Musicals On Streaming - O'Dessa

20th Century Fox/Searchlight Pictures/Hulu, 2025

Starring Sadie Sink, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Regina Hall, and Murray Bartlett

Directed by Geremy Jasper

Music by Geremy Jasper; Lyrics by Jason Binnick

Snow White isn't the only musical with a strong female protagonist the Disney Company released in the past week. This gender-flipped rock opera retelling of "Orpheus and Eurydice" set in a post-apocalyptic world got reviews that were nearly as bad, but is it really that horrible, or is it just different? Let's turn on the TV for a green scroll that tells us how this world came under the control of a mesmerizing man named Plutonovich (Bartlett) and the Seventh Son who will come from the mountains with their guitar and take him down and find out...

The Story: That "Seventh Son" is O'Dessa (Sink), the daughter of a wandering musician who left her nothing but a prized family guitar on his death. After the death of her mother, O'Dessa cuts her hair, wears man's clothes, and takes up in her father's footsteps as a traveling musician. She doesn't get far before a gang steals the guitar out from under her. Following them brings her to Satelyite City, one of the last outposts of civilization. Desperate to get the guitar back from a pawn shop, she joins a talent contest at a local bar. The only person who appreciates her bluesy style is Euri Dervish (Harrison), a nightclub singer she rescues from an overly-amorous patron. They spend the night together under the boardwalk and fall deeply in love. 

Euri tells her about Plutonovich, who uses all the plasma that's polluting the ground to power his addicting broadcasts, and inspires her to sing for pennies from the people. This does get her the guitar back, but not Euri. Turns out he has deals with Plutonovich's right-hand woman Neon Dion (Hall). After she kidnaps Euri during his wedding to O'Dessa, she follows them to Plutonovich's Onderworld lair to join his reality competition and prove once and for all the power of prophecy and true love.

The Song and Dance: The performances are the thing here. Sink does well by the tough, scrappy title character who truly believes Euri is her destiny, but the real stand-outs are the villains. Bartlett is so charismatic and bombastic as the dictator who uses the power of media to keep the people from rebelling, you can understand why they were all mesmerized. Hall does even better as the terrifying cross between Grace Jones and an especially angry pitbull, especially with those odd severe bangs. The grungy, junk-filled landscape outside of Satilyte City and the blue and neon world within it recall similar dystopia thrillers from the 80's like Streets of Fire and Blade Runner.

The Numbers: We open with the young O'Dessa performing "Under the Stars" for her mother. "Ramblin' Down the Road" shows the start of her journey after she leaves the dying farm. "Cursed Six Strings" is our first chorus number as she joins the group of thieves for a bite and a song. The rock-loving nightclub crowds fail to be moved by her "Ramblin' Blues." O'Dessa is proud to be "Feelin' Free" as she uses her makeshift guitar to sing for the people and earn money for the guitar and get closer to Euri in the second chorus number. Euri sings the darker "Johnny Fame," but is booed in the nightclub when he speaks out against Plutonovich. 

After she's attacked and Euri is hypnotized, they finally realize "Yer Tha One" and prepare to be wed with rings and tattoos. "Here Comes the Seventh Son" announces her intention to the world as she takes a neon boat to Plutonovich's lair. He's the commander of the "Onderworld" as we get our big chorus routines, complete with dancers in very skimpy costumes and a teen pop star in pink feathers wiggling behind him. When she finally gets onstage, O'Dessa pours her heart into "The Song (Love Is All)." She finally becomes that "Plasma Rose" who destroys Plutonovich and sends his lair ablaze. The girl she gave her hand-made guitar to carries on her legacy in the final reprise of "The Song." 

What I Don't Like: This isn't anything you haven't seen in movies set in similar hell scapes since the 1970's. It's basically a musical Hunger Games or Blade Runner. Like those movies, this is definitely style over substance. The story is weird, overly complicated, and ultimately kind of depressing, and the music isn't memorable enough to carry it. If you know anything about the original "Orpheus and Euridyce" myth, you're very aware that this isn't going to have a happy ending. It's also not for those looking for a more traditional or lighthearted romp. Like other movies in its genre, it gets into some very dark and rough territory that includes strong sci-fi violence, a few very brief sexual bits, scanty costumes, and heavy themes.

