The feature debut film from Writer/Director Mark Anthony Green, Opus is a satirical critique of the cult of celebrity.
Released theatrically on March 14, 2025, through A24, and becoming available to stream on HBO Max beginning July 11, 2025, the film stars Ayo Edebiri (The Bear series, Bottoms 2023), as Ariel Ecton, John Malkovich (In the Line of Fire 1993, Being John Malkovich 1999) as Alfred Moretti, Juliette Lewis (Cape Fear 1991, Natural Born Killers 1994) as talk show host Clara Armstrong, Murray Bartlett (August 2011, The White Lotus series), as Ariel’s Boss, Stan Sullivan, Melissa Chambers (Mayfair Witches series, Sunlight 2024) as a paparazzi Bianca Tyson, Tony Hale (Arrested Development series, Veep series) as Soledad Yusef, among others. Additionally, there are appearances by Lil Nas X and Lenny Kravitz in uncredited roles as Moretti fans, while Bill Burr and Wolf Blitzer appear as themselves in a story about a writer who travels to the compound of a Pop icon who disappeared years ago to release new material.
Shot in Pojoaque, New Mexico, specifically La Mesita Ranch Estate, for its out-of-the-way locale. It is a character in itself, being inviting, but isolated. Sounds like a nice place to get the creative juices rejuvenated.
So, let us talk about themes of Opus, shall we? Raising a question – how many of us have liked/loved a celebrity regardless of what they have heard/read…blind devotion?
As soon as everybody gets their invites, when the bus pulls up to the compound’s gates, they form a caravan of fans/acolytes just there, albeit in the distant presence of their idol. Inside, the journalists are assigned a concierge, which can be seen as either high-class or peculiar, considering the circumstances. Meanwhile, Moretti’s fans treat him like a prophet, and he dresses the part. His charisma makes it easy for Moretti to manipulate…like Jim Jones of the People’s Temple in the ’70s.
Media exploitation. In this case, two-fold; whenever Moretti’s in the news, whether dubious or good, it feeds his ego, giving credence to the adage, there is no such thing as bad publicity. The other has bearing on the end. The end has social commentary patterns that people miss. For many, if not all, their art is their religion. Some take it more seriously than others. So it is with Moretti and his fans.
Genre-wise, Opus has a bit of everything for the Horror fan (psychological, Body Horror that has to do with a grotesquely bloated protruding tongue). There is even some Slasher action, albeit not in the conventional sense, but no one ever said this is a conventional movie. With that being said, many enjoy a film that dares to have an ambiguous, even dark tone.
It is true, Opus is not a film for everyone. It will stand alongside, say, the opening act of 2001’s Moulin Rouge. Yes, this comparison is within different genres, but if you could hang with that frenetic opening number of Moulin Rouge, you should be able to hang with Opus. That is why Cryptic Rock gives this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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