THE LEGEND OF OCHI -- When Quirky Becomes Annoying

Review by Adam Donato

The Legend of Ochi is A24’s second overtly fantasy movie of the year after Death of a Unicorn, which floundered at the box office. With minimal marketing, it’s hard to see this movie breaking through to audiences either. This is the directorial debut for Isaiah Saxson, who also produced and wrote the movie. Joe and Anthony Russo have their names attached as executive producers. They’re having a rough year after critics panned Electric State on Netflix. The cast of The Legend of Ochi is solid, but are they enough to entice audiences with this little creature feature?

The story is very reminiscent of 80’s family fantasy films like E.T., coupled with a How to Train Your Dragon vibe. Basically the classic child befriends some fantastical creature that everyone believes is a dangerous enemy. This is a cliched setup so its opportunity to succeed lies in the creativity of the creature and the likability of the characters. Where this concept excels is in the representation of these little blue faced monkeys. They look practical, which goes a long way to make them feel real and therefore easier to care about. While they’re not the most original looking creatures, they’re cute and have their own unique abilities to discover. This cute little baby Ochi is the most fun part about the film. 

The most fun human in the movie is obviously Willem Dafoe. His character is the leader of a troupe of young boys whose purpose is to hunt the Ochi. He wears this goofy knight outfit for the majority of the adventure and it’s hilarious. While he starts out just being creepy, he becomes more interesting as his relationship with the little girl and his ex wife develop. The performance leans into the fun, wacky Dafoe that audiences know and love.

The rest of the cast is obnoxiously bland. The main little girl in the film is played by Helena Zengel, who got her biggest break in Paul Greengrass’s News of the World. This didn’t get her the proper exposure as the unfortunate timing of the release aligned with theaters struggling with COVID. A role that could’ve been for her what True Grit was for Hailee Steinfeld. Here she speaks so monotone unless she’s screaming. Instead of this child being cute and relatable, she’s annoying and unlikable. Emily Watson plays her mother and she is similarly understated in her performance. Finn Wolfhard is here for some reason. The role is so small and too close to the tone of the Stranger Things franchise so the performance just feels redundant and a waste of time. 

The film does sometimes have a quirky sense of humor. It’s not an overtly funny movie, but the audience was chuckling here and there at the cuteness. The film looks pretty as this remote island often feels like a fantasy world. The score is sometimes wonderful, but more often obnoxious and piercing. Overall it just feels like some good ingredients overshadowed by its annoying features. 

A24’s attempt at a family oriented fantasy adventure is a mixed bag. Some may find it cute enough, but it’s just too been there done that to be worth recommending. Not even Dafoe can save this one. The Legend of Ochi joins a crowded slate of movies at the box office so with little exposure and middling reviews, you’re gonna have to catch this one quickly before it exits theaters. 

The Legend of Ochi will be in theaters on April 25. 

Rating: 2/5