User reviews

Jake Gyllenhaal as a snooty art critic? Paintings that come alive and murder people? What's not to enjoy? While Velvet Buzzsaw definitely has some B-movie horror elements to it, it's still a pretty fun and entertaining critique of the materialistic and cutthroat art scene. This movie isn't meant to be taken too seriously and if you don't, you'll probably have a good time with it.

An interesting art-world satire with horror overtones and a stellar cast that performed great.

The directing was exceptionally good, with fantastic imagery and creative camera shots.

The concept of the story was well done, as were the S/VFX, but the writing was a little all over the place, choppy and too ambitious with its 113 min run time, although the pacing was decent.

A unique film with excellent performances. Would I recommend it? If you're the artsy type and enjoy horror film. Would I see it again? No.

It's a 7/10 from me.

There is something so original about this film, which is basically a group of pretentious art experts being done to death by art.

I'll applaud it for imagination, for being unique, and for featuring some incredibly good scenes, in particular the demise of Josephina, but the real winner here has to be the acting. The cast are incredibly good, when you have Jake Gyllenhaal and Toni Collette in a film together you know it'll be pretty good. Gyllenhaal is absolutely terrific, and steals the show.

I really did enjoy the concept, it's one of those films I liked, but wouldn't particularly rush to watch again, I think once you have seen the surprises once, it kind of doesn't have much else in terms of content.

Bizarre movie with a cool concept. It was one of those movies that I went into thinking it would be complete bs but I was strangely drawn to it and ended up really enjoying it.

Art. Art is life is art is complicated is art is... It's existed from the first footprints we as humans left in the sand. It encapsulates our culture and behaves as a total entity and form of energy that changes, and changes the open mind. It's existence is transcendent and can be so in various instances within itself. This fact, makes the art forms about art very intriguing and cerebral, and most assuredly will offer something for anyone willing to partake. One such example of this, in every respect stated thus, is the new motion picture, compellingly titled "Velvet Buzzsaw" from Netflix and written/Directed by Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler). The film, which opens this weekend, is a psychological horror/thriller of high intellectual proportions; It's intelligent, crafty and unlike most of it's peers, manages to act as an adult horror movie while also giving it's audiences something to think about. The story is a full-blown ensemble adagio, surrounding a community of art enthusiasts who come in to some form of connection with a collection of art from a recently deceased hermit, named Dease. Those who come in to it's orbit, soon start to experience their lives taking a menacing turn. Writer/Director Gilroy gives the audience his trademark anti-ageist casting of wife Rene Russo, stellar as always, the role of a feisty, strong and driven female of her certain age, and still allows her to be seen as sexy, vibrant, and relevant, while pairing her with her Nightcrawler co-star Jake Gyllenhaal (who also does a great job) as a sexually confused art Critic. They are joined in great unison by Toni Collette - in a fierce turn - who steals every scene she's in as a zesty, and social art agent, Zawe Ashton, who gives a harrowing performance as an opportunistic young woman, drawn to the financial benefits of dealing art, and in a touching, humane performance, John Malkovich as the conscientious but tortured artist himself. All characters are creatively woven together in a regime that is both unique and old fashioned (think Robert Altman). Other top notch performers of note include Natalia Dyer (Stranger Things), Daveed Diggs (The Get Down), and Tom Sturridge. Gilroy's story acts as an existential look at good art versus bad art, examining if there is even a difference, how it affects us as human beings, and pleads with the audience to decide whether or not the characters infatuation with a dead man's art, infatuation or a portal to their own greed, should be equivocally mandated to the audiences' own desires and expectations from the very film they are viewing, or the art of film itself. With dialogue that is quicker and wittier than the speed of sound riding the speed of light, and a musical score by noted genre composer Marco Beltrami (the Scream series) that gleefully winks at it's listeners, the film delivers a unique and ultimately satisfying thrill ride into the human psyche. It's riddled with "blink and you'll miss it" nuances and fashionista references in apparel and glamour, which causes the film to emanate an atmosphere akin to that of Irvin Kirshner's Eyes of Laura Mars, or Brian De Palma's Dressed to Kill. The execution of the material, for the most part works. We get an idea of what's going on, with just enough inference to keep us postulating and are always kept one step ahead of the story. In fact, Gilroy's focus on his direction of the actors and their main action is so sharp, it distracts from background elements that might have been better explained if they'd been paid better attention to. In addition, the scrutiny of Gyllenhaal's character, and his sexual nature, could have been explored and parlayed more than seemed upon first viewing. However, Gilroy is a filmmaker with his mind on the matter, and as the film boasts such a farcical sense of humor, it's hard to allow any shortcomings to deter from enjoyment. In addition, Further viewings of the film may prove beneficial, as there seemed to be hidden gems that give a clue to what's really going on, popping up throughout the film. The overall purpose is accomplished - a very foreboding sense of danger is created. Juxtaposed against the art scene of Los Angeles - to which Gilroy uses to extremely marvelous effect (as usual) - is chic and slick, and were the film produced even ten years ago, might've created a catholic effect on cinema culture and might've been hailed so, for it's merits. It was refreshing to see only one backer in the opening credits (Netflix), and with any luck the film will catch on and find the audience it was intended for. Regardless, the film is certainly a bold one, that will fascinate it's viewers. With an echo of earlier genre classics as Bernard Rose's Candyman or Hideo Nakata's Ringu, spiced with a sly sense of humor, Buzzsaw Velvet is a piece of art that should affect a core audience who will return to it for further reference.

