Greetings again from the darkness. Movies have focused on the burden of celebrity (A STAR IS BORN, BETTER MAN), the challenges facing journalists (SPOTLIGHT, SHATTERED GLASS), the lure of power and control (WALL STREET, THERE WILL BE BLOOD), and the impact of cults (MIDSOMMER, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE), yet it's the feature film directorial debut of Mark Anthony Green (who also wrote the screenplay) that attempts to tackle all of these topics. It's an ambitious undertaking that has some moments, but mostly leaves us wishing it had chosen a path and delivered a strong message about something. Ayo Edebiri ("The Bear") stars as Ariel Ecton, a frustrated wannabe writer who can't get a break at the magazine where she's employed. Despite her creative story ideas, her boss, Stan Sullivan (Murray Bartlett, "The White Lotus") sees her as an untrained rookie best suited to 'taking notes'. Even her friend Kent (Young Mazino) confesses that she's not rich enough or poor enough to have an interesting perspective, and that she needs some real-life experiences to find her voice. And just like that, her opportunity arises! Ariel and Stan, are invited to the new album release for a reclusive music legend who has been out of the scene for nearly thirty years. These two, along with a few other journalists/influencers (Juliette Lewis, Mark Sivertsen, Stephanie Suganami) are invited to the compound of Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich), located in the middle of Nowhere Nebraska. Most of the invited group play up to Moretti's whims, but it's Ariel who is most intrigued by the cult-like atmosphere of blue-robed folks identifying as part of Level, a community of like-minded soles who serve no apparent purpose other than partaking in funky hobbies and fulfilling Moretti's wishes. The word 'sycophants' is emphasized for those not catching on. Moretti's new album is entitled "Caesar's Request", and we hear a couple of songs (music by Nile Rogers and The-Dream). But the story isn't really about the music, and we aren't really sure what it's about until an awkward encounter towards the end of the movie that attempts to spell things out. Tony Hale ("Veep") is Moretti's agent, Soledad Yusef, appearing via a publicity video, and like much of what we see here, provides a glimmer of hope for direction. Beyond the topics listed above (celebrity, power, journalism, cult), this one seems to be most connected to the danger of control. A similar comparison would be THE MENU, another film with a strong cast. The difference is that film was direct in its approach, while Mark Anthony Green's film forces viewers to work too hard for too little reward. The film would have benefitted from a more risky and dramatic approach. Still, what a treat to see Malkovich strutting his ego around the compound. Opens in theaters on March 14, 2025.

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