The Ochi exist. Furry monkey-like creatures of an orange-hued pelt with pronounced ears and huge dark eyes, the Ochi could feel just at home in the “Star Wars” universe, James Cameron’s “Avatar” realm Pandora or in Amblin classics like the “Gremlins” series. They are not real in an organic sense, but the beings in “The Legend of Ochi” are tangible entities, sophisticated puppets crafted to inhabit the lush greenery of Carpathia, a fictional island in the Black Sea where modernity and tradition find themselves at a crossroads.
Produced by A24, “The Legend of Ochi,” brings the bountiful imagination and technical innovation of writer-director Isaiah Saxon into a larger canvas. Saxon, perhaps best known for directing the stunning “Wanderlust” music video for Icelandic artist Björk, flexes the visual prowess that he and his team at Encyclopedia Pictura have developed over two decades, which combines plenty of handmade elements with digital tools. The results astound: a fantasy grounded on mankind’s desire to bend nature to its will, when the collective goal should be learning from its wisdom. “Ochi” oozes wonder shot after shot, in part from the eye-popping environments produced through a combination of Evan Prosofsky’s lambent cinematography and the use of matte paintings.
Fire rages in the forest one night when the village’s de facto guardian Maxim (Willem Dafoe), and his troupe of gun-toting child troglodytes trained in his image, hunt the Ochi (humans blame them for the disappearance of farm animals). The boy soldiers call to mind Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. Yuri (Helena Zengel), Maxim’s teenage daughter, is an outsider, unconvinced of the need for such a violent approach. And when she comes into contact with a baby Ochi in need, she embarks on a perilous quest to return it to its mother— not unlike the plot of Steven Spielberg’s classic “E.T. the Extraterrestrial” with dashes of “The NeverEnding Story.”
The design of the baby Ochi, which resemble a crossbreed between Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) and a porg from the more recent “Star Wars” productions, succeeds at conveying a feral cuteness. It’s definitely huggable, but its sharp teeth can deter a predator. Wearing plastic vampire dentures, Yuri tries to engage with the Ochi on its own visceral terms. That’s until she discovers how to more directly relate to it.
Zengel, who looks as if native to Nordic mythology, is a gifted young performer conveying the intense emotions of the serious stories she’s been a part of so far (“System Crasher,” “News of the World”). Here, her performance hinges on the openness and naïve fearlessness that only a child is capable of. Meanwhile, the always captivating Dafoe, at one point wearing full armor, exhibits a not atypical, full-bodied macho flamboyance as a man who regrets not having a son. Petro (Finn Wolfhard in a small part), his closest disciple, fulfills that role.
The altruistic mission in turn will confront the determined Yuri with the mom she never got to know: Dasha (Emily Watson), who dedicated her life to study the Ochi’s sound-based communication. Maxim represents an outdated worldview, while Dasha operates from researched-based understanding. But only Yuri has bonded with the Ochi on a profound spiritual level. Unlike the ‘80s classics that Saxon seems to be influenced by — not only thematically, but in the tactile ingenuity of the films world and original creatures — “Ochi” doesn’t shy away from the possibility of real violence. The narrative does, however, rely on the binary of opposing forces coming to a head via Yuri’s daring act of kindness toward the Ochi, to assert its point of man coexisting with nature.
One way in which Saxon subverts common tropes in this genre is by not giving the Ochi supernatural abilities. The young Ochi can’t heal Yuri when she gets injured. The species doesn’t have baffling strength or any other extraordinary powers,other than its ability to form a sonic connection with each other when they sing, like whales and countless other animals in our reality do. That narrative decision fits with Saxon’s ethos to use real skills (sculpting, puppetry, painting) and not only computer trickery to accomplish their lofty goals. Intertwined with the Ochi noises is David Longstreth’s transfixing score, which rings so brightly ethereal as if truly comprised from sounds captured in the forest. It’ll be one of the most unforgettable scores for a movie this year.
The arms and hands move with a natural impression that convinces the viewer of the Ochi’s existence. Yet, the facial expressions, in particular the eyes, feel so impossibly alive that one wonders if these were achieved through digital means. The more one digs into the production details, the more “The Legend of Ochi” reveals itself an awe-inspiring feat of practical magic. Per the press materials, no CG augmentation was used, instead, all the close-ups of the baby Ochi were done by multiple performers manipulating the physical puppet on set. That’s why, when the trailer first dropped and online users accused the film of using generative AI, Saxon came out to defend “Ochi’ as a project as far removed from AI as possible.
If “The Legend of Ochi” doesn’t revolutionize the fantasy genre, it certainly can introduce the value of physical cinematic wizardly to a new generation accustomed to immaterial whimsy on screen. With unique enough lore and a unique style, Saxon avoids making a derivate fable. “Ochi” prompts one to think, “How did they do that?” only to be even more incredulous when realizing the techniques employed. That’s film sorcery.
