PARK CITY, Utah — The sword proves mightier than the pen in A24’s messy slasher “Opus,” one of the buzzier films at this year’s Sundance. The thin comedic stab-fest is the debut feature of former GQ staffer Mark Anthony Green, who started the script while profiling such artists as the Weeknd and Kid Cudi. “Opus” is a knife in his own back, a dig on the smarmy relationship between press and talent.
It has good style and a handful of fun ideas, but it’s ultimately as superficial as the puff pieces it’s attacking. The setup is that a reclusive ’90s pop superstar named Moretti (John Malkovich) has invited six journalists to his rural compound for an ultra-exclusive (and eventually ultra-violent) listening party of his first album in 27 years. Upstart writer Ariel (Ayo Edebiri), “The Bear’s” similarly ambitious young chef) is the trip’s most unexpected and least important guest.
The lowest name on her entertainment magazine’s masthead, Ariel hopes that writing about famous people will get some of their shine to bounce back on her. Even her own semi-boyfriend (Young Mazino) thinks she’s boring. Ariel has received the same deluxe gift-basket summons as the other attendees: her editor (Murray Bartlett), a TV host (Juliette Lewis), a veteran paparazza (Melissa Chambers), a gossip-hound (Mark Sivertsen) and an influencer (Stephanie Suganami).
But she’s no equal — her boss wants to hog the byline for himself. At the first group dinner, she sits meekly.
