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.

Ever wish you could turn back time and invest in Amazon's early days? Well, buckle up because the AI revolution is offering a second chance.

In The Motley Fool's latest report, dive into the world of AI-powered innovation. Discover why experts are calling it "the rocket fuel of AI" and predicting a market cap 41 times larger than Amazon's.

Don't let past regrets hold you back. Take charge of your future and capitalize on the AI wave with The Motley Fool's exclusive report. Whether it's AI or Amazon, fortune favors the bold.

Novocaine starts with such an endearing romance, its stars nearly forgot they were making an action movie.

“We completely forgot about every other element of the movie, because that was what we started with when we were shooting,” Amber Midthunder tells Inverse. “Our first day was our by far most intimate scene.”

Midthunder stars as Sherry, one-half of Novocaine’s charming central relationship. She is the dream girl who shakes the mild-mannered Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) out of his sheltered, solitary inner world. Thanks to a neurological condition known as CIPA, Nate is impervious to pain — and while some may consider that a superpower, he has to work overtime to avoid accidental impalement... or worse. Still, that doesn’t stop him from experiencing pleasure, an idea that Novocaine dedicates its first act to exploring.

Watching Sherry and Nate fall in love, it really is hard to remember that Novocaine isn’t actually a rom-com. But that doesn’t last long: before our lovebirds can bask in their honeymoon era, they find themselves caught in a violent robbery at the bank where they both work.