Opus (2025) A24/Horror-Thriller RT: 104 minutes Rated R (violent content including a grisly image, language, sexual material, brief graphic nudity) Director: Mark Anthony Green Screenplay: Mark Anthony Green Music: Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans, Nile Rodgers and The-Dream Cinematography: Tommy Maddox-Upshaw Release date: March 14, 2025 (US) Cast: Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Melissa Chambers, Stephanie Suganami, Mark Sivertsen, Amber Midthunder, Tatanka Means, Tony Hale, Tamera Tomakili, Young Mazino, Peter Diseth, Aspen Martinez.
Rating: ** ½
Only A24 could come up with something as wacko as Opus, a horror-thriller about a young journalist trapped at a remote compound by a religious cult led by a 90s pop star who disappeared at the height of his fame. Said pop star Alfred Moretti is played by John Malkovich (In the Line of Fire) in a performance worthy of Nicolas Cage. He delivers a wonderfully loopy turn in the role. He takes OTT to the next level. If only the rest of Opus was that great.
Written and directed by Mark Anthony Green (in his feature film debut), Opus centers on Ariel (Edebiri, The Bear), a rookie writer for a music magazine. She’s a gifted writer, but nobody really cares what she has to say. She’s often dismissed by her boss Stan (Bartlett, The White Lotus). Even her boyfriend (Mazino, Beef) says she has no substance. As such, she’s shocked to receive an invitation (along with her boss) to attend a listening party for Moretti’s first album in 30 years. Stan brings her along with the understanding that he’ll write the article and she’ll take all the notes. They’re joined by four other journalists- talk show host Clara (Lewis, Natural Born Killers), paparazzi Bianca (Chambers, Mayfair Witches), social media influencer Emily (Suganami, Power Book II: Ghost) and shock jock Bill (Sivertsen, The Last Stand).
It should be apparent to anybody that Moretti is running a cult. The guests’ phones and laptops are confiscated immediately upon arrival at the compound located in the middle of freaking nowhere. Each one is assigned their own “personal concierge” there to keep an eye on their every movement. The residents (called “Levelists”) all wear identical blue uniform and display behaviors that could be seen as threatening. One of their rituals is for everybody at dinner to take a bite from the same loaf of bread. It’s gets pretty grody by the time it reaches Ariel. Yeah, this bunch has cult written all over it. When Ariel expresses her concerns to Stan, he just brushes her off. He’s not even swayed when he’s “accidentally” shot by an arrow.
Then there’s Moretti. This guy is a class-A whack job. I’m talking a bona fide coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs, bat-crap crazy loony toon. He was supposedly big news in the 90s, a musical genius on par with Prince or Elton John. People still love and worship him. Besides his loyal followers, avid fans wait outside the gate of the compound hoping to catch a glimpse of the reclusive artist. Behind the music, he’s a force of malevolence. He has a diabolical reason for luring these people to his compound. Sure enough, they start dying which sends Ariel into self-protection mode looking for a way to escape.
Opus has something to say about celebrity culture and the journalists who making a living from it. It also tries to make a statement about the insidious nature of fame. Unfortunately, none of it really comes through due to the superficial way Green handles the themes. My takeaway is that (1) he doesn’t see either group (preening celebs and parasitic journalists) in a positive light and (2) fame is a corrupting force. Okay, so what? Haven’t we heard this all before? Opus would have more effective if Green had a clearer idea of what he wanted to say and stronger terms to put it in.
As a horror movie, Opus is more bizarre than scary. It has some unsettling violence and creepy characters like the personal concierge (Midthunder, Prey) assigned to Ariel. The actress, who can also be seen on screens in the new action rom-com Novocaine, quietly oozes evil and menace with her dark unflinching stare. She never lets her charge out of her sight not even during her morning jog. Then there’s the little girl (newcomer Aspen Martinez) who takes an immediate liking to Ariel. This kid is manipulative as F.
Probably the craziest scene in Opus is when Moretti does a live performance of one of his new songs for his guests. This is where you see the level of Malkovich’s commitment to his role. He goes all in, singing and dancing, pulling the ladies into his immediate orbit. He doesn’t appear the least bit self-conscious. John sells it like the pro that he is. He is the film’s true MVP.
Edebiri is okay as Ariel. It’s the script that underserves her by not fleshing out her character more fully. She’s the young professional looking to prove herself in her chosen field. She needs to find her voice and use it without fear. That’s it. We get nothing in the way of a backstory. What besides fear motivates her? Her journey to probable Final Girl is a foregone conclusion. The other guests don’t get much in the way of development either. They’re just there for one reason.
Opus reminds me a lot of Midsommar, an apt comparison seeing that both films were released by A24. It’s weird and unsettling, but not in a lasting way. It’s not going to stay with you. It’s one of those entertaining at the moment deals. To its credit, it’s not entirely forgettable. Malkovich sees to that. I don’t think Cage could have done it any better.
