Opus

An impressive feature directorial debut, Mark Anthony Green’s Opus features big names and even bigger ideas.

Packing significant Midsommar, The Menu, and Blink Twice vibes of being at a mysterious, gorgeous, remote spot that’s a bit too good to be true, the dark comedy follows struggling journalist Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri, The Bear) as she attends the exclusive release party for reclusive recording artist Alfred Moretti’s first album in decades.

A mix of Elton John, Prince, and who knows who else, Moretti is played by John Malkovich at his kookiest since Being John Malkovich. His performance is so charmingly wacky that practically every scene at his secluded Utah compound suffers when he's not there.

Moretti’s absence might not weigh so heavily on Opus if Ariel and fellow media personalities Clara (Juliette Lewis), Stan (Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus), Emily (Stephanie Suganami, Something from Tiffany's), Bianca (Melissa Chambers, How to Blow Up a Pipeline), and Bill (Mark Sivertsen, Outer Range) were written beyond familiar industry clichés. And while there's some intrigue to the weird rituals in which Moretti and his spooky followers partake — eerie Billie Holiday marionette show, anyone? — the troubles that await these guests will come with minimal surprise to anyone who's seen the aforementioned similar titles.

Unsure how to connect the dots, Green temporarily loses his way when the proverbial shit hits the fan, but ultimately sticks the landing with a jarring reveal that, while predictable, still works. The memorable ending and the crisply shot and edited visuals that precede it suggest that the writer/director has a strong foundation from which to work and should only improve from here.

Grade: B-minus. Rated R. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: A24)