The movie musical has been around as long as we’ve had films. Each year we get a fair number of musicals of different styles. For them to work, the music needs to be strong but for it to be a great film it takes more than that.

Therein lies the problem for O’Dessa, a new musical that streams on Hulu beginning Thursday, March 20. The film is a dystopic futuristic tale about a young ramblin’ musician that could hold the key to providing the world a better future. It’s a rock opera of sorts, but it features a number of original songs and a unique story. While the music is often quite good, it’s in service of a film that’s uneven at best.

We open with an introduction to the world, which is in ruins. It’s also being ruled by Plutonovich (Murray Bartlett), who captured a rare resource that had ruined the land and held the people hostage. But we’re told, there is the prophesy of a musician from the mountains that will sing a song to unite the people in freedom.

It isn’t long before we meet O’Dessa (Sadie Sink), who is living a quiet life as a dirt farmer. But her father (Pokey LaFarge) was a ramblin’ musician of some renowned, and O’Dessa dreams of following in his footsteps. When her mother passes away, O’Dessa finds her father’s guitar and sees a vision of a prophecy suggesting that she’s the “Seventh Son” that will sing a song of greatness to change the world.

With that in mind, she sets out for the city. The journey, the world, and the people aren’t all she’d hoped. Her father’s guitar is stolen from her, and she struggles to earn the money to buy it back. But, along the way, she connects with Euri (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) and sparks fly. But, like the rest, Euri is trapped in this world.

Can O’Dessa regain the guitar and fulfill her destiny? Does she have the strength to save the world?

This film comes from writer/director Geremy Jasper, who also co-wrote most of the original songs. He has a vision for this story and this world. And at times, the visuals are quite eye-popping and appealing. I felt that most early in the film. But, at times, the visuals can be too much.

The same goes for the personalities in the film. While I enjoyed O’Dessa and her arc, the rest of the world that populates the film is hit-or-miss. The story also relies heavily on establishing a great connection between O’Dessa and Euri, and their love fueling her mission. That doesn’t quite hit for me, and their chemistry feels a bit lacking at times.

The uneven characters, story, and visuals detract from a creative idea and some aspects of the film I enjoyed. That keeps it from reaching the heights it could.

Despite that, I can’t quite give up on the film because of the strength of the work done by Sink, who is great in the lead role, and the music. The original songs—particularly the ones performed by Sink—are quite engaging. The film nails the original music and has a strong lead performance as an anchor. That makes it interesting at times, and sometimes compelling, but uneven.

Still, it’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of Sink and looking for something different. I enjoyed it at times, and I appreciated the big swing here.

O’Dessa streams on Hulu beginning Thursday, March 20.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.