The Big Finale: This is not going to be for everyone, but if you're into other movies about dark futures or dystopian worlds, are a fan of rock or folk music, or just want to check out a darker take on a favorite myth, this is worth riding a neon boat for.

Home Media: Streaming only via Hulu and Disney Plus. 

Hulu

Disney Plus

Cult Flops - I'm Not There

The Weinstein Company, 2007

Starring Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, and Marcus Carl Franklin

Directed by Todd Haymes

Music and Lyrics by Bob Dylan and others

Better Man isn't the first film biography in the past twenty years to experiment with the format. Likewise, A Complete Unknown is far from the first time a director tried to get into Bob Dylan's head. After his success with the romantic drama Far from Heaven, Haynes went experimental with this look at Dylan's many personas. Six actors play Dylan in time periods ranging from the early 20th century to the mid-70's, filmed in styles and genres ranging from documentary to western. How well does this come off today? Let's begin with folk-rock star Jude Quinn (Blanchett) on an operating table after a motorcycle accident and find out...

The Story: Actually, there's six stories, representing six different periods in Dylan's life. Eleven-year-old black youth Woody Guthrie (Franklin) travels on the rails, performing his blues protest songs for unimpressed hobos. He's taken in by a couple after he nearly drowns, but a call from a corrections officer sends him off again. He eventually ends up in a hospital to connect with his idol, the real Woody Guthrie. 19-year-old Arthur Rimbaud (Ben Whishaw) is our first black-and-white segment. He's being questioned, though it's never clear why or by whom. 

Jack Rollins (Bale) was a legend among folk artists in Grenwich Village during the early 60's, but disappeared by the middle of the decade after making insulting remarks at an awards ceremony. He's discovered a decade later in California, now a born-again Christian priest known as Father John. Actor Robbie Clark (Ledger) plays Rollins in a film biopic, but his sexism and stardom strains his relationship with his wife Claire (Charlotte Gainesbourg). 

Quinn is castigated for using electric instruments at a folk concert. He agrees with Rollins that folk has hit a wall and doesn't seem to be living up to its own lofty ideals. The snooty interviewer in England (Bruce Greenwood) who reveals that his past isn't as wild as he claims doesn't help his descent into drug addiction. Legendary outlaw Billy the Kid (Richard Gere) tries to keep the town he's now living in from being demolished for a highway by none other than the man who supposedly killed him, Pat Garret (Greenwood)...but his attempt to confront him ends with him on the road again.

The Song and Dance: No wonder Blanchett was nominated for a host of acting awards, including an Oscar for Supporting Actress. She's mesmerizing as the increasingly erratic genius in her segments, giving him a measure of tender vulnerability and even gentleness under the rage. Franklin also does well as the cheeky African-American boy who ignores criticism to perform his way and is determined to meet his idol. Haynes's work here is equally amazing. The quick editing takes us seamlessly from Woody's late 50's all the way back around, jumping from time period to time period as we learn how one period relates to the next.

The Numbers: We open with "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again," performed by Dylan himself over black-and-white images of the ordinary people Dylan sang to in the 60's the ends with Woody jumping on the train. Woody sings "When My Ship Comes In" the white couple who rescues him from drowning. He does even better with the old black gentleman (Richie Havens) who performs "Tombstone Blues" with him. 

Fellow folkie Alice Fabian (Julianne Moore) recalls her first meeting with Rollins and how he was the voice of his generation as we see him singing "The Times They are A'Changin" at a student protest. "Trouble In Mind" gives us Woody being attacked by hobos trying to steal his guitar, while "Visions of Johanna" give us how Robbie and Claire ended their relationship as the Vietnam War ended. "I Want You" depicts the happier start of their relationship. 

A rollicking "Maggie's Farm" performed by Stephen Malkmus at a folk festival is nearly drowned out by the boos of a shocked crowd. He also gets "Ballad of a Thin Man" in a whimsical montage that depicts the interviewer searching for the truth about Quinn, ending at a Black Panther meeting as they too are influenced by Quinn's music and Quinn stumbling around onstage when the crowd boos him. "One More Cup of Coffee" has Billy riding through town, admiring children in costume. "Goin' to Acapulco," sung by a white-faced man in the town, has a distinctly Mexican flavor. 

