Journalism is a tricky profession. You’re constantly walking the line between the abject truth and the more interesting “message” within, reading between the lines, pulling stories out of colorful personalities. Few may understand this better than Mark Anthony Green, the writer and director behind A24’s latest horror, Opus. Green worked at GQ for 13 years as the publication’s resident “Style Guy,” profiling public figures like LeBron James, The Weeknd, and Childish Gambino. There’s no doubt he’s seen plenty in his tenure as a writer, more than enough to inform his directorial debut. Though Green denies that Opus is inspired by any one experience, the film has a lot to say about celebrity, fandom, and the horrors within either way. Opus follows an aspiring journalist (Ayo Edebiri) as she fights to survive a hellish weekend with a legendary pop star (John Malkovich) and his devoted cult. As Alfred Moretti, Malkovich feels equally inspired by David Bowie, Prince, and Elton John. And he finds his perfect match in Edebiri, who embodies the “Final Girl” title with the wry, deadpan wit so many have come to love in The Bear and Bottoms. Edebiri’s star has steadily been rising for years, but her role in Opus is poised to crystallize that potential on the big screen. It’s also serendipitous for Green, who discovered Edebiri while watching early screeners of The Bear in 2022. “I saw The Bear and it was like, She’s perfect for this film. She’s everything,” Green tells Inverse. He was so sure that Edebiri was the one, he sent his confidential screener to an executive at A24. “I hope Hulu or whoever owns Hulu doesn’t get upset with me,” the director adds. There is some risk, but you could argue that it’s already paid off: after all, timing is everything. As Green prepares to unleash his unsettling, dazzling debut on the world, he sits down with Inverse to discuss his influences, the irony of “elevated horror,” and the film’s divisive message. |
