A writer travels to the compound of a pop icon who disappeared years ago. Surrounded by his cult of sycophants, as well as a group of fellow journalists, she soon discovers his twisted plans for the gathering.
“…to prevent the destruction of creativity and to protect those who are divinely burdened with it.”
At the risk of coming across as a pretentious hipster, I proudly claim that I was one of the lovers of cinema who was with A24 from the beginning. Starting with the highly underrated “Spring Breakers” and moving forward, I was always excited to see the A24 logo before a film because I knew that that logo meant that I was in for a ride. Films like “The Rover” (to this day Robert Pattinson’s finest and most overlooked performance), “Ex Machina,” “Green Room,” “The Witch,” “Hereditary,” “Enemy,” “Under the Skin,” “A Ghost Story,” etc. etched their way into this cinephile’s heart. This studio that gave birth to filmmakers like Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, and the newly Academy Award-minted Sean Baker, and introduced me to Denis Villeneuve, was the most promising name in the industry, and the one whose releases I most looked forward to. While that’s arguably still the case, the sad truth is that A24 has become more hit or miss in the modern age than it ever was before, and while it’s still turning out more positive than negative and I won’t go into the misses for the sheer controversy it could stir, the logo still doesn’t pack the same punch that it used to.
“Opus,” following aspiring journalist and writer Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri) on her tagalog journey with her boss (Murray Bartlett) to cover the revival of legendary popstar Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich) after an absence spanning nearly three decades, is the latest A24 offering, the feature film debut of writer and director Mark Anthony Green. It’s a film that I went into completely blind with no knowledge beyond the themes of a cult, and it’s that blindness that simultaneously added and subtracted my appreciation for the film.
I firmly believe that, with little exception, you can tell whether or not a film will be good or bad within seconds. There have been surprises, with my sheer enjoyment of the first half of Jordan Peele’s “Nope” only to be let down by a lackluster second half to my utter disinterest in Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” until something happened that made it click for me, but for the most part I haven’t been led astray by those initial instincts. Though the intro here is simple enough, a montage of screaming and cheering fans set to the opening credits while our famed popstar performs onstage, from the moment the first chord was struck at the precise moment the first text flashed across the screen juxtaposed with a partially silhouetted performer I felt that perhaps I was in for something unique.
Unfortunately, that’s the most significant chill-worthy “AHA” moment the film has to offer, which isn’t to say that it’s terrible because it by no means is, but what could have been an incredible film instead serves as a meandering bit that falls right in the middle of A24’s best and worst releases.
But let’s start with the good.
The premise here is strong, delving deep into both the price of fame and the sycophantic nature fame brings with its followers, a cult-like obsession if you will that, in “Opus,” morphs into a quite literal cult. The themes are strong and handled well, sometimes making for a rather interesting narrative. The juxtaposition is strong here with Ariel chasing relevance while looking to create her claim to fame with Alfred who has long since found it. The dynamic between Ariel and Alfred drives the film, and oh what a dynamic it is. Ayo Edebiri is mesmerizing here, which should be no surprise to anybody who has seen her magnificent performance in FX’s hit series “The Bear.” Her performance is that of somebody who is subdued but assertive enough to demand the respect she deserves; somebody who is fiercely intelligent but naive enough to believe that her future just might be secured with this opportunity. It’s a complicated performance that looks easy but would have been disastrous with the wrong performer.
John Malkovich, though, as is likely expected, is the one to steal the show in “Opus.” While it may not be an original term, Malkovich is one of those who I like to refer to as a “phonebook actor,” in that you could task him with reading the phonebook aloud. He would find a way to make it as captivating as any performance you’ve seen elsewhere, and he is no different here. His narcissistic popstar persona is pitch perfect as he charms his guests and has them eating out of his hand. Malkovich charges the screen with the energy of a much younger man, never missing a beat and seemingly having the most fun he’s had as an actor in quite some time.
Watching Edebiri and Malkovich on screen together is truly captivating and well worth the price of admission alone. Even when other actors are giving fantastic performances, I almost wish it was just the two of them.
Many of the horror scenes are also effective. Some took me by surprise and caused a grimace or two here and there. Some moments ramp up to undeniable tension, presenting viewers with one of the wildest late second/early third act sequences we’ve been treated to in some time.
Why, then, does the film not live up to the sum of its most glorious moments?
“Opus” is a film that refuses to conform, something I would take no issue with if it managed its feat more compellingly. As stated previously, I went into “Opus” blind so I didn’t know that it was a horror film until the first moment that alluded to it. I’m a fan of blending and bending genres so this could have been effective, but its reluctance to own its horror until much later into the film makes it seem rushed. As dazzling as some of the scarier sequences are, they seldom feel earned and therefore the emotional gravitas is ultimately forsaken.
Like so many of the films I’ve seen throughout the last few years, this was directed to near perfection but suffered from a weak script, and anybody worth their salt will tell you that a great film begins with the script. If a little more time had been given to explore some of these characters and influence their actions for purposes stronger than simply getting to the goods, then this might have been an exceptional horror film that would have been difficult to top this year. At 103 minutes, this film could have easily passed the 120 minute mark and set out what it intended to achieve. Unfortunately, it gives way to a lack of world-building and the occasional silly horror trope that I think even the most casual horror fans are sick of in 2025. We’ve found ways for characters to be intelligent and make rational decisions in modern horror. Backtracking now simply feels lazy.
“Opus” isn’t a bad film, but it isn’t a particularly good one either despite all of its promise. I’m happy to have seen it once for the performances and a few of its jaw-dropping sequences, but it’s unlikely I’ll watch it again.
Still, with this much potential in a debut film, I can’t help but look forward to seeing what else Mark Anthony Green has up his sleeve.
In Theaters Friday, March 14th
