‘O’Dessa’ evaluate: Sadie Sink sings in bonkers queer rock musical

The time period “cult traditional” has come to imply nothing within the trendy age, when absolutely anything might be discovered on-line. But O’Dessa, a rock musical about future, defiance, and dictatorship, feels prefer it may have develop into a real cult traditional — not only a film that finds a fandom, however the sort of oddball cinema that may be so clung to by a gaggle of film misfits that it could be handed round on VHS like a treasured relic. And I am unable to consider something extra you may want from a rock musical however for it to sing out for the freaks and weirdos. 

Written and directed by Geremy Jasper (Patti Cake$), O’Dessa begins on a barren farm, removed from something, the place the title hero sings of the destiny her father promised her. She is the Seventh Son, whose track on her heirloom six-string guitar is foretold to save lots of the world from a ruthless tyrant, who wallows in wealth and a spotlight whereas his individuals starve.

Bringing in shades of such queer gems as The Rocky Horror Image Present and The Legend of Billie Jean, O’Dessa forges a genderfuck musical that is riveting, romantic, repulsive, and rocking in turns. 

Sadie Sink shines because the rambler heroine of O’Dessa. 

Described by her “dirt-farmer” mom as a “19 yr outdated with stars in her eyes,” O’Dessa’s story begins in cliche. Performed by Sink, this farm woman desires of the massive metropolis and the tradition and chaos it guarantees. Satylite Metropolis guarantees an opportunity to get on tv and fulfill her fortune as a “rambler,” like her dearly departed father. Together with her heirloom guitar and folk-country songs, she hopes to open hearts and alter minds. However between her and greatness, she’ll come throughout deceitful “practice rats,” uncaring pawn store sellers, sneering brutes, and a sultry lounge singer in a fringed masks that is very Orville Peck. The final of those veers her path into one among romance, rescue, and revenge.

Flipping the gender expectations of such a narrative on its head, not solely is the “Seventh Son” promised to be the hero of enlightenment a lady, with out query, but additionally the attractive and tragic singer, whose physique and track are on sale for survival, is performed by a person. Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Mufasa: The Lion King, Cyrano) co-stars reverse Sink as Euri Dervish, whose dashing facade hides a young coronary heart looking forward to real love.

As teased within the trailer, the 2 fall for one another quick, discovering love in a hopeless place, filled with shadows and neon lighting. Whilst they plan their nuptials, gender expectations are challenged, as she wears a rockabilly tuxedo and he favors a robe with an identical purple veil. Stranger Issues’ Sink is enchanting because the androgynous busker, whereas Harris is beguiling as her wounded however warm-hearted lover. However the freedom to like as you want is challenged in Satylite Metropolis, which is dominated by an iron fist, or extra particularly an electrified one. 

Regina Corridor creates an epic villainess in O’Dessa. 

Reigning excessive over all of the residents of Satylite Metropolis is the ever-beaming dictator Plutonovich (The Final of Us‘ Murray Bartlett). With outrageous (however empty) guarantees and a relentless TV broadcast of himself, he mesmerizes the plenty into complacency, even because the world falls to smash round them. If anybody dares communicate out in opposition to his narcissistic tyranny, they will get knocked down by his enforcer, Neon Dion (Regina Corridor), who brandishes brass knuckles that carry {the electrical} cost of a Taser of their punch.

Corridor has lengthy been a chameleon who can gracefully leap from outrageous comedies like Women Journey to heartfelt dramedies like Help The Women to the chilling suspense of The Grasp. In O’Dessa, the rightfully acclaimed actress appears to be channeling Grace Jones in a rockin’ ’80s New Wave/punk model with an thrilling don’t-fuck-with-me angle. Carrying sharp-shouldered leather-based and bangs so blunt they may smash via concrete, Corridor’s stare is leveling as she takes in Neon Dion’s prey. Her physicality is purposeful, and intimidating. Even a limp knowledgeable by her character’s tragic backstory solely makes her appear tougher. Her villainy ought to make us hate her, however she’s so modern and thrilling that we may by no means hate her.

She is a imaginative and prescient of issues each horrible and engaging, bringing along with her swagger and fury a wealth of world-building past the costly and vivid manufacturing design. And on this, Corridor performs a intelligent foil to Plutonovich, together with his giant mendacity smile and the jubilant vitality of a supercharged actuality TV present host. Collectively, these two performances create a villainy panorama that’s intoxicating sufficient for viewers to grasp why so many in Satylite Metropolis have fallen into its attract, however poisonous sufficient to crave its undoing. 

O’Dessa‘s soundtrack is basically spectacular.

Many characters will sing throughout this story, however Sink is the frontman. Her O’Dessa experiences the edgy glow-up of a rustic woman gone rock ‘n’ roll. Her songs shift accordingly transferring away from folksy nation melodies to extra provocative guitar enjoying and material. Harrison oozes with intercourse attraction and steamy songs catered to nightclub audiences. And with every of those, the world of O’Dessa grows richer extra riveting. Nevertheless, in relation to the heroine’s huge second and the track that may change the world. I used to be admittedly let down. 

In Rocky Horror, the climactic “I am Going Residence” is a track delivered by a malevolent misfit, and but it is so gloriously emotional and unusual that you may’t assist feeling for Frank at the same time as he will get his remaining comeuppance. O’Dessa isn’t that daring. It’s the heroic O’Dessa who will get the ultimate track, and hers — whereas earnestly carried out — simply doesn’t really feel like a finale. There is a lack of vitality or maybe panache that left me craving for one thing extra according to Pat Benatar’s “Invincible,” the anthem for The Legend of Billie Jean, one other film the place a resilient teen woman was all that stood between corrupt authority and the reality. O’Dessa’s model transformation mirrors Billie Jean’s, shifting from lengthy girlish locks that males and moms adore to a defiantly quick and edgy moist look with a rocker garb to match. So, I merely anticipated extra from O’Dessa’s climactic quantity. 

Nonetheless, alongside the best way Jasper paves O’Dessa’s path with treasures. Many of the music is scrumptious because it transitions from nation to rock to funk and past. The vivid shade palette paints a world of surreal air pollution and blazing magnificence. The performances not solely from the leads but additionally the likes of circus-performing bit gamers and character actor Mark Boone Junior add texture with every flickering second of magic and menace. Reasonably than a shiny aesthetic, Jasper knowingly embraces the grubby, with filth and glitter giving the movie a queer punk vitality that infuses every second with spontaneity and potential.

For all these causes, O’Dessa feels much less like a brand new film and extra like an outdated misplaced gem, lastly uncovered. It’s an intoxicating pastiche of shade and sound, pleasure and ache. Admittedly, Jasper’s option to preserve the affect of probably the most ugly violence offscreen, implied over proven, may undercut the underground aesthetic. However total, O’Dessa is an exhilaratingly unusual and sensational rock musical, studded by highly effective display screen presences and topped off with scads of WTF flare. 

O’Dessa was reviewed out of the 2025 SXSW Movie Competition. The Searchlight Photos launch will debut on Hulu on March 20.