Opus ending explained: What happened to Ariel?

Opus is a thriller starring Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, and Juliette Lewis that was introduced at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Written and directed by Mark Anthony Green, the film was released theatrically on March 14, 2025, by A24.

The official synopsis, as mentioned on IMDb, is as follows:

A writer travels to the compound of a pop icon who disappeared years ago. Surrounded by his cult of sycophants, as well as a group of fellow journalists, she soon discovers his twisted plans for the gathering.

In this article, we explore the film's ending, especially the fate of the film's lead character, Ariel Ecton.

(This article contains spoilers about the plot and ending of the film Opus.)

What is the plot of Opus?

Opus tells the story of a writer, Ariel Ecton, played by Ayo Edebiri. She visits an isolated compound that belongs to a pop star who had mysteriously disappeared around three decades ago. She discovers the place is filled with journalists as well as supporters of a cult. The pop star, Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich), has hosted the event. Slowly, Ariel realizes the true and sinister motive of the congregation.

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How does Opus end?

Ariel realizes towards the end of Opus that something is off about the gathering. She plans to leave after a puppet show but is captured immediately while the other guests are attacked. When her eyes open, Ariel finds herself in the middle of a mass su*cide. However, one of the people present lets her leave.

The next morning, she arrives with cops and sees Moretti is still there with bodies lying all over the place. He is arrested but the real twist comes when he reveals that he wanted Ariel to escape so that she could tell the world about him and his cult called Level. He wanted her to be alive so that she could go out and write/talk about his cult, which would draw more attention.

This is also the primary reason Moretti decided to do all those k*llings at the gathering. He had curated a list of guests who had hurt him in some way. The cult leader decided to use the little excuses to end the lives of many of his guests. Moretti is obsessed with achieving perfection, and it turns out that he hid the fact that the cult members were not all dead.

Through the story, Opus explores how society blindly follows celebrities and pop stars. The film showcases the ills of blind faith and how it can force people to do just about anything.

In an interview with IndieWire, director, Mark Anthony Green revealed that he designed Opus to be like a pop song. He said:

"I made the film like a pop song. Experiencing it in a theater with people, with that sound, and other people’s energy and reactions, it’s like going to a concert, and I guarantee it will be one of the most fun theatrical experiences you’ll have this year."

Besides exploring the concept of blind following, the film also touches upon how the craving for fame can change people. Ariel became famous towards the end by writing about the cult, but she was no longer the same person. One can question if all that she went through for the success was worth it.

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