Opus

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.

If Midsommar threw on a pair of jeans and played an electric guitar, you'd have Opus.

There's no denying the film's atmosphere-equal parts fever dream and surreal art installation-but the premise felt oddly familiar. A strange cult? Check. Ominous followers watching every move? Check. Friends disappearing without explanation? Also check. It's hard not to feel like Ari Aster already laid the groundwork here, and did it with more finesse.

That said, John Malkovich delivers a predictably mesmerizing performance as the enigmatic cult leader, giving the film much of its weight. The visuals, music, and costume design add layers of intrigue, even if they occasionally veer into style-over-substance territory.

Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed and, at times, too far-fetched to land with impact. It's a film that reaches for depth but doesn't quite dig far enough.

Opus isn't without merit-but if you've already followed Aster into the woods, this journey may feel more like déjà vu than discovery.

I thought it was a great story with unsettling but very relevant message especially in today's society. You could feel something was off and that the movie had a sinister vibe and it didn't take long for the ball to get rolling it was well paced and I though the visuals were good and the music was solid as well as the camera work, it was thrilling and entertaining I was trying to put things together and wondered what would happen next and it definitely gave you cult vibes. But in its own lane stemming from worshipping a pop icon and his religion. The ending to me was good it was bloody violent brutal and chilling and there was a twist at the end that brought everything together and the message was clear you won't regret watching it Ayo Edeniri was absolutely great and John Malkovich delivered at a sinister high level I rate it a 7.0 out of 10.

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.

Opus started off pretty solid but fell apart in the final act. It's similar to other stories like Midsommar, Get Out, Blink Twice, The Menu, etc. So this wasn't anything new, but that wasn't much of an issue for me. The problem is in the explanation for what drives the cult. What it's about - its purpose. Malkovich's character sorta kinda attempts to offer an explanation at the end, but it didn't feel sufficiently solid enough to patch up the holes created by that issue. The acting in here was great though, and it was fun to see Malkovich ham it up the way he did. This was director Mark Anthony Green's first film, and he was also the writer. He has potential, as evidenced by the strong first half of the story. But he needs a bit more work to stick the landing. Video review available on my YouTube channel.