"Velvet Buzzsaw" has, at its bloody beating heart, a fantastically promising concept. However, the physical delivery of the potential thrills, spills and chills is nowhere near as satisfying as it could have been. I had been excited to see this movie after catching a glimpse of the trailer but, as the credits rolled, I felt disappointment wash over me.

There's a memorable moment, around the halfway mark, where a painting featuring monkeys comes to life. It's a beautiful scene and I was expecting more of the same. Sadly, the rest of the film doesn't live up to this set-piece.

The cast is great but there's something lacking from the movie. It has an uneven tone and doesn't live up to expectations.

Zawe Ashton gives a great performance as Josephina and Jake Gyllenhaal plays against type as the camp Vandewalt but the talents of Toni Collette and John Malkovich are woefully underused.

Good but not great. There are a few creepy moments but "Velvet Buzzsaw" fails to maintain an atmosphere of suspense.

7 out of 10.

This is different. Art is subjective, so you will either love it or hate it. The direction and cinematography fits it's theme of art.

Whilst it isn't a masterpiece and feels like a messy painting, it is something you can watch, enjoy and appreciate.

Jake Gyllenhaal is a gem and plays his character perfectly. Acting from the whole cast is top notch and something that definitely is worth watching the film for alone.

It does take a weird slasher horror route but it takes this genre convention and paints it with the right brush.

It's not gonna be for everyone but if you like something weird, twisted and different than you'll enjoy Velvet buzzsaw.

I ended up liking this more than the average reviewer star-giver, and that is a rare occurrence. The story does not so much center on as hover over various members of an inbred and self-aggrandizing art world, attractive people on the outside, but semi-aware of their corrupt practices of stealing each others' clients and assuring a nice return off their wealthy clients. As attractive and well maintained as it is immoral. Into this self assured world come the works of an outside artist, apparently deceased, whose work is brilliant (And very reminiscent of the actual artist H.R. Giger, who gave the Alien francise its unique look). It offers what several of our favorite characters believe to be a free ride, major returns from ignorant clients on the work of an artist who can't complain and is safely out of the picture (they think).

Our actors form a picturesque ensemble: Rene Russo as the owner of a gallery, Zawe Ashton and Natalie as workers, Toni Collette as an art expert making the move from museum drudge to highly paid consumer representative. Artists played by Daveed Diggs, and John Malkevich; and our main character, Jake Gyllenhaal as an oh-so-precious art reviewer who can make and break your ordinary artist by his mastery of relational high-sounding artistic gibberish.

The writing is good. The music and soundtrack selections well placed. I found the movie quite entertaining. The horror theme is somewhat pasted on and not totally seamless with the plot.

I think those most critical of the movie might place more importance on the criticisms/ satires of the art world that are part of the movie. Also maybe if they are more serious about their horror. For me, I enjoyed the action, the interplay of relationships and the devolution of people into the horror element.

