• Release year: 2025
• Director: Mark Anthony Green.
• Producers: Joshua Bachove, Collin Creighton, Mark Anthony Green, Poppy Hanks, Jelani Johnson, and Brad Weston.
• Screenplay by: Mark Anthony Green.
• Cinematography by: Tommy Maddox-Upshaw.
• Music by: Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans, Nile Rodgers, and The-Dream.

Shotgun Commentary: engrossing film full of suspense and just a smudge of gore.

Review

Opus is a thriller where a journalist finds herself trapped in a cult community located in the middle of nowhere. The name itself is quite telling of the story, regardless of how you interpret it. “Opus” is defined by Oxford languages as, “an artistic work, especially one on a large scale”.

In that sense, the name reveals not only what the film is about, but the ending too. Still, for those of you who might have seen the name and thought of a similar real-life cult, your guess is not that far off either.

Surreal expectations

The main difference between this film and all other cult-themed horror films is the celebrity factor. Not the cast, which is also stellar, but the celebrity status of the characters within the story. The narrative begins with a very mid girl who is trying to find her voice and audience in a work environment that could not care less. For some unknown reason, her and her boss are the only two people in their outlet to get an invitation to listen to a big celebrity’s new album.

During this introduction, two things are clear. One: the artist, whose name is Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich), has a huge following that remains faithful even after decades of inactivity. And two: there is absolutely no apparent reason for the protagonist, Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri), to be invited to this event.

The feature taps into a Pandora box of criticism about celebrities and the dangers of putting people you don’t really know on a pedestal just because you like their work. Even after so many examples of artists exposed as criminals, and celebrities believed to be horrible proven great human beings, the great majority of the audience still believes they know famous people just because they know what music they say they listen to, or recognise what plastic surgeries they’ve had done. Bottom line is, you don’t know them. You barely know the people around you, and it is a miracle if you even know yourself. So, why is it so easy to assume that you know someone after reading a couple of interviews?

The limits of fandom

Moretti’s following goes as far as to sleep in their cars for days with the hope that, some day, they will get a chance to glimpse the man. To be honest, this is not the craziest things a person has done to meet or see their favourite celebrity. Sadly, it is actually not even close. Which brings us to the next huge commentary featured in the movie about the celebrity sphere: how far are you willing to go to meet a celebrity? In the film, the guests go as far as to let a complete stranger shave their pubes. Why? Because celebrities, amirite?

This might seem a bit exaggerated, but would it really surprise anyone if a celebrity randomly added that to the conditions for meet & greets? After all, these opportunities already require for you to take a loan in many cases. So why is that so outrageous in comparison? Small moments like that one plague the film. Instances where you can’t help but go “WTF?!” while you slowly come to terms with the fact that nothing you are watching is actually that far off from real news.

Influencing hate

The satire of stardom presented is so real it becomes scary. However, there is another big sub-theme within the celeb madness that stands out: influencers. Ever since that term was invented, influencers have had to deal with criticism from all over. From older audiences who don’t understand the appeal, to haters who don’t like the content, to very sad people who have found that insulting strangers online makes them feel a tad better about their very pathetic existence. Sexist, racist and other prejudiced comments aside, the job of an influencer is mostly criticised because:

A.- It looks fun, therefore it can’t be a job.

B.- It looks effortless, therefore it shouldn’t be paid.

C.- People doing it seem happy and thriving, so it must be unfair.

The reality of this situation is that influencers are merely marketing people. Only instead of working for a company in an office where they remain anonymous, influencers are mostly freelancers who enjoy showing their personality in order to give audiences a new perspective on a product they may or may not already know.

They are the link between traditional celebrities and their audiences. Just relatable enough to encourage you to believe in their choices, but glamorous enough to look more successful than any other person who might tell you their opinion. Does any of this make them more or less believable than any other celebrity? No. Does it make them experts on whatever field they are talking about? Not necessarily.

Art and new media

However, the criticism that takes the cake, and the reason why Moretti doesn’t like Emily (Stephanie Sunagami) the influencer, is that influencers “are not real creatives”. To this, one can only say: but… why, though? Sure, there are tons of social media accounts out there with millions of followers who merely repost others’ content. But actual influencers, regardless of how similar they might look, are never the exact same as others for the simple reason that you won’t get any views if you are not original. Sure, looks can take you far, but as far as to be the type of influencer that Emily is said to be? Not really.

If influencers are not considered creatives, where exactly does the creativity end? Are marketing designers and graphic designers not creatives? What is the difference then? And with this question, the digression is over. And so is the review, since there is nothing much else worth mentioning. It is better to leave things out than to make unnecessary spoilers.

All in all, Opus is a fairly good suspense film. The cast is fantastic and delivers flawlessly. The cinematography, as well as the production design, create the perfect unnerving atmosphere. Overall, there are no big issues with any aspect of it, making it thoroughly enjoyable for all fans of the genre.

Advice to take from this movie:

• The value of art cannot be underestimated, but it shouldn’t be overestimated either.
• Don’t lose yourself or your values for anyone. Much less for people you don’t even know.
• If it looks like a cult and behaves like a cult… it sure as hell ain’t a duck.

What’s your take? Have you watched Opus? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