Most people have heard a group, whether it’s a political party or movie franchise fanbase, referred to as “culty” at some point or another. While this is an exaggeration most of the time, in horror-thriller “Opus,” that is far from the case.
From up-and-coming new director Mark Anthony Green (MAG) comes a chilling journey into the world of Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich), one of the biggest names in music until his mysterious disappearance. Thirty years after the star dropped off the map, an assortment of journalists, TV personalities and influencers are suddenly invited to an exclusive weekend stay at a secluded creative commune where Moretti will give them a look at his first album in decades.
Among this group is Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri), a relatively low-level reporter trying to make a name for herself in the world of journalism despite her ideas constantly being handed off to other writers. Seemingly the youngest to be invited on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, Ariel appears to be the only one not blindingly enamored with Moretti’s fame and she starts making note of not only the singer’s weird behavior but the strange actions of the people who live with him on the remote compound.
Over the course of the weekend, Ariel and the others interact with Moretti and his spiritual followers – known as “levelists” – as things go from “nervous laughter” strange to “find the nearest exit and run” strange.
“Opus” is MAG’s first full-length film and, despite some shortcomings, it is a strong start for the writer-director. The plot is a fun, subtle commentary on the absurdity of celebrity-culture that satirizes the way that hardcore fans will explain any questionable behavior from their favorite artist, even to the extreme.
While the former GQ writer says that his past working at a magazine did help him when it came to writing Ariel’s experience at her publication and her dynamic with her boss (Murray Bartlett), MAG had a lot to learn when it came to movies. He explained, “[print journalism is] a very different job and approach than writing and directing and filmmaking…. I started from scratch and [had] to learn how to write a screenplay. The rules are so different, and what matters, but it has been really fun. I’m having a ball, getting into trouble and doing all the things that feel good.”
MAG’s passion for movies and filmmaking translate very clearly in “Opus,” especially in the way that he is able to sell the “cult” aspect extremely well through cinematography and set and costume design. Moretti’s compound, filmed on-location in New Mexico, is expansive. Its size, combined with the vast landscape, is shown through several aerial shots to reinforce the levelists’ isolation from society. During certain parts of the movie, montages, close-ups, spinning shots and soft, glowy filters create a disorienting and dreamlike feel.
“The whole film is crafted like a pop song, so I wanted it to feel good, that’s why I chose pop music,” MAG said. “For you to bob your head, but [also] for the suspense to carry you through; for you to be frightened, for you to jump, and all of those things. And to oscillate back and forth between feeling really good and then feeling afraid… I love cult films. I love cult documentaries. I love the friends of mine that got [sucked] into cults. And that felt like a fascination in culture that would make the film feel more fun.”
What was especially fun was Malkovich’s performance as flashy, over-the-top Moretti. The pop-star has a calm, peaceful eccentricity that is just weird enough to raise eyebrows but not so unhinged that it immediately throws up red-flags. While the archetype of “cult leader” could have been reminiscent of the “insanity” of Charles Manson’s court proceedings, it would have been significantly harder to believe that the guests would dismiss all of the strange occurrences if Moretti had not had such a seemingly casual demeanor.
Given Moretti’s career as a world-famous, intergenerational popstar, there was original music for both characters and the audience to hear throughout the film. MAG collaborated with six-time Grammy Award winner and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Nile Rogers and eight-time Grammy Award winner The-Dream on three songs to bring Alfred Moretti to life. Two of the songs, “Dina, Simone” and “35mm,” have a sound somewhere between disco and house music. All of Moretti’s music is sung by Malkovich himself, and his voice is surprisingly good, especially for the genre he is performing.
Even with all its successes, there are still some shortcomings. There are points that feel too slow and others that feel too rushed. And while it did deliver several moments that felt more true to the horror genre rather than thriller, it would have been nice to see these elements stretched out longer in order to allow audiences to truly feel the weight of the horrifying situations that the characters are in.
All in all, “Opus” seems to have an equal share of well-done moments and parts that could have been done better — but it balances out to make it a relatively enjoyable film. For first-time writer and director Mark Anthony Green, it is a confident step into the industry, one that can only lead him onwards and upwards.