Ayo Edibiri stars in the horror movie Opus, and though it looked promising, it ultimately ended a major streak for her after her breakout role in The Bear. Ayo Edbiri is no newcomer, with her acting career starting in 2014 in an episode of the TV series Detective. In 2020, she became the new voice of Missy Foreman-Greenwald in Big Mouth, and that same year, she made her big-screen debut in the romantic drama Cicada. However, Edibiri rose to fame when she was cast as Sydney Adamu in The Bear, a role that has earned her praise from critics and general audiences.
The Bear follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a young and talented chef who inherits his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop after the death of his older brother. Carmy has to deal with the debts left by his brother, the terrible conditions of the kitchen, and stubborn staff members, while also struggling with family trauma, pain, and grief. Carmy hires Sydney to help him at the restaurant, and they develop a strong bond. Edibiri has since been part of different movies, most recently Opus, which is now ending a major streak for her after a series of successes on the big screen.
Opus Is Ayo Edibiri’s First Movie With A Rotten Score On Rotten Tomatoes
Opus Currently Has A 39% Critics Score On Rotten Tomatoes
Written and directed by Mark Anthony Green, Opus is a horror thriller that tells the story of Ariel Ecton (Edibiri), a writer who travels with a group of journalists to the compound of pop icon Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich), who disappeared years ago. Ariel and the rest are lured in under the promise of an “exclusive listening experience”, but it quickly turns into a disturbing, cult-like experience with Moretti as the leader. Opus is scheduled for a March 14, 2025 release, but the first reviews and reactions are already in.
At the time of writing, Opus has a 39% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 36 reviews, making it Edibiri’s first “rotten” movie. Her highest-rated movie to date is the 2021 comedy As of Yet, with 100% (though based on seven reviews), followed by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem with 95%, and Bottoms and Inside Out 2 with 91%. Before Opus, Edibiri’s lowest-rated movie was the 2023 surreal road movie The Sweet East, with an 81% critics’ score.
Why Opus’ Rotten Tomatoes Score Is So Low
Opus Didn’t Live Up To Expectations
Opus looked quite promising for different reasons. The concept of a cult led by an eccentric pop icon isn’t something unique to fiction, as it can definitely happen in the real world, and having Edibiri, Malkovich, and Juliette Lewis as part of its cast was key to selling the movie to the audience. Unfortunately, even though it had potential, Opus doesn’t seem to live up to this, according to the first reactions to it.
Critics have found that Opus doesn’t deliver on its promising premise, doesn’t have a clear tone and direction, its horror elements don’t quite work, and feels too much like a mix of influences (with some comparing it to The Menu, Get Out, and Blink Twice). The performances of Edibiri and Malkovich haven’t been enough to save Opus from bad critical reception, but some critics have called it a solid feature debut for Green, an entertaining movie, and appreciate the ideas thrown into it, even if most are undeveloped.
Opus’ popcornmeter score could make a difference, as it’s not uncommon for movies with poor critical reception to be better received by general audiences.
Once Opus is released in theaters, its critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes will most likely change, but given the initial reactions, it’s unlikely it will go high enough to stop being “rotten.” However, Opus’ popcornmeter score could make a difference, as it’s not uncommon for movies with poor critical reception to be better received by general audiences.
Ayo Edibiri’s Only Rotten Scores On RT Predate The Bear
Ayo Edibiri’s Pre-The Bear Career Is Very Different
Ayo Edibiri’s impeccable Rotten Tomatoes streak before Opus is only about her film projects, but on TV, her track record is very different. Edibiri has two “rotten” scores on TV thanks to the 2019 sitcom Sunnyside, where she served as staff editor and writer, and the 2021 anthology series The Premise, where she appeared in the episode “Social Justice Sєx Tape.” These, however, are projects before Edibiri joined The Bear (which currently has a 96% critics score), and those that have come after are rated a lot higher.
Opus ended Ayo Edibiri’s incredible Rotten Tomatoes streak, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the start of a disappointing trend.
In 2023, Edibiri voiced Harriet Tubman in Clone High, which has a 100% critics’ score, and in 2024 she joined Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as April O’Neil, which also has a 100% critics score. Opus ended Ayo Edibiri’s incredible Rotten Tomatoes streak, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the start of a disappointing trend, more so as she has two more movies coming up: Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt and the comedy Ella McCay.