The Monkees' "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone" gives us the voices of another group of artists who struggled for artistic integrity over the party where Quinn admits he couldn't handle the European tour. Quinn and Rollins all question that "Trouble In Mind" as Rollins explains his religious conversion and Quinn hangs out with poet Alan Ginsburg (David Cross). Dylan's gospel period is represented by "Pressin' On," as Robbie and Claire do just that in their marriage; Claire and the people of Billy's town are the "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands." "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol" gets Billy out on a train and lets Robbie take his girls on a trip. The movie finishes with footage of the real Dylan playing his harmonica for a sold-out crowd.

Trivia: The grungy Billy the Kid segment was inspired by the violent "hippie westerns" of the late 60's like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, which Bob Dylan did music for. The stark black and white Quinn story took its look from Fellini's 8 1/2 and the Neo-Realist movement of the 60's. Robbie's segment got its inspiration from the films of Jean-Luc Goddard. 

This would be Heath Ledger's last movie released in theaters before his untimely death in 2008. 

What I Don't Like: I think it's abundantly clear that this is not your typical musical biography. Those looking for something more linear or upbeat will want to go elsewhere. Gere and Ledger are defeated by material that's less interesting than Blanchett and Franklin's segments. Whishaw is seen the least and barely has anything to do besides toss out a few quotes. And...yeah, at times, once again particularly in Gere and Ledger's segments, you wonder if there's actually a point to any of this. You don't really learn much more about Dylan than you did coming in, which, given how enigmatic the real Dylan continues to be to this day, is likely what they were going for.

The Big Finale: I'm going to say your enjoyment of this one will depend on your fondness for Dylan and willingness to try something different in your musical bios. If you're a fan of his who wants to see the before and after of A Complete Unknown and are willing to go off the beaten path, there's a lot to enjoy in this unique experiment.

Home Media: It's on DVD, but it can be far more easily found on streaming, including Tubi for free with commercials.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Tubi

A Complete Unknown

20th Century Fox/Searchlight Pictures, 2024

Starring Timothy Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, and Monica Babaro

Directed by James Mangold

Music and Lyrics by Bob Dylan and others

We return to the biographical well for our last theatrical musical film of 2024. Bob Dylan is one of the most beloved and influential singers and songwriters in the world. His music inspired everyone from the Beatles onward to dig a little deeper, be a little more poetic, and take stronger chances. He started out as a folk singer in the early 60's, but by 1965, he was lamenting the restrictive world of folk and having to sing other people's songs. His attempt to bust out of the mold and gain his own artistic freedom by playing with a band and an electric guitar was hugely controversial in the folk world at the time. How well does this film depict what caused that controversy? Let's begin with Dylan (Chalamet) as he arrives in New York City to meet  his hero Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) and find out...

The Story: Dylan eventually travels to a hospital in New Jersey, where Guthrie is bed-ridden and unable to speak, to play a song he wrote for him. Guthrie and fellow folk legend Pete Seeger (Norton) are so impressed with his performance, Seeger takes him in and introduces him to New York's folk scene. He meets pretty civil activist Sylvie Russo (Fanning) at a concert and falls for her, eventually getting an apartment together. 

Dylan's equally attracted to folk star Joan Baez (Babaro) after seeing her play and flirting with her. Manager Albert Grossman (Dan Fogler) is so enamored with him, he takes him on as a client and encourages Columbia Records to let him make an album. They order him to sing covers of folk songs rather than his own material, something he hates. He and Baez have an affair after Russo goes on a long work trip to Europe and he starts to create more socially-conscious material.

By 1964, Dylan's one of the most popular stars of folk and rock music, and he and Russo have separated. He's seriously beginning to regret his desire for fame. All anyone wants him to do is play the same songs he did on his previous albums. He's so tired of it, he won't even sing them with Baez on tour. Looking for a new sound, he starts recording his next record Highway 61 Revisited with an electric guitar, something that's shunned by the folk community, which prefers simpler acoustic arrangements. It becomes a bitter feud between Dylan and the arrangers of the Newport Folk Festival, including a shocked Seeger. In the end, he learns the price of freedom when he does get what he wants...but damages his relationships with Seeger and the women in his life in the process.

