Opus
When Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri), a young up-and-coming journalist working in print media, is chosen to cover a major entertainment story she seizes the opportunity. Pop superstar Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich) hasn’t made an album since the ’90s but is now blessing his fans with his new highly anticipated album. The journalists (and one influencer) invited to cover the release are hand-selected by Moretti himself. They’re given a PR package and invited to stay on Moretti’s compound. However, when Ariel, her boss (Murray Bartlett) and the rest of the crew arrive, it’s soon clear that Moretti not only runs a mind control cult, he also has nefarious reasons for inviting each of them. Ariel must find a way to escape and let the outside world learn about the real man behind the pop icon.
Written and directed by Mark Anthony Green, Opus has a lot of great ideas but fails to execute any of them well. The plot is very similar to The Menu (2022) just swap out the chef for a pop star, the staff for cult members, and ill-behaved rich people for critics. The revelation as to why Ariel and the other journalists (and one influencer) were hand selected is only revealed at the very end and by then there is little reason to care. An earlier reveal or even some clues along the way would have helped immensely. Moretti’s popularity is assumed not explained. The cult’s purpose and their fascination with pearls is shown but not examined. The critique of influencers standing in for journalists for major news stories falls flat.
There are so many potentially interesting tropes and themes to explore that the movie just bypasses. My favorite minor plotline is Ariel’s communications with cult member Rachel (Tamera Tomakili). They’re both the sole black women in their respective groups and the film could have done a bit more to explore their isolation and how they both try to rise above their situations.
Opus is a mystery without any clues and relies on us enjoying John Malkovich’s kooky character to carry the film.
