SUNDANCE 2025: The Legend of Ochi is Magical
Sometimes it’s our differences that bring us together for better or for worse. We’ve seen it play out in films like Gremlins, E.T. and now here comes The Legend of Ochi where adventure, wonder and magic collide.
Writer-director Isaiah Saxon succeeds in spades crafting a world rich with imagination, highlighting a paradise for fantastical creatures and humans alike, though not without a little danger. A world only enhanced by the cinematography skills of Evan Prosofsky who makes the world of and island of Carpathia feel like a cacophony of lush alpine and forests one could discover and get lost in for decades.
One girl’s culture-shifting bravery serves to light a fire in the parts of us that are keen to go against the grain and enlighten others along the way. Helena Zengel impassioned performance of defiance and care opposite Willem Dafoe, her Ochi-crazed father is endearing and emotionally sears the soul. Witnessing Yuri (Zengel) discover her hidden gifts allowing her to communicate with the Ochi’s is delightful, as is the care and protectiveness she exudes towards the creature and its relatives.
Most of all, this a film about family – chosen and biological. Yuri discovers her chosen family looks nothing like her, but shares the same heart. Yet, her biological family is riddled with complexity finding it difficult to fit into the life she was born into – until she reunites with her Mom (Emily Watson) making it abundantly clear her special gifts have been there all along (kinda like Dorothy with her ruby slippers).
In addition to it’s family element, Ochi is an environmentalist’s tale and animal lover’s tale reminiscent in some of our favorite (and now seldom-seen) fantastical family adventure films.
The Legend of Ochi is an adventure in the purest sense that will tug at your heartstrings and make you think twice before passing judgement on some things and some people you don’t understand. After all, we all have hearts that can be broken and filled with love in ways that are unimaginable if we allow those feelings to prevail.
Carla Renata
I love, love love movies, watching them and discussing them...thus the birth of The Curvy Film Critic!!! Host/Producer/FilmCritic,Carla Renata is a member of such esteemed organizations as Critics Choice Association (Former Co-President Documentary Branch and Board Member), African American Film Critics Association and Online Association of Female Film Critics. My op-eds or features have been seen in Variety , RogerEbert.com, The Wrap, The Cherry Picks, as well as being a frequent Guest Contributor to Fox 11-LA, Good Day LA, Live ow on Fox, RogerEbert.com The Cherry Picks, The Stream Team (Beond TV) ITV, BBC, Fox Soul's The Black Report and The Grio with Marc Lamont Hill. Catch my reviews on The Curvy Critic with Carla Renata - LIVE!!! Sundays 5pm PST via You Tube or Facebook Live. If you like what you read please shout me out and subscribe to The Curvy Critic on YouTube. You can chat with me across all social media platforms @TheCurvyCritic and as always, thanks for supporting a sista'
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