Opus has been described as a "film about tribalism" by director Mark Anthony Green, clearing up some lingering confusion about the thriller's messaging. The A24 film was released in March 2025 and recently arrived on streaming. The movie stars The Bear's Ayo Edebiri as Ariel, a journalist invited to the exclusive listening party of the new album of an aging legendary rockstar, Alfred Moretti, played by John Malkovich. The event occurs at Moretti's remote Utah-based compound, where the musician has become the head of a cult of "Levelists." After the media guests begin getting killed off by the Levelists, Ariel must find a way to escape.
Opus debuted to mixed reviews upon release, with many confused over the film's messaging. The story tackled many themes, including the cult of celebrity and the intersection of journalism and art (and how one can impact the other). It also pairs this with a blend of tones, becoming a surrealist, psychological horror, and thriller.
Green, a former music journalist, told Script Mag that he was interested in exploring the theme of "tribalism" and using "certain tropes of people and figures" to explore that in Opus:
"I think thematically, really Opus is a film about tribalism. And hopefully people ask questions about that - does this thing still serve us? And I wanted to really explore that in different ways, and fresh ways, but also use certain tropes of people and figures intentionally to kind of flesh out a lot of the facets of tribalism."
In Opus, Moretti is built up as a music icon, similar in size and fandom to Prince, David Bowie, or Elvis Presley. In his time away from the music scene, Moretti's cult worships him and allows him to operate by his own rules, highlighting society's obsession with celebrities.
Green said in an interview with RogerEbert.com that he wanted to show that "art is supposed to challenge us" and question whether "the system we have in place [is] what we need:"
"Art is supposed to challenge us and make smart people and thoughtful people ask questions. Is the system we have in place what we need? How do things get better? I think 'Opus' is a really fun way to get people to have that conversation."
Opus is Green's directorial debut, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025. Along with Edebiri and Malkovich, some of the film's cast includes Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder, and Young Mazino. Opus arrived on HBO Max on July 11.
What Is the True Meaning of Opus Movie & Its Ending?
As with many of A24's films (such as Heretic), Opus has a contentious ending. Ariel escapes the compound only to be found two years later as a celebrity herself, having written a successful book about her experiences with Moretti and the Levelists.
The director said this was designed to show Edebiri's character as having "fallen prey to the system:"
"I look at Ariel as a hero. The ending is complicated, but just because she may have fallen prey to the system, I don’t think she’s any less of a hero. But it is not my intention nor my read of the film, nor my opinion of the world to be anti-media, anti-journalism."
The final twist on this ending is that Ariel's successful book career is continuing Moretti's message, even while he remains incarcerated. During the final conversation between the two, Moretti reveals that while he is behind bars, his Levelists remain living in the world secretly, spreading his teachings by using Ariel's book as a foundation.
Green commented to Polygon that this ending was designed to continue the "cat-and-mouse" dynamic between Ariel and Moretti, with the ending of Opus intentionally being "satisfying and incomplete" and refraining from revealing whether either of them bested the other:
"What I felt was most interesting and fresh is the cat-and-mouse of it, to always be one step shy of feeling like, [That’s] completed, or, This person for sure bested that person. And for them to feel like a true sparring match. I think a great end for a film like this is: It should feel satisfying and incomplete."
Opus leaves Ariel (and the audience) with the knowledge that Moretti's stardom cannot be contained even behind bars, which can be interpreted as a comment on the enduring power of stardom and the system of celebrity worship that modern society has built.
