Directed by

Mark Anthony Green
Made by

A24
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Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Opus (2025). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Pop superstar Alfred Moretti announces his first new album in 30 years and invites six guests to a listening party at his Utah compound: journalists Stan Sullivan and Ariel Ecton, talk show host Clara Armstrong, influencer Emily Katz, paparazza Bianca Tyson, and radio shock jock Bill Lotto. Their invitations come with assorted merch, the new album, and a book.
Upon arrival, a staff of denim-clad cultists collects everyone’s devices, and Moretti presents himself as a member of the Levelists — a cult that reveres the book given to each guest. Ariel feels unsettled by the atmosphere, while the others are thrilled to be in Moretti’s orbit.
Each guest is assigned a Levelist as a personal concierge. Belle is Ariel’s concierge, but she keeps a constant, intrusive watch rather than tending to her needs. As Bill unwinds with a massage, he disappears the next day; the Levelists insist he’s fine and merely resting.
Ariel engages Moretti in a discussion about Levelist ideology. When she asks what Levelists actually do, he demonstrates by showing a cultist shucking oysters. Moretti explains that they search for pearls to make into necklaces. During the “Fashioning” segment, Ariel undergoes a makeover and is forced to shave her pubic hair, a moment met with awkward laughter from the rest of the guests before they’re taken to watch Moretti perform a song.
During the show, Emily experiences a debilitating coughing fit and is removed from view. Afterward, Ariel raises concerns about the Levelists’ control and the disappearances of Emily and Bill. Stan is dismissive until he is shot in the shoulder by a young Levelist who apologizes profusely.
Ariel slips away from Belle and discovers the guests’ phones stored in a taxidermy facility, rendered useless. She’s too distressed to notice Bill’s decapitated corpse nearby. She gathers her things and asks to leave, but Moretti persuades her to attend a puppet show while she waits for a bus home. The guests are positioned in beanbag chairs to watch a puppet of Billie Holiday being interviewed by paparazzi rats.
Ariel is jolted when her chair moves. Emily claws her way out of it, and Moretti finally admits to poisoning her. The Levelists attack the guests, killing Stan and Bianca. Ariel flees to a replica of Moretti’s childhood home, where Bill’s head is mounted on a wall. She also discovers cyanide and champagne. Belle tracks Ariel down and overpowers her.
Ariel regains consciousness at a ritual where the Levelists drink champagne. One cultist frees her, and she escapes. When she returns with the police, Moretti calmly plays the piano, surrounded by the corpses of his five guests.
Two years later, Ariel’s book about the experience becomes a bestseller. The Levelists’ bodies have not been found, and Moretti sits behind bars serving life sentences for the murders of his guests. He summons Ariel for an interview and reveals that the Levelists are alive and well, scattered through society. The massacre, he claims, was a calculated ploy to drive Ariel to write a book that would inadvertently promote Levelism.
Follow the complete movie timeline of Opus (2025) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Invitation to the listening party
Pop icon Alfred Moretti announces a new album after 30 years and invites six guests to a listening party at his Utah compound. Each invitation includes merchandise, the new album, and a book, setting a glamorous but ominous tone. The guests travel to the compound, unaware of the deeper plan behind the gathering.
Devices seized and the Levelists reveal themselves
Upon arrival, the guests' electronic devices are collected by staff of denim-clad cultists. Moretti presents himself as a Levelist while the others revel in the spectacle. The atmosphere shifts from excitement to a controlled, eerie order as the group enters deeper into the cult's world.
Concierges assigned
Each guest is assigned a Levelist concierge to tend to their needs. Belle is tasked with Ariel but instead surveils her relentlessly, signaling that surveillance and control are central to the experience. The power dynamics begin to tilt away from hospitality toward coercion.
Bill Lotto attacked
Bill unwinds with a massage, and an unseen assailant strikes him. He disappears the next day, with the Levelists insisting he is fine and simply resting. The selective disappearances hint at a growing danger lurking within the party.
Pearls and Levelist philosophy
Ariel speaks with Moretti about what Levelists do, and he demonstrates by showing a cultist shucking oysters. They talk of pearls to make into necklaces, symbolizing the group's search for hidden value and unity. The moment reveals the cult's ritualistic mindset.
