4 Thoughts We Had While Watching Ayo Edebiri’s ‘Opus’ Trailer
It seems Ayo Edebiri is in everything and she’s on a roll to take over our screens (deservedly so!). From playing chef Sydney Adamu in The Bear to voicing iconic animated characters in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Glory Grant) and Inside Out 2 (Envy), Edibiri’s schedule is packed.
A trailer for her upcoming film, Opus, which she also executive produces, recently dropped. To say we are excited for Opus is an understatement. (We can’t embed the video because it’s NSFW, but just watch it here. It’s awesome.)
The first few seconds of Opus are misleading (in a good way!)
While watching the trailer, you might think you’re about to see a feel-good movie about a legendary pop star, Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich) who managed to make a successful return in the music industry after 30 years. You might even think it’s an inspirational film with its boppy background music and montage of Moretti’s performances and the fans’ excitement about his return. Then we see a few “lucky” individuals getting the chance to attend a one-time listening experience and to meet Moretti, including Ariel Ekton (Ayo Edibiri), a young magazine writer.
Ayo Edibiri’s character is not oblivious like the other characters in horror/thriller films
How many horror/thriller movies have you seen with the main character doing the exact opposite of what a logical person would do if faced with a serial killer or, in this case, a cult leader? With Opus, Edibiri’s character, Ariel Ekton seemed already aware of the unnerving things happening around her. You can see her scribbling in her notebook all her thoughts or what she considers red flags at the beginning of the “experience,” writing in bold and underlining twice, “CREEPY GREETER.”
Throughout the trailer, we see her facial expressions growing increasingly concerned as Moretti requires that “everyone be shaven,” someone is obviously (and not even trying to be subtle about it) following her as she jogs. Ariel asks Juliette Lewis’ character, Clara (aka “The most hated sex symbol on TV”), “Is this not alarming to you?”
John Malkovich is Alfred Moretti
We believe after seeing this film that it will be difficult for us to separate John Malkovich from his character, the unhinged Alfred Moretti. He’s scary without being over the top, which makes it even creepier.
Murray Bartlett’s “What the f— is this?”
The trailer ending with Murray Bartlett’s character saying, “What the f— is this?” is *chef’s kiss*. It perfectly summarizes what the audience also felt after watching the trailer (and likely the entire movie after its release).
Opus is scheduled for a theatrical release on March 14.
