'' OPUS '' ORDERLY OPTS : FILM REVIEW

CINEMASCOPE : Clunky satire about an evil celebrity cult has plenty to say, but Opus just doesn't know how to say it.

UNCERTAIN EVIL : OPUS, the filmy debut of former GQ editor-turned-director Mark Anthony Green, has been described as a horror-musical. And while this new hybrid-genre film clearly has something to say, what that remains frustratingly unclear.

Produced by independent film company A24, often a hallmark of quality, the film follows Ariel Acton [ Ayo Edeberri ], a young writer striving to make her mark in entertainment journalism.

While it gestures towards themes of celebrity culture and the toxicity of extreme fandom, the film ultimately feels tangled in jumble of unfocused ideas and derivative references to other - arguably stronger - works.

Despite talent and determination, Ariel struggles with her boss Stan [ Murray Bartlett ] who redeploys her ideas to other senior colleagues and is often too self-absorbed to nurture her career development.

The very watchable Edebiri eases into centre stage after catapulting to global fame in the TV show. The Bear [2022-present], for which she has received a Golden Globe and an Emmy.

In contrast to the achievements of The Bear's Sydney, her character Ariel's success as a writer seems out of reach in Opus.

In an early scene, she articulates her frustrations to a friend who responds by pointing to Ariel's ordinariness and comfortable upbringing.

Apparently, her lack of disadvantage is precisely what's holding her back, leaving her '' too middle '' to be noticed, promoted or considered.

Opus has quite a 1990s feel to it, perhaps aided by the casting of Malkovich and Juliette Lewis, both huge stars during that decade. The film also gets a bit meta, nodding to Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich [1999 ] through a similar use of star cameos and a puppet show - both interesting elements, but again which feel disjointed in Opus.

I think Green has stronger films in him to come but, although his work raises interesting points, there are too many ideas here for a convincing film to properly materialize.

I was unclear on a number of things, including Moretti's motives and his contempt for critics, including the positive ones.

Opus perhaps bites off more than it can chew, leaving me feeling that Green's directorial Opus is still to come.

The World Students Society thanks Daniel O'Brien - a Lecturer at the Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies at the University of Essex in the UK.