I have become so accustomed to defining children’s or family films in this era as animated that when you come upon one that doesn’t fall into that easy definition it is a welcome shock to the system. The Legend of Ochi, premiering today in the Family Matinee section of the Sundance Film Festival, is a throwback, one of those films clearly inspired by more adventurous PG entertainments of the past and never talking down to its intended audience. As a result, the A24 release is a breath of fresh air and a stunning visual treat that will appeal well beyond the youngest members in the household.

With cinematic inspirations like The Black Stallion, My Neighbor Tortoro, Roald Dahl’s The Witches, Princess Mononoke and clearly Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, director/writer Isaiah Saxon, with his feature debut, has accomplished a striking bit of world-building,...