Mark Anthony Green

Cult and celebrity have been intertwined for decades, long before the Manson family ever terrorized Hollywood. First-time director Mark Anthony Green explores this connection further in Opus, a lavish and opulent spectacle that lacks the political substance it thinks it has. Current comedy ‘it’ girl Ayo Edebiri plays Ariel Ecton, a twenty-something journalist who, despite working at a reputable music magazine, isn’t getting the chances she believes she should be getting. This changes when Moretti (John Malkovich), a David Bowie-Madonna-like popstar, comes out of obscurity to announce a new album and a prize of a lifetime for a select few. If the setup for Opus sounds familiar, it’s because it is. While it is by no means a shot-by-shot remake of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the parallels between the films can’t be ignored.