Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Opus.Being a musical horror film from A24, Opus features a distinctive soundtrack designed to entrance and unsettle its audience. Written and directed by Mark Anthony Green, the 2025 movie Opus follows a journalist who is invited to a popular but recluse singer’s desert community to hear his comeback album, only to learn that her host is the leader of a religious cult with much bigger plans. Though Opus has received mixed reviews, the songs heard in the movie add to the film’s quirky and hypnotic charm.
To build up Alfred Moretti, John Malkovich’s character in Opus, the film’s soundtrack features original music created by Grammy Award-winning artists The-Dream and Nile Rodgers. On top of that, Malkovich himself sings these songs as Moretti in the movie, making his performance as the villainous pop star even more layered and compelling. Since the film centers around a mysterious singer, it’s fitting that 2025’s Opus, currently in theaters, shared some new tunes to give audiences a unique viewing experience.
Song |
Artist |
---|---|
Maggot Brain |
Funkadelic |
Dina, Simone |
The-Dream and Nile Rodgers |
Tomorrow |
The-Dream and Nile Rodgers |
35mm |
The-Dream and Nile Rodgers |
DLZ |
TV on the Radio |
When Every Song On The Opus Soundtrack Plays In The Movie
Opus’s Soundtrack Has Five Songs, Including Three Originals
“Maggot Brain” by Funkadelic: The first song on Opus‘s soundtrack is “Maggot Brain” by Funkadelic. This psychedelic tune plays in the film’s opening sequence, which shows the mysterious Moretti from behind, performing before a stadium filled with fans. As people are shown dancing and rocking out to Moretti, Funkadelic’s song underlines how the film’s charismatic pop singer puts people under his spell like the cult leader he is.
“Dina, Simone” by The-Dream and Nile Rodgers: The first original song written for Opus, “Dina, Simone” by The-Dream and Nile Rodgers, plays during the montage following the announcement of Moretti’s comeback album. Portrayed as Moretti’s most popular song, “Dina, Simone” is heard as people around the world sing along to it, building excitement for Moretti’s return to the spotlight. The song thus conveys Moretti’s fame and further displays the artist’s power over countless people.
“Tomorrow” by The-Dream and Nile Rodgers: This second original song made for Opus is “Tomorrow” by The-Dream and Nile Rodgers. At the request of Moretti, Ayo Edebiri’s Opus protagonist Ariel plays this song in her room at the singer’s commune on the first night of her stay there, giving her the first sample of his comeback album. As security cameras show Ariel and the other guests listening to the song, “Tomorrow” conveys how Moretti has them all in the palm of his hand as his plan for fame and revenge begins.
“35mm” by The-Dream and Nile Rodgers: The third song made specifically for Opus is “35mm” by The-Dream and Nile Rodgers. Moretti performs this song for Ariel and his other guests in the Listening Room at his commune. As Moretti erotically dances with everyone in his golden armor, “35mm” and its Sєxual lyrics make for an unsettling but alluring experience that shows more of the singer’s magnetic persona. It all makes Emily’s sudden sickness even more jarring, further showing that something sinister is afoot.
“DLZ” by TV on the Radio: The final song that plays in Opus is “DLZ” by TV on the Radio. It begins to play when the credits roll in the middle of Ariel’s TV interview about her book on Moretti and his cult. The song’s lyrics convey her overwhelming fear of the Levelists continued presence in the world. It also expresses her guilt over how her book brought greater attention to them and increased public interest in their ideas, unknowingly participating in Moretti’s plan as she tried to further her writing career.
Where To Listen To Opus’ Soundtrack
Danny Bensi And Saunder Jurriaans Composed The Score
The whole soundtrack for Opus is available to listen to on Apple Music and Spotify. The film’s three original songs are currently listed under the album, OPUS: The Moretti EP, though some listeners may have trouble playing “Tomorrow” and “35mm” at the time of this writing. The score composed by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans has yet to be released at this time. However, “Dina, Simone” had been shared with the public a month prior to Opus‘s debut in theaters, building hype for the movie and giving audiences a glimpse into Moretti and how he was able to sway countless fans with his music.