‘Opus’ Isn’t the Masterpiece It Desperately Wants to Be

At a Glance: Opus certainly shoots for the stars, but even a delightfully frenetic Malkovich and a buffet of talented character actors are not enough to mask the hollow, confused story that unfolds.

On paper, Opus sounds like the type of neo-horror film that A24 would knock out of the park. A prestige actor in an eccentric role, an up-and-coming starlet hot off some major projects, and an eerie cultish backdrop set the stage for what should be a solid night at the theater. Unfortunately, it’s more like walking into a stunning model home – and realizing that everything inside is plastic and hollow.

This latest bowl of A24 soup is desperately trying to imitate the gravitas of recent, better films such as Hereditary, Midsommar, The Menu, and the list could go on. From a storytelling perspective however, it has none of the depth and even less self awareness. Bolstered by performance from John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and a murderer’s row of talented character actors, the film struggles against the shackles of its confused and noncommittal themes.

Is it a movie about the power of celebrity, the price of fame, or the danger of meeting your heroes? Honestly, it’s mostly none of those things, and while the filmmakers are clearly trying to give the viewer some sort of moral lesson, it feels like they don’t actually know what lesson they are trying to share. As the credits roll, you might be left thinking “that’s it?” or “what happened?”, and you would not be alone.

Opus also follows too many tropish story beats to offer any sort of twists or surprises to viewers. What your left with is a stylish and well-acted imitation of a prestige horror film, one that ends just as it finally seems like it’s picking up steam. The bizarre time jump in the final moments is a major tension killer, wiping out the slow buildup of horror in an instant.

I will say this, I wasn’t squirming in my seat begging for the film to end. It was even enjoyable to some degree, but it’s the kind of joy you get from eating a low-quality fast food burger, it’s a fleeting, empty joy – that will leave you hungry the instant it’s over.