Opus

What starts as a tense, creepy, something's-off-here cult movie ends as a confusing mess with little to no payoff.

The acting by the leads (Edebiri, Malkovich, Bartlett) was superb, whereas the other characters were all lacking depth, boring, and filler for the sake of what this movie considers to be "plot." Edebiri, as always, is fantastic at her craft, able to express so many emotions in her facial expressions, eye movements, and tone of voice. Malkovich is wonderful and plays the icon of Moretti perfectly. Bartlett plays a lovable asshole who you would never want as your boss, and he's damn good at the role.

A lot of the odd elements in this movie felt like things the writers threw in for the sake of making the movie feel more eerie and unsettling while simultaneously never offering any explanation or reason as to why they were included.

The first act felt a little long, act two ramped up way too fast and increased the stakes way too soon, and act three was a mess that had no pacing direction whatsoever. The very middle of act two felt like what should have been the midway point of act three, so when act three starts everything feels rushed to try and catch up with the feelings evoked already in the previous act.

What I watched was a hodgepodge of ideas with a half-baked story poorly attempting to tie it all together. It's as if someone mashed together Jonestown, pop icons David Bowie and Prince, Midsommar, and Get Out into a giant nothing burger. Really disappointed in this, though I still feel like it's worth seeing once just to feel the weight of certain scenes that were actually executed great. Even the cinematography was stunning, but the plot was a turd painted gold. 5.5/10.

A common theme throughout most of the critic and amateur reviews of Opus is that, "we've seen this before." The premise - an unassuming person enters a secretive compound/community that hides nefarious things - is pretty well trodden ground. The structure, where, just by the trailers you can tell it'll be mystery upon mystery until it all comes together in the end, feels tired.

Opus does make an attempt to set itself apart; it's firmly about celebrity worship and the way some can easily excuse a person's objectively bad behaviour because they've made songs or movies we enjoy (we're all guilty of this). The film's music, especially the songs by fictional pop star Moretti (John Malkovich) is pretty good. (He's kind of like Depeche Mode meets the Weeknd) I find it's hard to nail a real world sound for fictional music stars, but they knocked it out of the part with the imitation.

I also really liked the world-building. This cult is committed to an ideology called "Levelism" that feels kooky, yet fully fleshed out (and let's be real, not that dissimilar from the ideas of people like Peter Thiel or Curtis Yarvin).

It's also a really well shot film, with some impressive camera work and stunning visuals; the lighting is great, as are a lot of the costumes, sets, and makeup effects. One scene in particular - with undoubtedly the film's best and frankly, nastiest, kill - made my skin crawl. You'll know it when you see it.

That being said, Opus never quite hits the level of films like Get Out, Midsommar, The Menu, or The Invitation. For one, as lovable as Ayo Debiri is, she's basically playing the same character she always plays; brimming with nervous awkwardness. Her character is boring and essentially an empty vessel, lacking interiority. (And yes, I know this is on purpose. No, it doesn't make the movie better)

I also wasn't blown away by John Malkovich either; he actually felt very miscast to me. He didn't have the gravitas or energy for a role like this to truly work.

The film has bold ideas, but the script feels inefficient. It doesn't drive its points home, its characters feel underwritten, and I feel like the need to make everything "creepy" - as per subgenre conventions - took away from the point of the story. We're not supposed to come into the compound feeling uneasy, it's should feel like a kid getting invited to the Chocolate Factory, but it doesn't.

Opus is feels like someone offering you another appetizer after you've finished a dinner. Even if it's good, you don't REALLY want to eat it. Maybe with a bit of time, you can appreciate it later at home, but it won't be as good as it would've been, had you had it earlier.

With standout performances by Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich Opus is definitely worth watching for the acting alone. However the biggest turn offs are a few gross moments and a third act that is a chaotic mess.

Yet with outstanding cinematography, slick production design, and stellar music by legendary composers Nile Gregory Rodgers and The-dream, Opus has enough surreal quirks to perhaps propel its destiny into sleeper hit cult status.

The producers may have been thinking they were creating the next big auteur horror thriller, and if this was the case, they certainly missed the mark. Far from being a masterpiece, Opus may be best enjoyed as a guilty pleasure dark satire in which its flaws only contribute to its off kilter charm.

I'm baffled by the overly negative comments offered. This might not be a masterpiece, but it's a very satisfying movie that is not boring to watch. John Malkovitch is spot on as a superstar musician trying a comeback while ensnared in a divergent universe. And choosing Ayo Edebiri as the young ambitious journalist, as spontaneous and skin-deep as Malkovitch's charachter is superficial and cunning, provides a perfect alchemy on screen. We are dealing here with a new generation of horror flicks, the one Jordan Peele gave the patron of with Us. An horror without monsters or serial killers beyond our own selves, our neighbours, or be it our idols. A whole generation of genre films will need to own up to Us, it won't be easy. But that's not a reason to ignore them unilaterally. Opus is a good movie, brilliantly acted, which offers well balanced uneasiness and anguish, adding fringe black humour to the lot regarding the cult op personality and its complacent medias. It would be a shame to go without it because gore and bodies do not occupy most of screen time.

"Opus" starts with strong promise, pulling viewers in with its intriguing premise and some great music. The Moretti tracks are undeniably a highlight, complementing the emotional depth of the film and elevating its scenes.

However, the film's strength begins to falter as it progresses, especially with its underwhelming conclusion. While the opening is engaging, the ending feels rushed and fails to deliver the emotional payoff it sets up.

It's a shame, as the book was Ariel Ecton's ultimate goal but the scene just seems tacked on at the end, leaving the narrative feeling incomplete. Overall, while "Opus" is an enjoyable watch, it leaves much to be desired.