Fashioning segment and makeover
During the Fashioning segment, Ariel is given a makeover and forced to have her pubic hair shaved. The other guests awkwardly laugh or shrug, trying to maintain politeness amid the disturbing demand. They are then herded to watch Moretti perform a song, cementing the surreal control of the evening.
Emily's coughing fit and removal
Emily Katz experiences a debilitating coughing fit and is taken away from the party. Afterward, Ariel raises concerns about the Levelists' controlling behavior and the disappearances, but is met with dismissiveness. The episode establishes Emily's vulnerability and the group's chilling grip on the guests.
Stan shot while voicing concern
Ariel's warnings hit resistance from Stan, who is busy dismissing her concerns when a Levelist shoots him in the shoulder. The assailant apologizes profusely afterward, revealing the unsettling normalization of violence within the group. The incident marks a turning point toward open danger.
Phones found in taxidermy facility
Ariel discovers the guests' phones stored in a taxidermy facility, rendered useless by the Levelists. In the same moment, Bill's decapitated corpse lies nearby, a grim reminder of the deadly stakes at the party. Ariel is too distressed to notice the horror surrounding her.
Puppet show summons a grim spectacle
Moretti convinces Ariel to attend a puppet show while she waits for a bus home. The guests are seated in beanbag chairs and forced to watch a Billie Holiday puppet interview, watched by paparazzi rats. The unsettling performance heightens the sense that reality has become a staged nightmare.
Emily dies from poisoning
During the show, Emily experiences worsening symptoms and is eventually poisoned, which Moretti confirms. The Levelists launch a coordinated attack, killing Stan and Bianca as Ariel flees toward safety. The night escalates from manipulation to lethal massacre.
Ariel flees to Moretti's childhood home replica
Ariel escapes to a replica of Moretti's childhood home, encountering further horrors including Bill's head mounted on a wall. Belle confronts and overpowers Ariel, tightening the circle of control. The chase culminates in a dangerous standoff inside the ritual spaces.
Ritual liberation and escape
Ariel regains consciousness during a Levelist champagne ritual, and a cultist frees her. She escapes with the police soon after, but the evidence of the massacre remains locked behind Moretti's calm exterior. The ritual underscores the cult's sinister symbolism and continuity.
Moretti's arrest and aftermath
Ariel returns with the police to confront Moretti, who is calmly playing the piano among the corpses of his guests. The scene confirms the scale of the crime and Moretti's chilling detachment. The investigators secure the site, and Moretti is taken into custody.
Two years later: Bestseller and twist reveal
Ariel's tell-all book about her experience becomes a bestseller, while the Levelists' bodies remain unfound and Moretti serves life sentences. In a twist, Moretti summons Ariel for an interview and reveals that Levelists are still alive in society, and that the massacre was designed to push her to write a book that would propagate Levelism.
Explore all characters from Opus (2025). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri)
Ariel is a sharp, relentless journalist who senses something sinister behind Moretti's glamorous party. She challenges the Levelists’ control and refuses to be a passive observer. As the plot unfolds, she uncovers the extent of surveillance and manipulation, pushing toward escape and disclosure. Her experiences culminate in a bestselling memoir that reframes the events and what they reveal about power.
Alfred Moretti
A pop superstar who leverages fame to orchestrate a cult-like network, presenting himself as a benevolent caretaker while enforcing ruthless control. He uses ritual, performance, and fear to manipulate guests into compliance. His calm, calculating demeanor hides a willingness to commit murder to preserve his worldview. The massacre serves his ultimate plan: to weaponize Ariel’s book as a tool of Levelist propagation.
Belle
Belle acts as Ariel’s assigned Levelist concierge, masking surveillance as service. She relentlessly monitors Ariel, enforcing the Levelists’ rules with a cold efficiency. Her presence embodies the intimate, invasive nature of the cult’s control. She demonstrates how intimacy can be weaponized to maintain power.
Stan Sullivan
Stan is one of the invited journalists who underplays Ariel’s concerns, embodying the complacent media environment that surrounds Moretti. He becomes a casualty of the Levelists’ reach when he is shot, illustrating how the system protects its secrets. His skepticism contrasts with the others’ eagerness for access and spectacle. His fate underscores the danger of complicity in the party’s ecosystem.
