SXSW Review: ‘O’Dessa’ is a Rock Opera Misfire with Music as Its Slight Saving Grace

It’s pretty much an agreed-upon conclusion that Earth doesn’t have much time left and an ecological disaster is just a short time away. Many films and television shows have posited visions of what specifically might happen and the ensuing new world order established by necessity as a result. O’Dessa is the latest to do so, imagining a grim reality in which human civilization has mostly devolved into a mob of violence-hungry cretins hypnotized by a figure proclaiming himself god. The fact that it’s also a rock opera probably does help to make it somewhat more distinctive, but that structure isn’t enough to rescue it from being a misfire that gets lost in its own messiness.

Plasma has poisoned the planet, and O’Dessa (Sadie Sink) lives at home on her farm with her mother, mourning her late father, whose magical guitar was all of him that came home. When her mother dies, she sets out on a treacherous journey to fulfill her pre-ordained destiny as the Seventh Son, fated to bring peace and light to a world devoid of that. When her father’s guitar is stolen, she follows the thieves to Satelyte City, which is under the sway of guru Plutonovich (Murray Bartlett), who keeps the population in line with the help of his ruthless enforcer Neon Dion (Regina Hall). Along the way to saving the world, O’Dessa meets Euri Dervish (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a talented musical performer trying to get by in this harsh universe.

This is the highly-anticipated follow-up from writer-director Geremy Jasper to his 2017 Sundance breakout Patti Cake$. Those anticipating another hit may be disappointed since this film is inarguably bold and audacious but invests in all the wrong places. The colors of the film are at times eye-popping and at others difficult to look at, and this feels like a mash-up of so many other cinematic dystopias, including the recent series Fallout, defined mainly by a grittiness that just doesn’t match its musical whimsy. The prophecy in particular feels completely derived, and it’s hard to get past that given that it’s the catalyst for everything else that happens in the film.

It is possible to generously read a good deal of subtext from this film’s surface-level script and presentation. Plutonovich has billboards describing himself as the “prime minister of prime time” and entertains the masses each night with a reality competition show where he’s the judge and one of the “prizes” is what’s called a “facejob,” which replaces a human face with a makeover that appears to equate to a lobotomy. The people of Satelyte City are under his spell, but it also feels like it didn’t take much to get these once-civilized people to delight in watching the pain of others and all too willingly accept a TV star dictator as their overlord. That reading does feel buried under the clumsy plot of this film, but it’s there if you look closely enough.

It’s hard to deny the star power of Sink and Harrison, even in a vehicle like this. Sink will forever be a genre favorite thanks to Stranger Things, and she does pour her heart into the music of this film and the admittedly impressive musical numbers she performs. Harrison continues to diversify his portfolio after great turns in Monster, Luce, Waves, and more, and he brings a particular passion to this film. Hall is quite over-the-top, while this is a role that Bartlett has played before and will undoubtedly play again. This film, headed to straight to Hulu shortly after its SXSW debut, might still be enjoyed without trying to think too much, focusing only on the music and ignoring the dialogue, story, and uneven imagery that ties it all together.

Movie Rating: 4/10