In a world where neon lights flicker against desolate backgrounds and music flows through post- apocalyptic landscapes, O’Dessa transports viewers into an odd and unique universe. Directed by Germy Jasper, this rock opera has sent movie reviewers into chaos. 

First premiering at the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW), it was recently released by Hulu.

“I would learn how to play the guitar, but I don’t think I would go out and just start playing like O’Dessa did. I would probably just play it secretly until I learn how to play well,” said junior Jazmin Morales when asked what she would do if she was told she was the “seventh son” and will change the world through song. 

O’Dessa is set in a post-apocalyptic world that has been ravaged by plasma storms. The film follows a 19 year old girl named O’Dessa, played by Sadie Sink. She’s a farm girl living in the middle of nowhere destined for greatness. Her dad was a rambler, a person who traveled the land with guitar to play music for people. After her mother dies from an undisclosed disease, she ventures off to become a rambler as well. Armed with her father’s guitar and her dream of changing the world, she sets off into Satylite City. Of course her guitar is stolen from her, setting her off on a musical adventure to look for it. 

Throughout the film we see many other prominent actors besides Sadie Sink. There are actors like Regina Hall, who plays Neon Dion, a crime boss in Satylite City who enforces the tyrannical rule of Plutonivitch. And Murray Barlett, who acts as Plutonovich, ruling citizen’s minds with his reality competition. Towards the middle of the movie, O’Dessa falls in love with Euri Dervish—a sex worker and singer—who is played by Kelvin Harrison Jr. 

Despite having a few famous actors, the movie has a lot of negative reviews, with 38% on  Rotten Tomatoes. Regrettably, I agree with most of the reviews, as they comment on the complicated and rushed storyline, especially in regards to the development of the romance, which was half- baked. Despite many reviewers complaining about the movie, the good things they did have to say were about the songs. 

“It wasn’t really good,” said junior Christina Chen. “The movie itself and the whole plot is weird. The music was more interesting than anything else” 

As said by Chen, the songs are a major part of the film, maybe even the best part. All the songs in the film are original, written by Geremy Jasper and Jason Binnick. Geremy Jasper and Jason Binnick even sang alongside Sink for the theme song that played continuously throughout the movie, Here Comes the Seventh Son. Another great song is Johnny Fam, used to introduce Euri Dervish as a performer in a club that O’Dessa wanders into. The mix of musical styles that ranged from rock music to powerful ballads sung by Sink worked really well and brought great energy to the film. The last performance in the movie was a strong one. Sink sang 10 songs, but the one that stood out to me most was The Song (Love Is All). A mix of rock and other genres,The Song (Love Is All) was a hauntingly great song for the movie’s climax and showcases Sink’s voice. With only one string left on her father’s guitar, O’Dessa performs The Song (Love Is All) for Plutonovich and everyone watching. This song breaks the world from the spell that Plutonovich had them under. 

The cinematography was another highlight of this film. The color palette of the movie is represented through purples and blues that create an otherworld atmosphere around the film. The film’s visuals worked well with the scenes heightened by the musical flare. The colors fit with the mood of each scene, enhancing the scene itself and adding more personality to the movie. 

Unfortunately, despite the good music and visuals, the story itself wasn’t particularly great. Something was lacking in this movie, filled with details yet shallow and undescriptive. It feels more like a trailer for a movie than an actual movie, with scenes that are fragmented and inconsistent. 

For those intrigued by the unique premise surrounding the movie and the musical aspect, it may be worth watching, but don’t expect too much otherwise.