type with bloodshot cheeks and a wooden hand, while the young German discovery Zengel (System Crasher, News of the World) is on course to become the next Jennifer Lawrence.
They are let down by the draggy, formulaic 'child befriends other and forges hopeful connection with natural world' story, which owes a lot to the superior likes of ET and My Neighbour Totoro. Still, the climactic 'magic of cinema' moment is a real skin-prickler and should ensure this story a future afterlife as someone's favourite obscure childhood film.★★★☆☆
12A, 95min
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