A writer travels to the compound of a pop icon who disappeared years ago. Surrounded by his cult of sycophants, as well as a group of fellow journalists, she soon discovers his twisted plans for the gathering.

‘Opus’ is the feature directorial debut of Mark Anthony Green, which tells the story of a journalist (Ayo Edebiri) who is invited as one of a select group to a listening party at the home of a previously retired 90s pop superstar called Alfred Moretti, only to discover he is now part of a cult. If you’re going to make a movie about a veteran 90s pop superstar who is now part of a strange cult, then it’s hard to imagine many performers who fit the bill better than John Malkovich, who has made a career out of playing slightly outlandish, wacky oddballs. So you have an intriguing premise and some inspired casting, so why is ‘Opus’ ultimately not very good?

Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri) is a journalist who finds herself at the right place at the right time as Alfred Moretti announces a new album, sending the media into a frenzy. Alongside her boss (Murray Bartlett) and selected others, she is invited to his Utah compound, where it becomes clear he is part of a cult who call themselves ‘Levelists’. While Ariel is immediately suspicious, no one else seems to be bothered and are too caught up in the celebrity, particularly when Moretti performs some material from his new album, sending his guests and his staff/cult members into a frenzy. For me, the music wasn’t anything special (despite being written by Nile Rodgers and The-Dream), but then it’s unlikely you’re going to be able to replicate genuinely genius music for a movie!

On the good side of things, John Malkovich is having an absolute ball and really leans into the performance, and I’m a big fan of Ayo Edebiri and she’s great here. The set up is intriguing and the initial mysteries developed build interest, but then I felt it falls apart quite badly with plotting all over the place and cheap twists and turns that aren’t half as clever as intended. It doesn’t work on a purely visceral level as a take on the evil billionaire/genius doing nefarious things in private (‘Blink Twice’, while not perfect, captured this far more effectively of late), nor are the loftier themes it tries to explore anything other than muddled and confusing. It certainly hasn’t put in the leg work to justify the ultimate denouement, but then I don’t think it would have been all that impactful anyway, and altogether this makes ‘Opus’ a pretty poor movie that wastes a properly gonzo John Malkovich performance.

Rating: 2/5

Directed By: Mark Anthony Green

Starring: Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Murray Bartlett, Juliette Lewis, Amber Midthunder, Stephanie Suganami, Young Mazino, Tatanka Means, Melissa Chambers and Tony Hale

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt29929565/