The world has seen fanatical cult followings, from Taylor Swift’s Swifties to actual cults like the Manson family. Opus failed to land anywhere close to either of those notable names. The saving grace of the film was the actors themselves—for those who were able to get some of the camera’s spotlight. Even so, the lack of depth in the story and what the camera captured failed to add much to the thriller genre.
Opus tells its story primarily from Ariel Ecton’s perspective as she attempts to land a story that could kickstart her journalism career—if her editor and boss, Stan (Murray Bartlett), doesn’t prevent her from running it. Both are invited to hear about his new album at the private estate of veteran musician and superstar Alfred Moretti. Ariel is caught in the middle of the star’s cult of sycophants, known as the Levelists, and manipulative journalists, becoming entangled in his twisted scheme.
The cinematography stood out from the film’s opening, showing off Alfred’s star power in his prime. The choice to shoot from behind John Malkovich was a clever move to avoid using de-aging VFX or CGI. In fact, they could have used a stand-in double here if they wanted to—it was unclear. The top-down, tight aerial shots throughout the film were also a meaningful touch, showing a god’s-eye view of Alfred’s compound in the middle of nowhere, New Mexico.
“Edebiri’s facial and body reactions were among the best, most believable parts of Opus.”
The story struggled to flesh out anyone other than Ayo Edebiri’s budding young journalist, Ariel, and Malkovich’s reclusive pop star, Alfred. Edebiri’s facial and body reactions were among the best, most believable parts of Opus. Her performance could have made her one of the top final women in the genre if only the story carried more weight.
Malkovich’s Alfred also had the potential to be a great villain, but he turned out to be generic among other villains with the same repertoire. As Alfred mirrored real and fictional megastars-turned-cult-leaders, he fit in with other depictions of similar figures—a real one being Jim Jones and a fictional example being Osmund Sadler leading the Los Illuminados in Resident Evil 4. Alfred will go down as an unmemorable villain, but Malkovich’s performance was creepy enough, given the scarce material he was given.
Not every character needs to be fleshed out, but the supporting cast deserved a chance to show their motivations to some extent. A strong set of companions to both the protagonist and antagonist goes a long way, and the ones in this movie felt underutilized. Stan, Belle (Amber Midthunder) and Juliette Lewis’ Clara Armstrong were compelling characters, but they never had enough screen time to add history or depth to their performances.
“Alfred will go down as an unmemorable villain, but Malkovich’s performance was creepy enough, given the scarce material he was given.”
The weakest character arc was Tamera Tomakili’s Rachel, whose actions and choices did not make sense based on what was shown. There were moments of hesitation near the end, but the groundwork was not necessarily laid down. Some films excel at showing rather than telling, yet Opus fell short on both counts. Decisions were made with no explanation or previous context to support them.
Thankfully, for a film centred around a fictional music superstar, the music production was groovy and seductive. Bringing in Nile Rodgers and The-Dream was a smart move, as they played to the strengths of Malkovich’s vocal range. Composers Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans provided a score that contrasted the film’s music, adding haunting, sinister undertones to Opus.
Unfortunately, Opus was a disappointing misstep in A24’s recent lineup of hits. Last year, the company delivered strong releases with Civil War, Babygirl and Heretic. This film had the opportunity to say something more about fanaticism and fandoms but lacked the edge to make an impact. Where the writing fell short, the acting, music, score and cinematography saved Opus from being completely forgettable. Still, the film lacked creativity and failed to engage me with the cult or its characters.
