I just saw Opus and I can't help but wonder if A24 hasn't humped the shark.
I suppose it was bound to happen. Every wave hits a crest and breaks, scattering to the shores of mediocrity. Movie fans always loved A24 since its inception. They brought us worthy movies by talented noncommerical directors like Harmony Korine, Gus Van Sant, Noah Baumbach, Lynn Shelton, Atom Egotan, Darron Aronofsky, Jane Shoenbrun, and Sean Baker. A24 allowed big Hollywood players to make small, personal projects: Jonah Hill's Mid90s, James Franco's The Disaster Artist, and Jesse Eisenberg's When You Finish Saving the World. Horror fans rejoiced about Hereditary, The Witch, and X. They even brought David Byrne and his big suit, along with the rest of the Talking Heads, back to theaters.
I could go on almost endlessly about the A24 movies I've loved. The End of the Tour. The Last Movie Star. Uncut Gems. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Eighth Grade. Lady Bird. On the Rocks. Life After Beth. Laggies. While We're Young.
Maybe every A24 production I've seen isn't a masterpiece, but we've come to expect a certain degree of artistic integrity from the company.
At the same time A24 has become a brand. Hip-types name-drop them. Popularity often kills a good thing.
Now we have Opus, the first A24 movie I've hated. It seems more like an assembly line low level Blumhouse production than something from a venerated movie studio.
It's a tired movie with a tired plot. There's a world famous but reclusive rock star coming out with his latest, yes, opus.
I've never been particularly impressed with the acting of John Malkovich, but this is by far the lowest he's sunk. He plays a David Bowie-type superstar, the most popular music act in the world. Seeing and hearing samples of his work, that's a big stretch, but when a marginally talented songwriter-musician like Taylor Swift is the most popular entertainer of all time, I suppose I can believe anything.
Malkovich is Alfred Moretti, also known simply as The Debutante. He looks more like Brian Eno than Bowie. Or like a latter day Billy Joel.
Oh God, it's painful to see him prancing around a group of people, lip-synching to a supposedly deep dance song. If they were going for absurdity, why not go all the way and get Shatner for the role? At least the irony would be amusing.
A young journalist, well played by Ayo Edebiri, is invited to Moretti's super-secret compound for an extravaganza. She is one of a select few to hear the new album. Of course there's something fishy going on. People act weird, and there is a lot of ominous oyster shucking going on.
Moretti is a cult leader of a doofy sect called Levelists. He's sort of a cross between Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and Swan from Phantom of the Paradise. Guests begin to disappear, and then all heck breaks loose.
It's all unbelievably silly, and worse than that, it's boring. No tension, no shocks, no terror. I suppose a ripe boil popping into someone's eye passes for horror these days.
Not really. Opus is a failure on all counts. It's critically disdained and audiences are staying away in droves.
I don't know if Opus was a dreadful miscalculation on the part of A24, or if they were intentionally trying to dumb down their product for mass consumption. In the end it matters not.
I'd like to say there'll be no Opus 2, but you never know. The movie could have a strong streaming life. Then perhaps there will be an even worse sequel.
Written by Mark Sieber
I suppose it was bound to happen. Every wave hits a crest and breaks, scattering to the shores of mediocrity. Movie fans always loved A24 since its inception. They brought us worthy movies by talented noncommerical directors like Harmony Korine, Gus Van Sant, Noah Baumbach, Lynn Shelton, Atom Egotan, Darron Aronofsky, Jane Shoenbrun, and Sean Baker. A24 allowed big Hollywood players to make small, personal projects: Jonah Hill's Mid90s, James Franco's The Disaster Artist, and Jesse Eisenberg's When You Finish Saving the World. Horror fans rejoiced about Hereditary, The Witch, and X. They even brought David Byrne and his big suit, along with the rest of the Talking Heads, back to theaters.
I could go on almost endlessly about the A24 movies I've loved. The End of the Tour. The Last Movie Star. Uncut Gems. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Eighth Grade. Lady Bird. On the Rocks. Life After Beth. Laggies. While We're Young.
Maybe every A24 production I've seen isn't a masterpiece, but we've come to expect a certain degree of artistic integrity from the company.
At the same time A24 has become a brand. Hip-types name-drop them. Popularity often kills a good thing.
Now we have Opus, the first A24 movie I've hated. It seems more like an assembly line low level Blumhouse production than something from a venerated movie studio.
It's a tired movie with a tired plot. There's a world famous but reclusive rock star coming out with his latest, yes, opus.
I've never been particularly impressed with the acting of John Malkovich, but this is by far the lowest he's sunk. He plays a David Bowie-type superstar, the most popular music act in the world. Seeing and hearing samples of his work, that's a big stretch, but when a marginally talented songwriter-musician like Taylor Swift is the most popular entertainer of all time, I suppose I can believe anything.
Malkovich is Alfred Moretti, also known simply as The Debutante. He looks more like Brian Eno than Bowie. Or like a latter day Billy Joel.
Oh God, it's painful to see him prancing around a group of people, lip-synching to a supposedly deep dance song. If they were going for absurdity, why not go all the way and get Shatner for the role? At least the irony would be amusing.
A young journalist, well played by Ayo Edebiri, is invited to Moretti's super-secret compound for an extravaganza. She is one of a select few to hear the new album. Of course there's something fishy going on. People act weird, and there is a lot of ominous oyster shucking going on.
Moretti is a cult leader of a doofy sect called Levelists. He's sort of a cross between Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and Swan from Phantom of the Paradise. Guests begin to disappear, and then all heck breaks loose.
It's all unbelievably silly, and worse than that, it's boring. No tension, no shocks, no terror. I suppose a ripe boil popping into someone's eye passes for horror these days.
Not really. Opus is a failure on all counts. It's critically disdained and audiences are staying away in droves.
I don't know if Opus was a dreadful miscalculation on the part of A24, or if they were intentionally trying to dumb down their product for mass consumption. In the end it matters not.
I'd like to say there'll be no Opus 2, but you never know. The movie could have a strong streaming life. Then perhaps there will be an even worse sequel.
Written by Mark Sieber
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