Christine N Rifkin – Author

I recently saw Opus, one of the new horror movies from A24, and I had so many thoughts. Usually when I see a movie in theaters, I have to let it simmer for a few days before I can gather my thoughts and feelings about it. This one took me over a week to mull over. I think the main reason why is that I felt such a connection to the main character and it was a little scary to realize how flawed I am.

The film is about an aspiring writer, Ariel Ecton, who is invited to a secret compound along with her boss to bear witness to an illusive pop icon’s new album. Ariel is played by Ayo Edebiri from the show The Bear while her boss, Stan, is played by Murray Bartlett of The White Lotus fame. The pop icon, Alfred Moretti, just happens to be the incredibly talented and cooky John Malkovic. Honestly, I’ll see any A24 horror, but this cast is so iconic I couldn’t not see it in the theater.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie from start to finish. I will admit, I was not completely happy with the way it ended, but it also made sense for the characters so it gets a pass. It is, at its core, a cult horror film, in the same vein as Midsommar, The Menu, and Wicker Man. It starts with an uneasy feeling about the invitation and the compound and then…things start to get weird. Ariel begins to see how odd things are and questions why her fellow invitees are disappearing with each day. Ultimately, she unravels the web of deceit the cult has created to trap them right where they want them. When you start this movie, you’ll feel like everything is chill and carefree…until it isn’t.

If you compare it to the other cult films I listed, I would say it’s between Midsommar and The Menu in terms of keeping my attention and thrilling me. Ayo is such a great actor and gives levity to every situation just with her clever remarks and quips. John Malkovich – there’s nothing more to say about him. He was meant for this role. His performance reminded me of Being John Malkovich where he is almost playing an amplified version of himself. I would say if you liked that film, you’re going to want to see this one for him alone.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

See my Letterboxd Review here: https://boxd.it/99aoCV