Clara Armstrong
Clara is a talk show host drawn into the listening party’s glamor, highlighting the fusion of entertainment and power. Her presence signals how media figures can be co-opted to lend legitimacy to cult-like activities. She navigates the tension between curiosity and self-serving visibility. Her role emphasizes the blurred lines between interviewer and participant in a world of spectacle.
Emily Katz
Emily is an influencer defined by her media reach, invited to add star power to the event. Her health crisis during the party and subsequent absence heighten the sense of danger around Moretti’s operation. She becomes part of the broader media machine at the center of the Levelists’ plan. Her later prominence in Ariel’s book shows how influencer culture feeds into the true story.
Bianca Tyson
Bianca is a paparazza who captures the event’s glare and helps frame the guests for the public eye. Her presence illustrates how celebrity culture feeds the Levelists’ narrative. She becomes a casualty of the party’s deadly dynamics, symbolizing the cost of sensational coverage. Her death emphasizes the violence underlying the spectacle.
Bill Lotto
Bill is a radio shock jock whose persona thrives on controversy and provocation. He relaxes during a massage before disappearing, his absence signaling the collapse of the party’s safety net. His later discovery as a mounted head crystallizes the horror behind the celebration. He represents the shock-jock media culture that feeds the event’s exploitation.
Jorg
Jorg is one of the Levelists who moves through the party’s circles, contributing to the group’s plans. His actions unfold within the network of conspirators who orchestrate the night’s violence. He embodies the hidden structures that enable the Levelists' influence to spread. His role emphasizes the pervasiveness of organized control.
Najee
Najee is a Levelist who participates in the Planning and ritual components of the night. His presence highlights the collective nature of the cult and its willingness to sanction violence. He embodies the in-group pressure and loyalty that sustain the Levelists. His actions contribute to the escalating danger surrounding the guests.
Kent
Kent is listed among the guests, representing a typical participant in the listening party. The summary does not specify his particular actions, but his presence helps illustrate the broad appeal of Moretti’s world and the crowd he attracts. He serves as a reminder that danger can come from many ordinary participants, not just the leaders.
Lee
Lee is another guest whose exact role is not detailed in the summary. The character nonetheless participates in the event that spirals into violence and reveals how crowds can be complicit through passive involvement. His presence contributes to the sense of a large, unwitting audience for the Levelists’ macabre performances.
Rose Marley Meizlesh (Levelist #1)
Levelist #1 is part of the inner circle that enacts the Levelists’ plan. She embodies the cult’s organized and methodical nature, moving behind the scenes to enable the crimes. Her presence signals a coordinated effort to influence the guests and enforce loyalty. She represents the faceless machinery that powers the group.
Maude
Maude participates as a member of the guest roster in the listening party, adding to the ensemble of people drawn into Moretti’s orbit. The summary doesn’t detail her actions, but she contributes to the atmosphere of spectacle and tension that permeates the night. Her role underlines how a diverse crowd becomes complicit in a dangerous performance.
Learn where and when Opus (2025) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
Early 2020s
The events unfold in contemporary times, leveraging modern technology and media culture. Guests arrive with smartphones and social media expectations, while the Levelists orchestrate events that mimic a live spectacle. The story uses current communication tools to heighten suspense and reveal complicity among the media-driven crowd. The timeline culminates in a two-year aftermath that reshapes Ariel's life.
Location
Utah compound (Moretti's compound), Utah, United States
The action centers on Alfred Moretti's secluded compound in Utah, a gated estate that doubles as a cultural stage and a trap for its guests. The isolated desert setting intensifies the sense of control and surveillance exercised by the Levelists. Throughout the night, the venue becomes a theater of manipulation, violence and ritual, where appearances mask deadly intent. The compound's opulent facade contrasts with the grim reality unfolding inside.
Discover the main themes in Opus (2025). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
🕯️
Cult Control
A core thread shows how a charismatic leader uses ritual, surveillance, and social conditioning to bind people to a dangerous cause. Belle embodies the enforcement arm of the cult, watching Ariel and enforcing loyalty. The narrative exposes how devotion, belonging, and fear can be weaponized to justify violence. It also asks whether free will can survive under such domination.
