‘Opus’ Review: Even Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich Can’t Save A24’s Exceedingly Silly Horror Send-Up of Fandom

variety.com:

Tomris Laffly A remote location. A group of unsuspecting, idiosyncratic hopefuls. A murderous plan that would eliminate them one by one.

The formula is nearly a fool-proof one to pull off an entertaining horror-thriller, but writer-director Mark Anthony Green’s paper-thin feature debut “Opus” squanders the opportunity with shockingly low stakes and only the most basic observations on celebrity culture and fan entitlement.

A former GQ editor, Green at least understands how tough it is to fight for relevance in print media these days. Young, hungry writers struggle to launch careers with prominent bylines, while influencer-types grab all the unearned perks.

Played perceptively by Ayo Edebiri, Ariel Ecton is one such up-and-coming journalist working for a Rolling Stone-adjacent publication, fighting for interesting assignments that automatically go to her seniors, even when she’s the one who comes up with the pitch.