Movie · 2025 · Music, Drama, Science Fiction · 1h 46m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.6/10 (17.6K ratings)
Ain’t nothing more powerful than love.
Overview
A farm girl is 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.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.6/10
IMDb: 5.0/10
Letterboxd: 2.49/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 38%
Metacritic: 41
TMDB: 5.8/10
Director
Geremy Jasper
Production
Searchlight Pictures, RT Features, Department of Motion Pictures
Cast
Sadie Sink, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Murray Bartlett, Regina Hall, Pokey LaFarge, Mark Boone Junior, Bree Elrod, Dora Dimić Rakar, Cora Sabo, Luka Barešić, Luca Anic, Harry Cadby, Bill Bekele, Gea Erjavec, Jimmy Mehs, Marinko Prga, Rithvik Andugula, Aurora Kovaćić, Jadranka Matković, Marta Cerovečki
Where to watch
Hulu
Curator Review
Verdict
A bold, neon-soaked dystopian rock opera with real visual ambition and a committed lead performance, but the story is thin and the romance is uneven. It’s the kind of movie that can feel exhilarating in isolated moments and frustrating as a whole.
Best for
viewers who like high-concept genre mashups
fans of stylized post-apocalyptic musicals
people who prioritize soundtrack and visual design over plot
audiences open to earnest, offbeat romance
Skip if
you need a tightly written screenplay
you dislike campy or heightened tone
you want a conventional musical with strong narrative payoff
you’re impatient with thin worldbuilding
Overview
O'Dessa is a big swing: part sci-fi fable, part country-rock opera, part doomed romance. The movie clearly wants to feel mythic and unruly, and when it leans into its neon-drenched imagery and propulsive songs, it has a scrappy, handmade energy that’s easy to admire.
Worth noting
The problem is that the emotional and narrative scaffolding never fully catches up to the concept. The quest is simple to the point of being skeletal, and the central love story is written with more sincerity than depth. That leaves the film relying heavily on vibe, performance, and musical momentum to carry scenes that often feel undercooked.
Bottom line
Still, there’s enough personality here to make it memorable. Sadie Sink gives it commitment, the supporting cast seems to enjoy the oddball material, and the soundtrack does a lot of the heavy lifting in the best way. If you’re in the mood for a messy but imaginative genre experiment, it’s worth a look; if you want a polished musical narrative, it may leave you cold.
Top Letterboxd reviews
char🧸🎀 (2.5★) · 1590 likes
why are a lesbian and a gay man in love
amanda🥀 (2.5★) · 635 likes
That was the gayest straight couple i've ever seen.
ValTheMovieGuy (2.5★) · 619 likes
Furiosa, if she was raised by Elvis instead of Thor
joe (2.5★) · 411 likes
a post apocalyptic rock opera? can’t say I’m not impressed with the creativity.. the execution not so much..the romance was also poorly written… but I can say the soundtrack is decent & it’s very neon lit and vibrant.
I love how you can just tell regina hall & murray bartlett were having so much fun making this just by their performances
annie (2.5★) · 338 likes
this feels like if you wrote a plot about bowling alley carpet