My insatiable appetite for eating the rich is fading. Mark Anthony Green's Opus are shades of the "something weird is going on around here" genre that we've seen executed better repeatedly. Recent inspirations such as Get Out, Midsommar, The Menu, and Ready or Not are all doing something way more interesting or fun. Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich are both innocent, as at least they are doing their best with the material given to them. I've just become so fatigued of a genre that it feels like it's going through the motions and playing the hits that are not hitting anymore.
The film centers around mega pop star Aflred Moretti (John Malkovich), who has returned after 30 years to deliver his magnum opus album that will change the world. Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri), a young music journalist trying to make her name in the industry, is invited to Moretti's compound with others to have a private listening session of the new album. Upon arrival, it's clear that Moretti has cultivated a strange cult and has selected the people who have hurt him the most over the years: TV personalities, critics, and paparazzi. Ecton is weirded out entirely and must find a way to escape with her life.
John Malkovich enjoys being a complete egomaniac freak, which adds to this surface-level character. I love how comforting he can be in one scene, and he keeps his composure as Edebiri is panicking hard. My favorite parts of the film were when the two could bounce off each other as we saw two gifted actors matching wits. Ayo Edebiri's character is so thin and shocking, as the film's director was a fashion journalist, so more depth would have been given to them. We learn nothing about these characters and what moves them to want to be great at all, and it's a shame because we see some acceptable horror and dramatic acting out of Edibiri here, especially in the final act when shit hits the fan. The rest of the supporting cast is completely wasted. You have Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, and Tony Hale; their characters feel a complete afterthought without any discernable features or scenes. I like Malkovich's character Moretti's music. It banged, to be honest. Costuming was excellent as well, I can't lie.
Mark Anthony Green's direction is bland here. I was pulled in by one scene when Malkovich plays his one song in his metal outfit, goes around the cast, and is weirdly proactive. It still felt like a music video and not like a movie. The cult and weirdness of the music industry and celebrity worship felt like we've been here before and seen it done much better. I understand Green's look at the hypocrisy and lunacy that can surround this industry and the fandom that it can unfortunately cultivate. Still, everything seemed pretty tame, and we were just whimpering out by the end with simple kills and themes of martyrdom. There is plenty to say or to be done within this genre, and even Blink Twice didn't work for me, but it had an interesting direction. Everything felt flat here, from the weak script to the look and dull characters.
Opus, at times, teeters on the edge of becoming a parody of the subject it's trying to tackle. The film's potential to dismantle the capitalist forces at work and critique the weird celebrity obsession is evident, but it falls short. The execution is disappointing but not offensive. The film lacks the substance to be genuinely offensive; it's more like a forgettable flick left in the A24 dumpster. It's a shame to see the talents of Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich squandered in a film that could have been so much more.
Final Score: 5/10
Written by Kevin J. Pettit
Enjoyed the movie more. Love the headline tho