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The Legend of Ochi is a forthcoming fantasy adventure movie slated for release by A24. Helmed by Isaiah Saxon, this film represents his first time directing a feature. The ensemble features Finn Wolfhard as Petro, Helena Zengel as Yuri and Emily Watson as Dasha. Filming for the movie commenced in November 2021, with A24 completely funding and distributing the project worldwide.
The narrative centers on a young girl named Yuri who forms an emotional connection with a baby Ochi, a being she was taught to dread. The film's official summary mentions:
"In a remote village on the island of Carpathia, a shy farm girl named Yuri is raised to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when Yuri discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a quest to bring him home."
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The film’s distinctive worldbuilding and the developing bond between Yuri and the Ochi have caused some viewers to question if the movie is based on actual events or traditional tales. The straightforward response is that The Legend of Ochi is not grounded in reality. Nonetheless, the film is inspired thematically by folklore, nature, and human sentiments.
Is The Legend of Ochi grounded in actual history or folklore?
The Legend of Ochi is not based on any real event or historical account. The story is an original creation by Isaiah Saxon. In an interview with Parade published on April 26, 2025, Saxon explained that the film explores communication, survival, and nature through a fictional world designed from scratch.
"Trying to make a visually ambitious fantasy-adventure movie on a very modest independent budget that has puppetry and suit performers and child actors and animals in rugged winter conditions. It's just everything hard at once. It was a brutal shoot, like really, really hard," he said.
The narrative centers around Yuri, a girl who was raised to fear the Ochi. When she encounters an injured baby Ochi, she defies everything she was taught and cares for it. This central relationship drives the story and reflects broader themes of empathy and reconnection.
Saxon did not adapt any existing myth or legend. The characters, locations, and species in the film were developed through original world building. The Ochi species, for example, was animated using a combination of puppetry and animatronics, helping create a believable but fictional environment.
The film’s emotional weight comes from personal conflict and family dynamics. Yuri’s ability to communicate with the Ochi is not magical or derived from mythology. It is explained as something her mother, Dasha, taught her in childhood, a skill buried by years of separation.
The Legend of Ochi remains a fictional story with imaginative creatures and themes that may feel familiar due to their grounding in emotional human experiences, not real-world events.
The Legend of Ochi: Plot and viewing details
The Legend of Ochi follows Yuri, a young girl who discovers an injured baby Ochi. Despite being raised by her father Maxim to believe that Ochi are dangerous, she chooses to help the creature. She places the Ochi in her backpack and begins a journey across the island of Carpathia to return it to its family.
Throughout the journey, Yuri faces various dangers while trying to protect the baby Ochi. She learns more about its species through guidance from her estranged mother, Dasha, who reappears to assist her. The film reveals that Dasha once taught Yuri the language of the Ochi before they were separated.
Tension builds between Yuri and her father, who believes she was kidnapped by the Ochi and leads a group of young boys trained to hunt them. As the story progresses, reconciliation begins to take shape. Her father and mother both aid her in reaching the Ochi’s home, contributing to the film’s message about the need for cooperation and family unity.
Petro, a teen raised by Maxim, also plays a key role. Though conditioned to fear the Ochi, he allows Yuri to escape, suggesting a shift in perspective and hinting at internal conflict between loyalty and compassion.
The movie communicates key emotional moments visually rather than through dialogue. Its ending emphasizes the return of the baby Ochi to its mother and Yuri’s reconnection with both her parents.
The Legend of Ochi offers an original story that draws from emotional and universal themes rather than historical or mythological sources. It builds a fictional world that reflects the importance of empathy, family, and communication.
The movie uses the journey of Yuri and her bond with the Ochi to underline the idea that understanding and connection can exist even where fear and prejudice once stood. As audiences experience the story, they are invited to reflect on how compassion can bridge deep divides.
For those interested in exploring a unique cinematic world focused on these themes, The Legend of Ochi is available to watch in theaters following its release on April 25, 2025.
