
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.
Even though "O'Dessa" has a low budget, its visual quality suffers. It would appear that "Max Headroom" served as the primary source of inspiration for the plot, which reaches its climax on a television show run by Plutonovich, a ruthless entertainer turned leader (Murray Bartlett is the only character who appears to be having any fun during this production). Even though a reality star who has become a tyrant might seem like a place where “O’Dessa” could come to life and have something to say, the script seems almost defiantly to have nothing but love and freedom in mind. Yes, "the power of love" has always served as the foundation for great musicals. But pulling that off requires something this movie never has: a heartbeat.