The Song and Dance: This is the second December in a row Chalamet put in an incredible performance as  an enigmatic, eccentric genius in a musical film. His Dylan is no charming Willy Wonka, but a mysterious figure who keeps everything about himself hidden, from his childhood to just what's going on in his troubled head. Fanning and particularly Babaro more than match him as the women who inspired by him, but were driven away by his ego and inability to talk about himself. Norton is also excellent as the gentle Seeger, who is afraid for what Dylan's electric experiment means for the future of his beloved folk music, and there's Boyd Holbrook as country legend Johnny Cash. Though mostly filmed in New Jersey rather than New York or Rhode Island, the cinematography and Mangold's simple direction still manages to mostly capture both Dylan's gritty world and the little odd moments that show Dylan at is mercurial best.

The Numbers: We open with the "Song for Woody" that so impressed the two old folk musicians. This leads into "I Was Young When I Left Home." He does his own "Girl from the North Country" with Baez at that concert he spends flirting with her after being impressed with her version of the traditional folk ballad "Silver Dagger." He gets in his own "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall." Seeger performs the South African number "Wimoweh" (better known to most people as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight") for an enraptured crowd at Town Hall. Baez is almost as popular with her "House of the Rising Sun" shortly before her affair with Dylan

"Folsom Prison Blues" introduces Cash, who encourages Dylan to sing his own material his way. He does "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" with Baez before the Civil Rights movement and Cuban Missile Crisis inspire his "Masters of War" and "Subterranean Homesick Blues." He and Baez get "Blowin' In the Wind," a big signature number for both. Cash is heard doing his own "Big River," while Dylan insists "The Times, They are A-Changin'"...even if the folk community doesn't like it. He joins Seeger and black blues man Jesse Moffette for a dynamic "When the Ship Comes In" on a local educational TV show Seeger hosts. After Bob refuses to sing "Blowin' In the Wind" and barely finishes "It Ain't Me, Babe" Joan gives the audience at the disastrous tour a version of "There but for Fortune." They record "Highway 61 Revisited," complete with a whistle Dylan picked up from a street busker, in New York. 

"Maggie's Farm" kicks off the Newport Beach Festival with a literally and figuratively electric performance. Chalamet does so well capturing Dylan's raw performance style here, you're glad when Seeger's Japanese wife Toshi (Eriko Hastsune) refuses to let her husband turn the sound down. "Like a Rolling Stone" is even better, with the pure energy rolling off the stage in waves. This is followed by "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Lot to Cry." "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is the song he finally plays the the acoustic guitar.

Trivia: The New York scenes were filmed in Jersey City; the ones set at the hotel in Newport were actually filmed in Cape May at the southern tip of New Jersey.

Everyone in the film did their own singing, including Chalamet.

The real name of the Sylvie Russo character is Suze Rotolo. Dylan insisted her name be changed to protect her privacy. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, this is a nitpick, but I grew up in Cape May and walked past the Victorian Hotel (the Viking Hotel in the movie) and its yellow next-door neighbor Congress Hall a thousand times as a kid. I don't know how much Jersey City and Paterson look like New York, but I do know Cape May is pretty obviously not Newport. (I also recognized the North Cape May Ferry Terminal when Sylvie was leaving town.)

Second, and more importantly, while this isn't quite your standard biopic, it does hit some standard beats. The focus on Dylan's music comes at the expense of Fanning, who doesn't really have as much to do in the second half after she breaks up with him. It tries hard to get under Dylan's skin...and it becomes frustrating when it almost, but doesn't quite succeed. Apparently, only a few documentaries have come anywhere near truly revealing the inner workings of Dylan's genius. Also, rough language and the focus on Dylan's affairs makes this for adult folk lovers only. Start your older kids on the earlier albums represented here if you want them to learn more about Dylan. 

The Big Finale: If you love Dylan or Chalamet or want to catch some truly electric performances this Christmas season, head to the theater to check out how one restless young man changed the way music was presented forever. 

Home Media: The soundtrack is currently available for streaming and will be released on vinyl in January and CD in late February.

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