I just saw it and the truth is that I liked it. It seems ironic that it has such a low score in IMDb, although that site is not such a realiable source anymore. Still I think it would have been nice to see this story told in episodes and not in a movie. I feel that if they had done a tv series, maybe it would have been much better. As for the story, it really seemed novel (or at least interesting), as a reader of comics, I found myself thinking that it could have been the plot of some bizarre pretty much unknown comic.

This is Not High-Art, it is a Throwback to William Castle, Roger Corman Silly-Shocks Schlock with Nothing in Mind Other than to Titillate, Terrify, All in the Spirit of Having a Good-Time with it All.

This Film has a Luxury that the Aforementioned Assembly-Line Auteurs Did Not.

Thanks to "Netflix" and their Deep Pockets, Writer-Director Dan Gilroy has All the Money in the World with Access to A-List Stars, and the Latest Digital Toys to Play With.

It's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" Turned on its Head, with the Vibes of "A Bucket of Blood" (1959), "The Horrors of the Black Museum" (1959), and "13 Ghosts (1960) with some Added for 21st Century Spice and Sensibilities.

It's a Nightmare for "Art" and Other Cultural Critics Whose Bad Reviews Return to Bite Them in the Behind.

Horror Movie and Pop-Culture Fans in General Should Have a Hoot with this Pretentious, Playful, Gory Conglomerate of the Snobby-Creative-Arts and the Cut-Throat Shenanigans Employed for "One-Upmanship" and an Edge Over the Competition.

There's Nothing in "Velvet Buzzsaw" that's Going to Win Awards or "God-Forbid" have Critics Raving About a "New Direction" or any Such Hyperbole. But it Can't be Denied that this is a Colorful, Sometimes Silly, Sometimes Terrifying Movie that is what is Required as a Minimum.

It is Entertaining and ...

Worth a Watch.

If you've ever been snobbed or even just irritated by ridiculous art critics -- or any critics of anything, for that matter -- this is a very enjoyable movie. Some hilarious lines along the way.

After i saw the trailer i was so pumped to see this movie, especially starring jake gyllenhaal and toni colette. My expectations were soo high... my fault! All in all i enjoyed it, but i also think that there was so much more potential in this. But for me not that bad as a lot of people say. The acting was great and the story and characters were so not relatable that i enjoyed it hahaa

This is a straight-up satire of the amoral denizens of the contemporary art world. It is also infused with a loopy, early 1970s AIP (American International Pictures) sensibility (such as in the "Dr. Phibes" movies) where a bunch of snooty, awful people get their comeuppance in a variety of creative manners. Add a little dose of television's "Rod Serling's Night Gallery" (where inanimate objects were frequently coming to "life" and wreaking havoc) and a splash of "Final Destination" set pieces and there you have it. Taking this movie as anything but a very dark comedy is a mistake. Does it succeed? Somewhat. It's certainly a lot of pretty people and lovely cinematography but I can see how it suffers from an identity crisis.

Velvet Buzzsaw

-2019

"The admiration I had for your work has completely evaporated"

So Velvet Buzzsaw is Original and that in itself is warrant a watch. Both pretentious and elegant, Velvet is somewhat on the classy side of horror.

I guess the story is simple enough. Set in a world of Art, money, fakenes and critics, Velvet Buzzsaw tells the story of discovered art left by a dead man. When his paintings are stolen by folks in the 'biz' and go up for sale, a supernatural entity murders anyone who profited from his work. It's a cool idea, a nice change from the norm. The cast was fantastic, with our friend Mr Jake Gyllenhaal playing Morf, a troubled bisexual art critic being the stand out. Again he proves that he can do anything. An legend in the making, the next DiCaprio even but hey enough of the boy crush right?? The rest of the cast was fantastic, each playing their role to a T. Zawa Aston who played Josephina played a real b word out of greed and I hated her. Great job haha.

