Opus – Movie Review (4/5)

OPUS is a 2025 horror-comedy that plays out more like a satirical pop horror-thriller. It features a cult plot and stars Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich, with a stellar supporting cast. I loved it. Read our full Opus (2025) movie review here!

OPUS (2025) is a deliciously sinister genre-hybrid. The trailer had me intrigued, but I wasn’t sure the actual movie would be my cup of tea. Well, color me pleasantly surprised because I absolutely loved this movie. Even the music worked really well for me – mostly, anyway.

Ayo Edebiri (The Bear, Black Mirror) and John Malkovich star in this satirical pop horror-thriller that also boasts an amazing supporting cast. If you like the style of Ari Aster and Jordan Peele, this should be right up your alley. The runtime is a crisp 1 hour and 44 minutes.

And yes, this is horror in the psychological sense, but it does also get quite physical in the most sinister ways.

Continue reading our Opus movie review below. Find it on PVOD from April 1, 2025.

Is this a cult? Oh yes, it sure is!

In Opus, we meet the young writer, Ariel (Ayo Edebiri), who is getting tired of never getting a chance to actually write. She’s been working at the same magazine for three years. They all love it when she pitches a story but then asks someone else to write it.

Suddenly, things seem to be looking up for Ariel as she is one of the very few invited to the remote compound of a legendary pop star, Moretti (John Malkovich). Her boss (Murray Bartlett) and four other members of the press are invited.

One is from TV (Juliette Lewis), another is an infamous member of the Paparazzi (Melissa Chambers), a veteran reporter turned Podcaster (Mark Sivertsen), and finally, the Influencer (Stephanie Suganami). In other words, all major types of media are covered.

Though Ariel does stick out in this company. And she knows it, but won’t understand why until the final moments. Not a spoiler; Just a quick comment to be patient and pay attention. You just might figure it out earlier, but it won’t be confirmed until then.

One thing that Ariel does notice pretty quickly after arriving at the compound: This is a cult. In fact, she’s already gotten a few hints with the invitation. It included a book that seems to be a guide or some kind of scripture that this group lives by.

Fame as a religion

In this world, especially in Western civilization, fame can often feel like a religion of sorts. People align themselves with their favorite artists and even take on names after their idols. From Deadheads to Swifties, this is hardly a new concept.

For Opus, it’s all about Moretti (John Malkovich), the huge pop star who mysteriously disappeared thirty years earlier. Everyone, even those born much later, can still sing along. Think hits of the ’80s and ’90s that everyone still knows.

In fact, the song, introduced as a hit song from the 1990s, had a distinct Madonna sound to me. And yes, I loved it. You can check it out on YouTube here >

Having been gone from the limelight for 30 years, living in a remote place, the pop star has now suddenly made a new album. It is revealed – just as it was when the previous album was released three decades earlier – by his publicist, Soledad Yusef (Tony Hale).

Always ask why

The world is going crazy, as it does when something like this happens, and the invited journalists feel like they scored the jackpot. In fact, they accept that things are strange and just go with the flow. Admittedly, I also loved the new single from Moretti (listen to it here), but still.

None of them questions anything, no matter how strange, except Ariel.

She actively speaks out and asks questions about it all. Like why her personal “concierge” (Amber Midthunder) is constantly watching her. Even goes jogging with her – or rather, a few feet behind her. It feels more like she’s being watched over than any kind of luxury service.

Of course, she’s right to question everything. We all know from the beginning that this place is weird. I loved that the Ariel character constantly asks questions. She’s the one pointing out that things are strange.

It’s a pet peeve of mine when no one speaks out or reacts, so with Ariel, I got someone I could relate to. And, of course, Ayo Edebiri is perfect in this role. To me, Ayo Edebiri has yet to make a bad movie.

I may not love everything she does, but the movies are never bad. It’s quality work, and she always delivers. And, for the record, just because you don’t like a movie doesn’t mean it’s bad. Just as a horror movie is still a horror movie, even if you didn’t personally find it scary.

Oh yes, as you may have guessed from the above mini-rant, this is another pet peeve of mine. I know we live in an Orwellian time, where words (and truth) are losing their meaning, but not in my world.

Watch Opus on PVOD now

Mark Anthony Green is the mastermind behind the 2025 movie Opus. Not only do I love how he mixes genres, but I also love the intelligence of the plot and how it plays into the world we’re living in right now.

No, not in any overt political way, but rather how we as a society worship famous people and often make a mockery of religion in many houses of worship. Often speaking in ways that directly contradict whatever scripture they’re supposedly all about.

All while also connecting it to political power and what it requires to gain access to this specific area of society. I’m sure anyone can choose to rationalize this movie to fit their own idea of what’s right and wrong in the world.

What matters most, I feel, is that you watch Opus with an open mind. And wondering whether you’d be an Ariel, another one of the journalists just going along with it all, or even a follower of Moretti, is also an interesting task.

This is Mark Anthony Green’s feature film debut as a writer and director (with only one short film on his resume in these capacities), but I am truly excited to see what comes next. Hopefully, comparing him to Jordan Peele and Ari Aster earlier made that obvious.

Opus is out on PVOD from April 1, 2025.

Details

Director: Mark Anthony Green
Writer: Mark Anthony Green
Cast: Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder, Stephanie Suganami, Young Mazino, Tatanka Means