Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from writer/director Isaiah Saxon and A24 comes the story of two who would become unexpected friends because of THE LEGEND OF OCHI.

On the remote island of Carpathia, Yuri (Helena Zengel) is a young girl surrounded by boys who are being trained by father Maxim (Willem Dafoe). They are training to fight creatures that live in the forest called Ochi that they hunt at night. Yuri is going on her first hunt with Maxim and his ward Petro (Finn Wolfhard) late into the night and for the first time she sees the Ochi. As gun shots ring out, it is an infant Ochi that Yuri sees racing high into the trees while the others scatter.

During dinner, Yuri experiences a sad like contempt Maxim seems to feel and it is enough to send her out to check Ochi traps that surround their home. She notices that one of the traps has been tripped and follows a trail that leads her to the small Ochi. Knowing that she must help the creature, she is confronted by Petro who is shocked at what he sees. Clearly unmoved by her goal, Yuri sets out to get the small Ochi back to her own family. The problem is that Maxim gathers up his boy-troops and set out to find her.

The only person she did not plan to find is mom Dasha (Emily Watson) who has been living on her own isolated from people. Trying to understand why, Yuri listens to Dasha’s stories about the Ochi, especially since she discovers that she can communicate with the little one. That pushes her even more to want to return her new friend back to its family. When Petro finds Dasha’s cabin, Yuri’s parents come face to face with the decisions that made long ago.

Yuri and little Ochi’s adventures are far from over as the two grow closer to understanding one another!

Zengel as Yuri is a young girl dealing with the disconnect with her father and the unknown about her mother. It is easy to listening to her father’s side of the story but it doesn’t match with his behaviors toward the girl. Zengel gives Yuri a spark that makes it clear that she is not a girl to be trifled with and knows exactly how she is seen. It is not in what she may say but the look in her eyes proving she will not be deterred from what is right for her – and for her friend. Dafoe as Maxim is a man driven by fear of the unknown and living by the lies he perpetrated on his own. Training the young men to fight the Ochi, Dafoe has his little army that see him as a leader but Yuri has her own beliefs.

Wolfhard as Petro is a ward of Maxim’s raised to fight the Ochi. One moment he seems to be a friend to Yuri and the next he seems to show loyalty to Maxim. It is a quiet role for Wolfhard who has become a very tall but still very recognizable young man. Watson as Dasha is a mother who has her own story with Maxim and it interfered with being a mother to Yuri. She has her own story to tell about the Ochi and will not suffer Maxim a moment longer than she has to. I love Watson’s character being strong enough to stand her ground but also know when she must come out of the shadows for her daughter.

Other cast include Razvan Stoica as Ivan, Carol Bors as Oleg, Andrei Anghel as Vlad, David Baltatu as Gleb, Eduard Oancea as Pabel, and Tomas Ghela as Tudor. The vocals of the Ochi are Zoe Midgley as Mother Ochi and Paul Manalatos as baby Ochi.

A24 is an independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production based in New York City. Films such as A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE MIND OF CHARLES SWAN III, the amazing EX MACHINA, ROOM and THE WITCH. Many of their films can be found on DirecTV Cinema and Amazon Prime. For more information, please visit www.a24films.com.

THE LEGEND OF OCHI is a story about a young girl who finds a friend who is also looking to reconnect with family. Yuri understands that at the beginning but as the story unfolds, she realizes there is more of a connection than she could have ever imagined. In all her young years, she could never have imagined that the connection to an Ochi would change her life in so many ways. It is such a lovely tale that is told with Zengel carrying a large portion of the film in spectacular fashion.

Keeping the film simple, director Saxon uses nature as the set allowing the actors to move so freely between the tough farm life and the lush green of the forest to creating the Ochi home himself. Scouring the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, he wanted to find a place that looked as mysterious as the story he wrote. Since the dialogue is minimal, it is up to the surroundings to lead us on the adventure with Yuri.

This is not a film that moves quickly, instead, allows us all to connect with the characters on our own levels because of our own experiences. It is letting the character of Yuri show us her life and the measures she takes to show her strength and do what’s right, no matter the outrageous fears of others. It is a combination of charm and understanding and I think we could all use that right about now.

In the end – it is an unexpected friendship with an unexpected friend!

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