The cinematography was beautiful, from the colours to the camera angles to the CGI, everything blended well. The moving art scenes where the painting moved etc where just awesome. And that soundtrack....👍

So much had me loving it. Maybe I'm easily pleased, maybe I was just waiting so damn long for something different that it peaked my interests. It's not a perfect film by any means and I'll admit after the first 2 acts, which sucked me right In, the 3rd act felt a lil rushed. No spoilers here don't worry.

Look I started it because I was bored and to lazy to go to the media room and pick a disc so I netflix'd and chilled and it grabbed me from the start. It was fun at the least, maybe not for everyone due to the subject but I'd recommend it, if only for being outta the box. If ya seen it,let me know what you thought

I enjoyed the film but I think it would have been better served as an 8 to 10 episode series. I would've loved to know more about Dease, Russo's former band, and the significance of the song lyrics that Malvovich's character reads. Like Nightcrawler, this film rolls to a boil and requires patience but is definitely worthy of viewing.

I've watched this movie twice. The first time I gave it a go, I did not understand a single thing about it, and neither did my sister, so we both kind of laughed it off and agreed that it's one of those films that's not meant for large audiences. Which is true enough.

But then we decided to watch it again, this time going into it just for the entertainment factor, and that's when the movie shined. It's over the top, it's very much an art house, and, most importantly, it recognizes that. Velvet Buzzsaw is a brilliant satire on the world of modern art and the people in it. It's funny, and it's scary, and it's just overall insane. All the actors do a phenomenal job at portraying completely out-of-touch characters, and pretty much at no point in the film does one know where it's about to go next. It's so extremely underrated but it is honestly one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen. Just don't take it seriously, because that's the character's job.

VELVET BUZZSAW defies categorization. It reads as a comedy, a horror movie or a parody thereof, and a melodrama all rolled into one. It's not, however, the hot mess you'd expect. It works somehow.

From time to time, the Hollywood arts "community" gets it right in holding a mirror up to itself. The characters in this film fancy themselves as cultured elites. In reality -- just like so many of the celebrities our culture vaunts -- they're shallow, venal, smug, and obnoxious. Every one of their comical deaths will bring a smile to your face.

All credit to Jake Gyllenhaal and Renee Russo for delivering excellent performances. Not only does their excellent chemistry from NIGHTCRAWLER remain intact, they also clearly enjoyed peeling the veneer of respectability off the lifestyles of the rich and undeserving.

VELVET BUZZSAW is a thoroughly entertaining film that's difficult to categorize and, as such, it works on multiple levels. I suspect it may be deeper than it appears on first viewing. Recommendation: Watch.

Following Dan Gilroy's recurrent themes of how an aspect of society has become perverted, Velvet Buzzsaw is an effective addition. Like Nightcrawler and Roman J. Isreal Esq. it has something to say and says it brilliantly. Avoiding characters outright explaining what the movie has to say at the end, it does what a good film with a message should, send the message with implication, and not monologues. It showcases characters who don't know which side of the line of authenticity they're on, in an art world where the money is more important than the art, hence how the industry has become perverted. But watching these inauthentic and greedy people is for some reason hilariously engaging. Watching these characters boil over the most petty aspects of life in high class society is comedic in itself, but you still understand where they come from. Obviously, out of the cast Jake Gyllenhaal stands out, and solidly embodies the most interesting character in the story. Although it's smart in its themes and characters, it occasionally falls into the cliches that comes with the genre that it's in, when its time for the horror aspect of the story. And the closer the movie comes to its ending the more the narrative splinters in too many directions, and offers little explanation. But the movie is (mostly) satisfying. Overall, Velvet Buzzsaw is a cliched horror with something to say, and says it with effortless ease. So I give it a 7.4.

The idea of this film and the story line are great. It couldv been a top rated horror/thriller but the way it ends is just a complete let down. If they wouldv made a better ending it could of even lead onto a sequel. But unfortunately they missed the mark.

This is the kind of movies which you have no idea how they are going to end. The cast is obviously excellent. The script was good. In all honesty, I was a bit bored at first. But half way through, I was hooked. This movie has some Final Destination vibe but takes it in a totally different direction. I like it.

Recommended.

Quirky little movie. If tou watched everything you can think of and can't find more quirky movies go watch this. I like 'out of the ordinary' movies and this falls under that category. If you do too, I recommend it