20 Horror Movies That Revealed Too Much
A24's Opus follows journalist Ariel (Ayo Edebiri), who is invited to the secluded compound of reclusive pop star Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich) for a listening party of his long-awaited new album.
It soon becomes clear that Moretti is secretly running a cult from the compound. The climax shows Moretti and his followers drinking poisoned champagne in a mass suicide ritual. Ariel narrowly escapes into the night, which seems to conclude the story.
Ariel just barely manages to escape and flees into the night, and that seems to be the end of the story.
However, an extended epilogue set two years later reveals more. Ariel has written a book about her experience and visits an imprisoned Moretti, who survived. The so-called mass suicide was staged, and the "dead" followers are alive, having infiltrated society to spread Moretti's influence.
One final twist shows that Moretti planned Ariel's escape, knowing she would write the book and help spread his message to millions.
"Moretti always planned for Ariel to escape, well aware that she'd write a book and inadvertently help propagate his message to millions of readers."
The epilogue feels overly contrived and weakens the social commentary on our collective complicity in the fame of monstrous figures. The story’s tension peaks when Ariel escapes, making the extended ending feel unnecessary.
The author is a stay-at-home dad who enjoys teaching his kids about Martin Scorsese, often against his spouse's wishes.
Author's summary: The film's attempt to extend the story with a contrived epilogue undercuts its stronger original narrative about cult influence and societal complicity.
Would you prefer the author’s summary to be more formal or conversational?