In today’s Hollywood scene, big-budget movie studios are increasingly prone to leaning on commercially safe, but creatively devoid projects. In particular, this has led to a drastic increase in sequels, reboots and spin-offs. “The Legend of Ochi,” the newest adventure-fantasy film by independent studio A24, proves that original narratives deserve to be told on screen, even if they rely heavily on works from the past.
A24 has redefined what is capable from an independent studio, having already licensed six films in 2025. The company’s innovative scope has allowed artists to transcend the traditional budgetary and production constraints of independent filmmaking to better compete with Hollywood behemoths.
“Ochi” provides a grandiose production scale but traditional technical practices in a first-of-its kind production from an independent film studio, a strategy executed to varying degrees of success. The movie acts as a throwback of sorts, asserting itself as an example of what is capable in the modern age of filmmaking by drawing heavily on the films of the past — but often to the film’s detriment from both plot and thematic perspectives.
The film follows the story of Yuri, a teenage girl who lives with her father, Maxim, and adopted brother, Petro, on a farm in the mythological land of Carpathia. While Carpathia seems to be a traditional agricultural town, the town’s insidious secret soon reveals itself. The village dwellers are terrorized by a mysterious group of creatures known as “ochi” — creatures which, in their juvenile form, look like a cross between a Gremlin from “Gremlins” and Grogu from “The Mandalorian.”
References to folkloric horror movies are present from the opening scenes of the film, recalling popular A24 projects such as “Midsommar” and “The Witch.” From a young age, Yuri, played by German actress Helena Zengel, is told that the ochi have killed her mother, which sparks a vendetta for revenge within her father Maxim, portrayed by the inimitable Willem Dafoe. Maxim in turn assembles a group of young boys led by Petro, played by “Stranger Things” star Finn Wolfhard, to attack the ochi at night, bringing Yuri along to participate in the hunt.
Yet the movie then takes a more family-friendly turn, with quirky depictions of childhood innocence reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” or any number of Studio Ghibli projects. One night while checking the traps, Yuri stumbles upon a baby ochi injured from getting caught in the trap, to whom she promises to care for and return to its family. Initially frightened by the creature she always perceived as dangerous, Yuri soon realizes that the young ochi is lost and in need of its whole family, a sentiment with which Yuri herself can identity.
Yuri’s dynamic with Maxim is raw and genuine, expanding on genre tropes of overprotective fathers and rebellious daughters. While underutilized, the relationship between Yuri and Petro is intriguing as the two are similarly affected by the ochi. But above all, Yuri’s treatment of the ochi youngling is deeply compelling and provides a strong motivation for the journey at the film’s core. Although Zengel’s performance is not remarkable, with lines often muttered to the point of incomprehension, her character’s motives are genuine enough to make the story engrossing.
With Petro’s help, Yuri escapes home and takes the young ochi on a journey to find its family. This takes her across Carpathia — from the dense forests to the contemporary grocery store. It is in this contrast between natural beauty and human influence that the film makes a shallow commentary on the harms of industrialization.
By briefly introducing examples of modernization and industrialization early in the film but failing to resolve tensions between the humans and their environment by the end, the movie’s conclusion feels ineffectual, leaving one of its primary conflicts unresolved. “Ochi” clearly seeks to say something about the immediacy and relevance of the human influence on the Earth but fails to make a compelling statement about the topic or deliver on its emotional beats in ways that films such as this year’s “Mickey 17” have.
On a more positive note, one particular area in which the film shines is in its visual production. “Ochi” is a stunningly beautiful film, with sweeping landscapes and over-saturated sequences shot on-location in Transylvania that make the overall production feel dreamlike and hyperrealistic.
In a similar vein, the sound design is remarkable throughout the film, with diegetic and non-diegetic music playing a crucial role in the story’s progression. Music genres ranging from opera to heavy metal are used throughout the film as a vehicle to build distinct character identities and as a way to build connections between characters. The ochi, too, use music to communicate — a trait that Yuri picks up and one which enables her to form a connection with the mysterious creatures.
According to first-time feature film director Isaiah Saxon, who also wrote the script for the movie, artificial intelligence was not used at all during the filmmaking process, and CGI was used sparingly. Instead, the production team relied on a combination of puppets, animatronics and practical effects — combined with matte paintings created by Saxon himself — to build out the world of the ochi. In this way, “Ochi” represents a prime example of modern films made without succumbing to the convenience of AI, prioritizing human-generated art over all else in the creative process.
However, the most direct comparisons are to classic fantasy films of the 1980s. Between the poignant relationship dynamics between child and creature as seen in films like “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” as well as sweeping fantasy worlds filled with creative puppets such as “The NeverEnding Story” and “The Dark Crystal," "The Legend of Ochi” pays homage to films of the past both through thematic elements on screen and behind the scenes. Nonetheless, “Ochi” falters in its overreliance on films from the past, often feeling like an amalgamation of pieces of film history. Compounded with the more traditional filmmaking techniques employed in the production process, “Ochi” often feels like a hollow attempt at nostalgia bait with few ideas that have not been executed earlier and better.
In the scope of A24’s latest films, “The Legend of Ochi” marks another mediocre project for what is one of the last remaining commercially-successful independent film studios. While at times charming or visually impressive, “Ochi” instead feels like a rehash of successful films of the past. This ultimately makes the film notable for its ingenuity and creativity but lacking in execution and impact.
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