Sadie Sink's 2025 Sci-Fi Movie Shows Off The Stranger Things Star's Most Underrated Skill

Netflix's "Stranger Things" has become a phenomenon through the 10 years and five seasons of its existence, and that's not solely for the show's story or characters. It's also because of its actors. Certain members of the "Stranger Things" ensemble cast were big names before the series began, but most of them became stars during its run, and as their careers continue to grow and blossom, they keep revealing more depths to their talent. Finn Wolfhard, for instance, has released multiple albums with various bands, and last year he co-wrote, co-directed, and even co-starred in NEON's "Hell of a Summer." Elsewhere, Joe Keery has also found huge success as a musician going by the alias Djo, as has Maya Hawke (under her own name).

As it turns out, that's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to "Stranger Things" stars who have musical talent. Sadie Sink, who plays Max Mayfield on the Netflix series, also has a powerfully impressive singing voice. Unlike her fellow castmates, however, she hasn't struck out on her own as a recording artist just yet. Instead, she's shown off this underrated skill in a more unique fashion: by starring in an original sci-fi musical movie, namely 2025's "O'Dessa." This wasn't the first musical Sink had ever done, as she appeared in a production of "White Christmas" in Houston and as Annie in "Annie" on Broadway. It is the first movie musical she's starred in, though, and it's a unique film on its own — one which deserves some more attention than it got upon release.

Back in 2022, Sadie Sink told Variety that she had intentionally been playing down her singing skills, saying that "if the right project comes along, maybe I would sing for something." It seems that project was indeed "O'Dessa," and one can't blame Sink for picking it, given how unique it is. The film, written and directed by Geremy Jasper, is set in a post-apocalyptic future that's been devastated by a toxic material known as plazma. O'Dessa Gallowey (Sink) is the youngest daughter of a family of musicians known as ramblers, and she sets off to the metropolitan Satylite City to follow her dreams. Once there, she meets and falls in love with another musician, Euri (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), only for the couple to be besieged by the media mogul Plutonovich (Murray Bartlett). He's a dictator who runs a reality game show competition called "The One," which is really a thinly veiled front for keeping the population docile.

As you can see, "O'Dessa" throws a lot of thematic elements and allusions into its genre stew, from commentary on competition shows, art and the music industry to a loose riff on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. In this way, Jasper made a film that harkens back to the era of landmark 1970s and '80s rock movie musicals like "Phantom of the Paradise," "Tommy," and "The Apple." While it's not as bold or as campy as those films, "O'Dessa" proves to be a great showcase for Sink, who does her own singing in the film's original songs by Jason Binnick. Although the movie was unceremoniously dumped to Hulu, it could stand to become a cult favorite given Sink's involvement. Hopefully, she'll get the chance to sing again onscreen soon.