Opus

Film: Opus

Year: 2025

Director: Mark Anthony Green

Writer: Mark Anthony Green

Starring: Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich and Juliette Lewis

Review:

This was a film that went under my radar, due mostly in part to not being able to get to the theater currently due to the birth of my second child. Seeing that this was a 2025 horror film that featured John Malkovich and Juliette Lewis, I was intrigued. I was able to check this out on VOD and to make it a Featured Review as well as to stay on pace for the year. I also gave it a rewatch to see where I sat with it.

Synopsis: 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 plan for the gathering.

We start this by learning that we’re following a couple of people for a music magazine. We start in a meeting where Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri) comes up with a good idea for an article Her boss, Stan Sullivan (Murray Bartlett) gives it away to another writer. It is from there that we get to know her more when she’s out to eat with her boyfriend, Kent (Young Mazino). He points out that she is ‘mid’. She had a normal upbringing, nothing traumatic to her and she is like most people.

Back at work, there is a rumor that Alfred Moretti (Malkovich). He is a famous singer and it sounds like he’s dropping a new album for the first time in almost 30 years. Stan laughs about it, claiming that this only happens through a tape done by the agent. That’s when they get exactly that. A VHS tape with Soledad Yusef (Tony Hale) sharing the news.

A select few are invited to hear the album before its release. Stan is one along with Clara Armstrong (Lewis) who is a famous talk show host. Bianca Tyson (Melissa Chambers), who is a paparazzi photographer. Emily Katz (Stephanie Suganami) is an influencer as well as Bill Lotto (Mark Sivertsen). Also, much to the surprise of Stan, Ariel is also invited.

She does her research, shocking even Stan. They head to this desert compound. It is here that we learn everyone gets a valet assigned to them. Ariel’s is Belle (Amber Midthunder). Ariel is also pushed to the side by her boss, who is going to write the story. This allows her to get to know Jorg (Peter Diseth) and others that are members of this community. The order they follow is a unique one and they call themselves Levelists. Ariel learns more about them. There are things that she gets asked of her that make her leery of what should be an enjoyable weekend. When members of this group go missing, she’s the only one who notices. There could be much more going on here than Moretti dropping a new album.

That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start would be that I decided to leave out little things that could spoil reveals. That wasn’t something that I wanted to do here, especially since I came into this one blind. I didn’t even know it was horror. It took me seeing that people I know saw this and then checking Letterboxd for 2025 releases. This intrigued me more than other ones that I had on my list that were available on VOD.

Let's explore what we're getting. Moretti, a mysterious, successful singer, comparable to Prince, Elton John, or Michael Jackson, is portrayed by Malkovich. He brings a compelling oddness to the role. Moretti's catchy songs, which were unexpectedly enjoyable, showcase his eccentric talent. His followers and invited guests acknowledge his talent, a fact that intrigues Ariel that she was included. There’s also the mysterious angle that it has been 30 years since he’s produced anything. That helps set the stage.

I want to shift gears here and talk about Ariel. She’s trying to find her way and get her break at work. It is stifled though where she takes notes and does legwork for others. There is a commentary here where she needs to wait her turn, but that’s been a long time coming. She feels that she’s put in enough time. Her boyfriend, Kent, gives her the rough truth in that she’s never truly faced hardship. She has a normal, middle class life. Things haven’t been easy, but not particularly difficult either. She’s lacking film experiences to make her interesting. All I’ll say here is keep that in mind, as I love setting this up. Edebiri is great here in embodying how timid Ariel is in the beginning. The growth to where she ends up shows this.

Let’s then pivot to the anomaly of this retreat, Ariel. She lacks the fame of the other guests. Moretti, meticulously crafting his "opus" album, orchestrated this desert getaway. He confiscated their phones and unlike the others, only Ariel observes the unsettling reality. Part of that comes from listening to the cult members, leading to her unease. The group's comfort blinds them to red flags, dismissing Moretti's potential for harm as events escalate. The desert isolation further traps them, making escape difficult.

I’ll then finish out the story with pros and cons. I love that we have this cult operating out in the middle of the desert like they are with a star as the figurehead. Now this does feel similar to other movies for sure. I’ve seen someone else point out Midsommar. That one clicked with me as well. It is borrowing from what happened at Jonestown, to an extent. If anything, I think it is using that to set up the audience. Get Out is another one. That felt like a stretch to me. The Menu made more sense for sure. I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is as strong as other films that I’ve mentioned. I like gaslighting Ariel and the final reveal feels like a variation of another cult film that I won’t spoil here. What I will say, I enjoyed this more with the second watch due to little things that I noticed and probably missed the first time.

Moving over to the acting performances. I’d already said that I liked Edebiri in her role. She’s great to stand in for us to follow since we should be noticing how odd things are. Malkovich is also great. His singing is better than I expected. I know part of that is audio tuning and what not. Lewis, Bartlett, Chambers, Suganami and Sivertsen work as the rest of the group. I like Hale in his cameo. Midthunder, Diseth and the rest of the cult members are solid to help raise tension. I thought the acting was good across the board.

All that is left then is filmmaking aspects. I thought the cinematography and framing were good. There are great things here. From capturing how remote this location is to certain things to help hide what they’re doing. It leaves things up to our imagination. I also like how little things happen that might not be odd, but how it is shown makes it feel like it is. Part of that is living in a community, there are going to be things that we don’t fully understand. This also has an arthouse vibe to the shots that I appreciate. There are limited effects used. What we got though was great. Credit there. I also like the soundtrack and design. That helped build the atmosphere and tension. Also, Moretti’s songs aren’t great, but I enjoyed them.

In conclusion, this is a film that rewards a second viewing, deepening the appreciation for its subtle nuances and atmospheric storytelling. While not heavy on overt horror, its unsettling tone and gradual reveals create a compelling experience. The strong performances, especially from Edebiri, and effective filmmaking elements contribute to a well-crafted narrative that resonated even more on rewatch.

My Rating: 8.5 out of 10