Saturday, August 23, 2025
The Legend of Ochi
There is a remote village on the island of Carpathia in the Black Sea. This village is plagued by attacks from primate-like animals called the Ochi. A young farm girl named Yuri is warned by her father, Maxim (Willem Dafoe), not to go out after dark because of the Ochi. Maxim has organized the boys of the village to hunt down these dangerous creatures. Then one day while checking the traps, Yuri stumbles upon a baby Ochi injured in a trap. She frees it & tends to its wound. Despite all of the fears about the Ochi, she decides to hide it & return it to its home & family. Does this sound similar to the plot of “How to Train Your Dragon”? When Maxim discovers Yuri is missing, he & the boys go looking for her. In a subplot, Yuri finds her estranged mother (Emily Watson) who deserted the family years ago & she asks her mom why. While on this journey, Yuri believes she can communicate to this baby Ochi mimicking the trilling sounds. This film focuses on the theme of family.
Alien gives it 3 “talk to the animals” stars out of 4.
