A strange, but likable ‘80s inspired family film released by A24.
I have a feeling that the new A24 movie “The Legend of Ochi” is set in the 1980s. It has the look of an ‘80s fantasy film like “The Neverending Story,” it has no iPhones, the characters don’t act all modern, and the creatures are handled with puppetry and special effects. I didn’t see a trailer for this movie, nor the other film I’ve mentioned, so it was intriguing for me to examine the characters and creatures and how they function.
It’s also a rare film in the studio’s filmography to be labeled as a family film. For one thing, the studio does produce bizarre things, and another thing is that kids and teens are into bizarre things. So why not let the studio try to reach something on their level? And it works.
I also didn’t think that “The Legend of Ochi” would remind me of Wes Anderson’s work, in particular, “Moonrise Kingdom.” I’m sure certain scenes in this movie are inspired by that film. But I’m more interested in how writer-director Isaiah Saxon and cinematographer Evan Prosofksy photograph and place the characters. A lot of it looks like a silly fantasy merged with reality like Anderson’s work, and I guess that’s what helps make this movie look great.
The human in “The Legend of Ochi” is Yuri (Helena Zengel from “News of the World”), who knows the story of creatures known as Ochi. They look like orange apes with blue faces, big black eyes like Grogu, and mogwai-like ears, and considering their puppetry, we’re reminded of the “Gremlins” movies (and there is going to be a sequel that will stick to the classics in that notion).
She goes with her father Maxim (Willem Dafoe), his adoptive son Petro (Finn Wolfhard) and his troop of young boys to kill off the Ochi. And her old man seems like a family movie leader with his attire that reminds me of the Roman Army.
One night, she checks their traps, and finds and rescues a baby Ochi. And therefore, she begins a journey to return him to his family. At least I think it’s a boy. When the little creature bites her, she starts to speak his language, which is basically like how the apes learned to speak in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” movies through very few words. And unfortunately for me, she has to pick her nose and say: “BOOGER” in that language.
And we also get a subplot when Yuri’s mother (Emily Watson) leaves her family behind and becomes a hermit in the mountains. She’s able to learn the Ochi’s way of life through certain music, but acknowledges that humans and Ochi can’t live together. And you thought your daughter asking for a pony would be highly unlikely.
Yuri has to act kind of bratty in this segment, which seems typical in a family genre about children acting like monsters, but it doesn’t consume the whole movie.
“The Legend of Ochi” is a strange but likable movie that seems to love the 1980s as much as we do, and it doesn’t rely on CGI effects to tell a creature story like this. There’s a silly sense of whimsy, a beautiful Wes Anderson-like art direction, and a low budget of $10 million. Again, it’s very rare we get family movies released by A24, so I guess we should appreciate the moment, although I think this is a movie for older kids and not the little ones. This is something they might want to take baby steps for, when they’re like 10.
In Select Theaters This Week
Expands Everywhere Next Week
