The Legend of Ochi
The trailers for The Legend of Ochi built such a strong sense of anticipation that I genuinely entered the theater ready to be swept away by this little puppeteered fantasy from A24. The setting, the tone, and Willem Dafoe’s ever-commanding presence had me thinking this could be something special. Add to that the promise of practical effects crafted with care, and I was all in. I expected a rollercoaster of emotions, a teenager crossing stunning vistas with a gremlin in tow—right up my alley. But in the end, I was left a bit disappointed.
The Legend of Ochi is a fun film, but fleeting. It has all the elements I crave in a fantasy movie: expansive world-building, beautiful practical effects, and characters you can root for—both in the cast and the world they inhabit. It borrows the best from films like The Neverending Story and The Dark Crystal, while nodding to Moonrise Kingdom and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Yet, for all the potential, the film never truly steps out of the shadow of its influences, which makes it feel a little too familiar.
The story walks a strange line—it’s too complex for a kids’ film but too simplistic for adults. I was the right age to be traumatized by The Neverending Story, a film that left a permanent mark on me. But The Legend of Ochi? It’s not likely to have that same emotional impact on kids today. While they should definitely see it, I’d say anyone under eight might struggle to find connection.
The relationship between the father, mother, and daughter provides some grounding, but everything else feels like an afterthought. The army of monster-hunting kids, who should be a source of wonder, come across more like awkward extras in a Wes Anderson film. There are moments where the awkwardness adds some humor, but it also pulled me out of the film, leaving me more distracted than immersed. Some of the emotional beats in the third act fall flat, as the film seems to rely too much on the magic of its visuals and hopes the emotional arcs will sort themselves out. Finn Wolfhard’s character is a prime example of this. He’s given little to work with, reinforcing the film's biggest flaw: it’s too concerned with themes rather than characters acting in ways that make sense for them. There’s no real emotional cohesion to the story. This could’ve been a gut-punch tearjerker, leaving you hopeful and contemplative. Instead, I’m left thinking, “Ah, that was nice.” A net positive, sure, but I wanted more from a film so clearly made with heart and soul.
On the topic of puppets, I have no notes. The creature designs are perfect. More of this, please. More oddities, more things built with the careful hands of a puppeteer. That said, the cinematography sometimes pulled me out. The blend of VFX with real-world locations made the world feel too perfect, in a way that felt uncanny—like the kind of AI-generated images that ask “What if Lord of the Rings were a dark fantasy from the 1980s?” It’s clear the film is made with vision and passion, but it lacks the grit that defined the fantasy films of the ’80s.
That’s a small gripe, though. Honestly, I want more of these kinds of films. I just hope Isaiah Saxon, when he begins crafting his next vision, doesn’t pull his punches. I want to see him take risks—go deeper, go bigger, and make something that hits harder than this one.
The Legend of Ochi is a film I’ll remember, and I’ll likely revisit. It’s got something special to it, even if it didn’t emotionally wreck me the way I hoped. Still, I had a blast stepping into the world Saxon created, and for that, I’m thankful. Here’s hoping A24 keeps this kind of magic coming down the pipeline.