📰
Media and Celebrity Obsession
The listening party is framed as a media circus that reveals how fame magnifies power and silences dissent. Journalists, influencers, and paparazzi create a web of spectacle around Moretti’s every move. Ariel's eventual bestselling memoir shows how personal trauma can be repurposed into public entertainment. The film critiques the commodification of truth under a media regime.
🎨
Art, Exploitation, and Truth
Art and performance are used as tools of influence, masking coercion and murder behind glamour. The pearls, puppet show, and staged moments blur lines between art and exploitation. Viewers are forced to question what is real in a world of curated myths and manipulated narratives. The story ultimately examines how truth can survive—or be perverted—within the spectacle.

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Unravel the ending of Opus (2025) with our detailed explanation. Understand the final scenes, character fates, and unresolved questions.
In the final moments of Opus, it is revealed that Ariel’s escape from Moretti’s cult was not accidental but part of his plan. Although she appeared to flee and was rescued by the police, Moretti had secretly orchestrated her escape to serve his own purpose—making her the unknowing vessel to spread the message of the Levelists. When the authorities arrive at the compound, they find the cult members seemingly dead and Moretti playing the piano amid the bodies, suggesting he had staged everything to create the illusion of a mass-suicide. However, Moretti later confesses that the cult members are alive and have simply reintegrated into society to continue their mission underground, awaiting their next move.
This twist underscores the film’s critique of celebrity obsession and blind fanaticism. Moretti’s motives are rooted in vanity, personal vendettas, and a desire for attention, rather than genuine spiritual or artistic enlightenment. His bizarre performances and exaggerated persona reflect his need for constant validation, which fuels his violent actions as a means to promote himself and his cult’s beliefs. The level of manipulation indicates that his acts of violence were driven not by fanatic devotion but by petty ego and self-centeredness.
Throughout the film, Ariel’s journey symbolizes the dangerous allure of celebrity culture—how fans are often easily deceived by charisma and spectacle, blindly following figures who manipulate their admiration. Her survival and subsequent fame come from her willingness to expose the horrors she witnessed, but the final reveal suggests that her escape, and thus her new life, was ultimately orchestrated by Moretti for his own gain. This leaves viewers pondering whether true escape from such influences is possible, or if we are all unwittingly part of a larger spectacle driven by those craving fame and control. Opus ends on a chilling note, emphasizing that the cycle of manipulation and obsession continues, often hidden beneath the surface of glitz and glamour.
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Opus (2025). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
The remote Utah compound of legendary pop icon Alfred Moretti looms like a modern sanctuary, a place where music, mythology and an almost ritualistic devotion intertwine. After a thirty‑year silence, Moretti announces the arrival of a new album and invites a handful of outsiders—journalists, influencers, and a curious writer—into his secluded world. The estate, perched amid stark desert vistas, feels both a lavish retreat and a carefully curated stage, its every detail humming with the promise of artistic revelation and an undercurrent of secrecy.
At the heart of the gathering is Ariel, a young writer drawn by the allure of forbidden access to a cultural myth. She arrives hopeful, notebook in hand, eager to capture the enigma of a star who vanished from public view decades ago. The compound’s inhabitants, a devoted circle of followers known as Levelists, treat each guest with a blend of reverence and measured choreography, offering curated experiences that blur the line between hospitality and performance. Their devotion to the mysterious “book” each guest receives hints at a belief system that is as alluring as it is opaque.
The atmosphere pulses with a tension that is both electric and unsettling. Amid sleek modernist interiors, whispered conversations, and the omnipresent soundtrack of Moretti’s looming comeback, the guests find themselves navigating an environment where art becomes a conduit for something deeper—and perhaps more disquieting. The tone oscillates between the glamorous decadence of a celebrity’s private world and the eerie intimacy of a closed community, inviting curiosity about what lies beneath the polished surface.
As Ariel settles into this enigmatic enclave, she senses that the invitation is more than a simple listening party. The juxtaposition of glittering creativity and the faint echo of controlled rituals suggests that every moment could be a piece of a larger, unsettling design. The film teases the audience with an atmosphere of anticipation, leaving us to wonder how far the allure of fame and the promise of revelation will pull those who dare to enter the secretive realm of Alfred Moretti and his devoted followers.
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