Opus

The cult of celebrity is a rich topic to dissect, explore and satirise and Opus, directed by former magazine editor Mark Anthony Green, is a great example of the form.

It’s such an obvious and OTT bit of messaging that you could argue that all Green is actually trying to do is just create a fun, pulpy thriller and, in that, he thoroughly succeeds.

It’s just brilliant, dumb fun gilded by a lingering disgust and disturbance at how society is inclined to revere and elevate those who possess showmanship and creativity.

Perhaps there’s an even deeper meaning to glean but you can also enjoy Opus for its beautiful visuals and cinematography, bursts of surrealistic weirdness and ability to languish in the sandbox of ‘films about cults’ and indulge in all the cliches.

Sure, you know what’s going to happen but it doesn’t make getting there any less enjoyable.

For a so-described ‘comedy-horror’ it perhaps doesn’t have too many outright hysterical moments and, for those more horror-leaning, it isn’t a true scare-fest but it carves a lovely middle ground between light and dark.

Tension builds until the film switches on a dime at the exact moment where you start to wonder why everyone else hasn’t noticed that there’s something strange going on.

From then on out it quickly drags you through to its ending which climaxes with a nice little unexpected twist and an elliptical final shot that leaves things nicely open-ended.

Ayo Edebiri cements herself as a leading actress and perfectly tows the line of comedy/horror throughout and John Malkovich doesn’t just chew the scenery, actively chomping on what’s around him as the Bowie/Prince like enigmatic genius musician at the centre of proceedings.

Read into it what you will, bemoan the heavy-handedness of the messaging or just enjoy an absolute blast of a cinematic experience.

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