Review Roundup: O'DESSA Rock Opera Film Starring Sadie Sink

The new rock opera film O'Dessa, starring Sadie Sink, will stream on Hulu beginning March 20, but has now officially premiered at South By Southwest. Find out what the critics are saying below!

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, O’Dessa is an original rock opera about a farm girl (Sink) on an epic quest to recover a cherished family heirloom. Her journey leads her to a strange and dangerous city where she meets her one true love – but in order to save his soul, she must put the power of destiny and song to the ultimate test.

In addition to Sink, the movie stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Regina Hall, and Murray Bartlett. The film is written and directed by Geremy Jasper, who also worked on the original songs with Jason Binnick. The film will arrive just before Sink returns to Broadway in John Proctor is the Villain, which begins previews at the Booth Theatre on March 20.

The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is set for release March 14 on all digital platforms. All songs are written and produced by the film’s writer and director Geremy Jasper with Jason Binnick.

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Stephen Saito, Variety: There’s too much passion and creativity on display to declare “O’Dessa” a complete catastrophe, but the committed performances and detailed production design and costumes all come across as the product of bibles’ worth of backstory that couldn’t possibly be carried over with the constraints of time. (When Regina Hall shows up as a crime boss named Neon Dion, sporting electric brass knuckles and no eyebrows, you want all the exposition you can get.) The film’s debut on Hulu a week after its premiere at SXSW is a bit of a shame when Jasper has made something that in its most rousing moments can play to the rafters. Now its best chance at a legacy is likely in being chopped up into TikTok clips and shared by Sink and Harrison fans, where its audacity can be appreciated without much other context needed.

Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter: Underneath all those lofty intentions, however, the experience of actually watching the film is more akin to watching a really long trailer. There’s a distinctive eye here, and a promising sense of ambition. But in its current form, there’s not enough meat on its (admittedly cool-looking) bones to justify its 106-minute run time.

Kristy Puchko, Mashable: O’Dessa feels less like a new movie and more like an old lost gem, finally uncovered. It’s an intoxicating pastiche of color and sound, joy and pain. Admittedly, Jasper's choice to keep the impact of the most gruesome violence offscreen, implied over shown, might undercut the underground aesthetic. But overall, O’Dessa is an exhilaratingly strange and sensational rock musical, studded by powerful screen presences and topped off with scads of WTF flare.

MovieWeb, Will Sayre: As such, it's bound to gain a cult following, especially thanks to its catchy musical moments. Let's not forget Sink once starred in Taylor Swift's short film for her acclaimed song 'All Too Well.' The Stranger Things star certainly showcases her vocal range throughout O'Dessa — and then comes her eponymous character's co-star...

Kat Hughes, The Hollywood News: O’Dessa explores the power of music and its ability to not only move us, but also to incite a movement. It’s a battle cry against the mind-numbing side effects of brain rot television, social media, and fake news. Somehow simultaneously familiar and utterly unique, O’Dessa offers a rock opera spin of the dystopian Young Adult story. The result is a neon-soaked visual feast resplendent with infectious riffs, charming characters, and a compelling love story.

Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com: Everything about the messaging and plotting of “O’Dessa” is shallow. The songs that O’Dessa sings to launch the revolution are forgettable ditties about ‘love’ and ‘freedom’ in a film that doesn’t define or illustrate either. One of the recurring lyrics is literally ‘free, free, free, free,’ and another is a variation on ‘love is all you need.’ Shallow messages expressed in a heartfelt manner aren’t necessarily a problem for a musical, but that requires the other stuff—character, world-building, stakes, etc.—to be deeper to allow the universal themes to cut through. Nothing here has any teeth; nothing hits the heart.

Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds: Visually this film is stunning. At times, and this is of course for those of a certain age that may get this reference, but it was definitely giving Max Headroom vibes. The production design is an artful mix of decay and glamor, reflecting the duality of a world where music and oppression intertwine. Jasper’s direction ensures that every frame pulses with kinetic energy, making the film feel like a lived-in legend unfolding in real time. As I mentioned before, the film is truly grounded in its protagonist. This is a film about identity, artistic legacy, and the power of music to inspire change. It’s a thrilling, hypnotic ride that dares to be different, wearing its operatic ambitions proudly.

Nathaniel Miur, AIPT: Obviously, music is an important part of O’Dessa. Fittingly, the film shines during its musical numbers. The mix of country, rock, and soulful ballads are a perfect fit for the main character and always add to the atmosphere. Each song does an excellent job of providing depth to O’Dessa while also moving the plot along. Nothing ever feels out of place, and they are the strongest part of the movie.

Alex Reif, Laughing Place: The film’s strongest asset is undoubtedly its music. Sadie Sink delivers raw, lived-in vocal performances that sell the emotional weight of her character’s journey. With 13 original songs, the soundtrack is packed with tunes that could give the film legs beyond its initial release, much like past cult musicals like The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Richard Whittaker, The Austin Chronicle: After four years of working on songs and script, he said, 'it was the first time I saw the character. … The character is just a figment of your imagination, and you have a sense of who she is, but this was the first time I saw her and heard her, and everything crystalized in that performance.' There was no reason for him to expect that from her: He later discovered she never sings in public but has an astoundingly powerful voice and perfect pitch, and used it all to fully inhabit the character in that brief video and in the film. 'She wore the mask of O’Dessa to sing,' he said. 'I have no idea what her natural voice is like. She lived inside that voice.'”

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