Opus

Opus wants to be daring and profound but mostly gives in to pretentiousness. John Malkovich is electric as a deranged ex-pop star cult leader, but everything else around him fails. The film throws gaudy images and provocative scenes against the wall and hopes something will stick-little does.

Director Mark Anthony Green is more interested in being provocative than in coming up with a coherent narrative. Characters vanish, tone shifts at random, and anything that attempts to be satirical is submerged in the bedlam. It's like a fever dream of film school with a decent soundtrack.

There's something here, but it's buried beneath masses of over-written trash and "weird for weirdness' sake" choices. One of the most frustrating films of the year-not because it's awful, but because it had the potential to be something amazing.

I had high hopes for Opus, especially since it promised to explore the dark side of celebrity culture. John Malkovich is incredible as always, playing Alfred Moretti, a reclusive pop star inviting industry elites to his mysterious desert compound. The setting was stunning, and the mood was appropriately eerie. But somewhere along the way, the story lost me. It felt like the film wanted to be profound and unsettling, but it didn't have enough depth to really deliver. The characters felt like caricatures, and the horror elements were stylish but shallow. It's one of those films where the concept is better than the execution. I wanted to be immersed, but I ended up feeling detached.

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.

"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.

I went to a Cineworld Unlimited card holders preview of "Opus" earlier this week. I can see why it hasn't been well reviewed, but I have to admit that I rather enjoyed it.

After three decades out of public life, Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich), the biggest popstar of the 90's announces a new album and invites several selected journalists and influencers to his compound, for a weekend listening party. Included in the group is Ariel (Aye Edebiri) an inexperienced journalist at a culture magazine. As the group arrive, they discover that Moretti's compound is home to a number of passionate followers, though only Ariel seems to be concerned by the unsettling vibe of the place.

As I say, I can understand the complaints that people have had. I don't think it explores the things it's talking about very well. There are nods to celebrity indulgence and cult experiences. Thinly veiled jibes at scientology and at how magazine journalism works. But nods is all they are. Once the secrets of the film start to spill out, it briefly becomes a relatively standard horror film and then ends with a hint of a twist. This section is perhaps where the film is it's most basic and it's reasonably dull at this point.

I preferred it a lot more in the first half, where the film reminded me a lot of "Midsommar". An isolated environment where the existing group may, or may not, have malevolent intent towards the confused guests. Malkovich is having a ball as Moretti and whilst I never quite bought that the music would be "world altering pop" it's pitched as - I did at least think that the Nile Rodgers provided jams were good.

I think that there's not enough here to recommend that you head out to the cinema to see the film, but in the more forgiving world of home viewing, it'll find its fans.