Opus is the directorial debut for writer/director Mark Anthony Green and stars Ayo Edebiri as Ariel Ecton, our main character and an aspiring writer, and John Malkovich as Alfred Moretti, a musician with a Prince-esque aura and the global popularity of Michael Jackson. 

The synopsis reads:

“A young writer is invited to the remote compound of a legendary pop star who mysteriously disappeared thirty years ago. Surrounded by the star’s cult of sycophants and intoxicated journalists, she finds herself in the middle of his twisted plan.”

The film is still listed on Google as a musical/horror which it most certainly is not. There are no musical numbers in the traditional sense, but there is music throughout the movie. I’d personally classify this as more of a thriller but I’ll talk more about that later. 

So, is Opus as compelling as John Malkovich? Let’s talk!

My Thoughts

First, let’s clear the air about the genre. I went into this movie without seeing a trailer or anything and all I knew was that Google listed it as a musical/horror. I love horror movies but I’m decidedly much less enthusiastic about traditional musicals and I was expecting that I’d strongly dislike the movie as a result. I said if I had to pick a genre, I’d call it a thriller but even that feels like a bit of a stretch because there aren’t many thrills to be had here either. 

That’s probably my biggest issue with the movie overall too. You’ve probably seen movies like this a ton, especially in the last handful of years even. We’ve got it all including a cult compound in a remote area, creepy people, odd quasi-religious ideas, and even murder to make a point about something.

Some movies can afford to be formulaic if they have a standout element, and Opus achieves that with the perfect casting of John Malkovich. I’m a known Nicolas Cage fan, so odd, eccentric performances really work for me and from the first moment we see Malkovich, you could tell he was having a lot of fun with this role. Because of his unique aura as an actor, you immediately are able to buy in that he’s a global phenomenon with a magnetic amount of charisma, or rizz, as the kids say these days. 

I was even enamoured by the music. They definitely had Malkovich work on the songs and I have been listening to them so much I won’t be surprised if some of them end up in my Spotify Top 5 this year. I admittedly started listening as part of the bit, amused hearing Malkovich sing these songs, but before I knew it I was just enjoying them for what they are. 

On the other hand, Ayo Ediberi was just fine for me in this. I usually like her, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was just playing the same character from The Bear. She definitely isn’t bad, it’s just that she didn’t stand out enough for me in this. 

The supporting cast was also largely forgettable unfortunately, with most of them being largely silent cultists or hollow stereotypes. I also blame this mostly on the script though. In Ayo’s case, we don’t really get to dive into her character in a more meaningful way. There’s a scene right at the beginning where we get some idea of her aspirations, but then it’s mostly just her moving through the different plot beats. The rest of the characters feel more utilitarian than anything, and even the reasons for their existence within the narrative are mentioned in a single line at the end of the movie. 

This lack of depth also extended to some of the themes in the movie too. I won’t get into spoilers (but listen to our podcast episode about Opus here for our spoiler-filled thoughts), but the whole religion/doctrine of this cult is barely explored and I felt like this really blunted the impact of the ending. This is extra disappointing because I did like the ending enough and the potential to be a bit more impactful was there, they just didn’t reach deep enough to get there. 

There is some decent visual style to the movie, including this cool thing they do to characters’ eyes when they’re watching Moretti perform. There’s some decent laughs throughout too and I loved all the Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad overlaps. 

Verdict

Maybe it’s just because my expectations were at rock bottom, but after much deliberation, I’m giving this a slightly positive score. The overdone plot and shallow characters hold it back, but I still had a good time, mostly thanks to Malkovich who single-handedly keeps this movie afloat. Without him, it would be a score lower easily. That said, it’s a solid first effort from Mark Anthony Green, and I’m curious to see what he can do with more experience under his belt!