Review | ‘Opus’ feels like a rush job

Mark Anthony Green’s “Opus” displays a lackluster plot despite brilliant performances. “Opus” leaves a confusing impression — a mix of awe and disappointment. With a cast led by stars Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich, the film’s acting quality is a strong point. “Opus” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 27 and was released theatrically a few months later on March 14. 

Like most A24 productions, the concept of “Opus” is alluring and decently original. The film follows a journalist named Ariel Ecton, played by Edebiri, as she accompanies her boss, Stan, to a compound in the middle of the Utah desert. This compound, which is more accurately described as a cult, is the work of Alfred Moretti. Moretti, played by Malkovich, is a famed musician who disappeared many years before the film’s story takes place. Moretti’s team invites Ecton and Stan, along with four other media industry employees, to the release of his new album. After flying out to the compound where the listening party takes place, Ecton is the only member of the press group who senses something sinister about the operation. 

Despite some odd events happening in the first half of the movie, such as violent oyster shucking and forced pubic hair shaving, the plot intensifies in the remaining half. Ecton decides that she has had enough of the cult and demands that Moretti’s team take her home. Just as she is about to leave, a child at the compound convinces Ecton to stay a bit longer for a children’s puppet show. During this puppet show, which showcases the disturbing treatment of Billie Holiday by the media, the goal of the cult becomes clear. Characters that had gone missing during their stay reappear in bad shape, and the remaining few meet their demise at the hands of the cult members. Ecton, who had been suspicious of the cult from the jump, is quick to make a run for it. We find out later that Moretti allowed Ecton to escape so that she could write a book about her time with the cult. The movie ends with Ecton meeting Moretti in prison, where he reveals that the goal of her allowed escape was to spread the cult’s ideology through her writing. 

Before finding out Moretti’s backstory, the characters discuss him infamously as if he existed beyond the usual celebrity inhabited realm of fame. Moretti is clearly an icon in “Opus,” with scenes of people widely varying in age dancing to his music. One of the most shocking parts of the film is that Moretti’s music is actually very good. Producer and composer Nile Rodgers and singer-songwriter The-Dream collaborated on the original soundtrack’s writing and production. 

Though there are only three Moretti songs featured in the film, they make up a significant portion of the plot. The film introduces audiences to Moretti’s music through the track, “Dina, Simone” in a montage at the beginning of the film. Moretti disperses the following tracks, “Tomorrow” and “35mm,” throughout the media team’s visit to Moretti’s compound. Each visitor receives a physical copy of “Tomorrow” while alone in their rooms during their first night of the trip. A montage displays each character honestly and thoroughly enjoying the ballad, dancing around their rooms or simply sitting and soaking it in. “35mm” plays in a lazy Susan-style setup where each member of the media team sits in a circle as Moretti performs around them. 

Malkovich’s performance as Moretti is the peak of this film. As Malkovich tends to take on serious roles, like his work in “Being John Malkovich” and “Of Mice and Men,” his performative role in “Opus” is a detour from his usual characters. Actors taking roles that contrast their typecasting can be a nice surprise for audiences, and if it works, it works very well. In Malkovich’s case, the switch-up is a wonderful choice. 

Edebiri also performs spectacularly in “Opus.” As she is somewhat new to the film industry, it is exciting to see her take on the lead role in a big movie. Edebiri’s performance in this film is dynamic and high caliber. 

While both actors present individually good performances, their chemistry seems to be a fault in the movie’s casting. The interactions between Moretti and Ecton feel surface-level. The marketability of having two famous actors lead a cast is undeniable, but in this case, it detracted from the immersiveness of “Opus.” 

I wish there was more — more exposition, more music, more gore and more of the movie itself. At only 104 minutes of run time, the movie’s creators tried to fit an expansive story into a small run time. The last 20 minutes of the film felt like I was being ushered out of the theater while the movie was still playing. I am disappointed by the execution of “Opus”’s concept, as it had so much potential. The film felt like a bit of a letdown from such a renowned studio like A24. With 15 more minutes and some deeper character exploration, “Opus” could have been great.