Opus review (2025)

Opus isn’t nearly as smart or clever as director/writer Mark Anthony Green envisioned. It’s not so much quirky as it is flat out weird.

Weirdness isn’t bad per se, but it can only take a movie so far before its idiosyncrasies start to become frustrating and annoying. Opus straddles a very delicate balance of stringing viewers along through its admittedly intriguing mystery until it’s time to start paying it off. Then the film finds itself on the other side of the rails.

Ayo Edebiri (The Beast) stars as Ariel Ecton, a young journalist looking to make her mark. She’s been solid at pitching stories, but her editor Stan (Murray Bartlett, The Last of Us), keeps giving those ideas to more experienced writers. Ariel isn’t lacking for confidence in her writing. What she is missing is an opportunity for others to see her talent.

Ariel explains her plan to her best friend, Kent (Young Manzino, The Last of Us), that the easiest pathway is to write about fascinating and famous people. That in turn will make her seem fascinating and interesting so people will want to read her books. It’s not an outlandish plan, but she needs a shot.

She unexpectedly gets it when news breaks that the notoriously recluse pop icon, Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich, Bird Box), is debuting a new album — his first in 30 years. Before the masses hear it, Moretti is inviting an exclusive group to a special listening party at his resort.

While some of the invitees — Stan, paparazzo Bianca Tyson (Melissa Chambers), talk show host Clara Armstrong (Juliette Lewis) and top influencer Emily Katz (Stephanie Suganami) and shock jock Bill Lotto (Mark Sivertsen) — make sense, one guest is not like the others. Ariel doesn’t understand how she got the golden ticket but also isn’t questioning her good fortune for the big break she’s been awaiting.

Right away, Ariel realizes this is not like any other media session. The group flies from a private jet where they’re greeted by Moretti’s assistant, a very serious Jorg (Peter Diseth). After an extended tour bus trek to the compound, they’re greeted by the rest of the staff, who are all clad in similar outfits and politely take their phones — and Ariel’s laptop.

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Like the others, Ariel is assigned a 24/7 concierge Belle (Amber Mindhunter, Prey). Belle is very intense and shadows Ariel through all of her routines including her early morning job. This was solid foreshadowing from Green.

After settling in, the group are invited to their first meeting with Moretti over dinner. Green immediately starts making Opus odd with Moretti’s big dramatic appearance culminating in a joke his staff finds hilarious. Dinner is weirder as it starts off with everyone sharing a large roll. They take one bite and pass it to the person across from them.

Green lets this scene settle showing all kinds of hands and mouths touching the rolls before Ariel gets it handed to her. Opus does have some compelling uncomfortable moments like this sequence, which quickly raises the question of how long Ariel will play along with things she clearly considers off.

Things get progressively stranger on the compound and Ariel and company aren’t even aware their every move is being observed via surveillance cameras in every bedroom and bathroom.

Green seems to be channeling the same kind of “let’s make it weird for weirdness’ sake” tone of The Menu, another dark humor film intended to provide some witty commentary on elitism and status. Some scenes, like a staff member shucking oysters looking for pearls or another insisting to shave Ariel’s “lady garden” complete with flecks of hair gently falling to the floor aren’t uncomfortable in the way Green likely intends. They’re more of the ‘how much longer should I stick with this increasingly eccentric movie?’ variety.

Edebiri is fantastic as an impartial party who was too young to be swept up in the Moretti phenomenon but can appreciate his talent. She’s also not so starstruck that isn’t afraid to question things that don’t make sense. In some scenes it’s just the subtle raising of an eyebrow while in others it’s outright recoiling of uncomfortable moments. Opus has many flaws, but Edebiri’s performance is not among them.

Malkovich revels in playing eccentric characters anyway and Moretti is another juicy role for him to ham it up and have a ball. Whether gyrating like a 30-year-old or doing his best take on the moody artist, Malkovich provides Opus its flawed, but captivating heartbeat…for most of the film.

The cast all around is solid with engaging supporting turns from Midthunder, Tatanka Means and Tamera Tomakili, who play the roles of devoted sycophants perfectly.

Opus builds a strong mystery. Green’s camera angles, the lighting and the creepy score capably set the mood, but Green can’t figure out how to pay it all off. The huge twist doesn’t feel earned. Ariel’s dramatic efforts to get out of this wacky situation significantly contradict a big reveal in the final act. To Green’s credit, he does address the biggest question raised in Opus, which makes it seem like he needed another crack at the last third of the film or get another writer’s assistance.

Rating: 4 out of 10

Opus is available to watch now on Amazon Prime video.

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