Read Mixed User Reviews for Velvet Buzzsaw

6

night4Mar 1, 2019

It's ok for a one-time viewing. Not something you'd ever want to watch again.

I'm rating it slightly higher than it deserves because it's kind of creative. The acting is good, but everything else is kinda bad.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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6

egoBorderMay 6, 2019

This movie is a bit of an enigma. For starters, being the second movie from a director whose first was critically acclaimed and focusing on the ultra-pretentious art world, you might expect it to be very pretentious. But surprisingly it's aThis movie is a bit of an enigma. For starters, being the second movie from a director whose first was critically acclaimed and focusing on the ultra-pretentious art world, you might expect it to be very pretentious. But surprisingly it's a very down-to-earth take on the competitive world of art...in fact maybe it's TOO simple. Because in the end this is a pretty standard horror movie, well-made but lacking any originality. It seems the writer and director got a little gun shy, because something a little more open-ended might have enhanced the experience. Still, not a waste of time and worth most of its running time.… Expand

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4

ahmedaiman1999Feb 1, 2019

Velvet Buzzsaw is thought-provoking, but not in a good way. My mind couldn't stop thinking throughout its 113 minute runtime; only to make sure if I'm really getting all what is going on, or the plot is so profound and smart that I'm onlyVelvet Buzzsaw is thought-provoking, but not in a good way. My mind couldn't stop thinking throughout its 113 minute runtime; only to make sure if I'm really getting all what is going on, or the plot is so profound and smart that I'm only seeing the surface of it. The dialogue sounded very sophisticated, and everything was very stylish. Alas, the movie is utterly pretentious, and isn't half intelligent as it tries to be. The movie just liked to overstylize while it tried to distract you from its overly-expository dialogue, and its incoherent plot. But this is just the tip of the iceberg!

Only five minutes through the movie, I could tell that Velvet Buzzsaw is nothing but a typical Netflix movie; not like Roma, but much more like Mute. The production design, for instance, is surprisingly cheap and poor (considering the movie is about Art) that made the movie looks more like an episode of a TV-Series than an actual movie. There are some stunning colorful shots, though. Thanks in large part to the cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood).

In the first 10 minutes we are introduced to many characters on after another who I wish if I cared about any of them. Aside from Josephina, played by Zawe Ashton, I was hardly invested in any of the characters. The stellar cast is not to blame of course; Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, and Toni Collette, they really did their best. What's worse than the overabundance of characters, whom I didn't care about, is that almost half of them are pretty much needless and don't have much to add to the story.

Dan Gilroy's use of foreshadowing is as unsubtle as it gets. I mean he abruptly quite literally focuses on particular things that would have a major role in the plot later on. Some of the images Gilroy throws right in your face are just for a satirical purpose. By the way, Velvet Buzzsaw falls completely flat as a satirical movie, If you haven't already expected that. Its satire is blatantly toothless and blunt.

The way Gilroy moves between the characters is quite impressive. It's slick, and also make you feel as if all the characters are suspicious, and always keep an eye on each other.

As a horror film, Velvet Buzzsaw doesn't have many horror elements, except some "scary" scenes and jumpscares scattered throughout the second half that are as laughably cheap as those you see in trashy dumb slasher horror flicks. As a result, the movie has a painfully inconsistent tone.

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't interested at some point in the story, and wanted to know what would happen. Nevertheless, that was only for about 10 minutes in the second act, and then the movie lost me again pretty quick.

I can't express how frustrated and underwhelmed I am, especially when the movie marks the second collaboration between one of my all-time favorite actors Jake Gyllenhaal and the talented filmmaker Dan Gilroy, after the first movie they made together, Nightcrawler, which is one of my all-time favorites, and one of the few movies I gave them the perfect score. It's not the first time though for Gilroy to disappoint me, for he did back in 2017 with his mediocre film, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Velvet Buzzsaw is the first 2019 movie I watch, and it's likely to be on my top 10 disappointing movies of 2019 at the end of the year! Low your expectations, because Velvet Buzzsaw is yet another Netflix movie.

(4/10)… Expand

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

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5

amheretojudgeFeb 1, 2019

So Much Buzzing And No Gossip To Follow.

Velvet Buzzsaw Gilroy has a daunting task to play, his decision to make majority of people love art by adding an horrifying ingredient into it fails on all levels. Did he stand a chance? Maybe. ThereSo Much Buzzing And No Gossip To Follow.

Velvet Buzzsaw

Gilroy has a daunting task to play, his decision to make majority of people love art by adding an horrifying ingredient into it fails on all levels. Did he stand a chance? Maybe. There was a promising concept and cast in his hands. But, he just wasn't up for it. This quirky comedy rather than a satirical one, comes off a bit eggy, as it imbalances the tone of the film. And also, I would blame the editing, it snaps from a comic scene to a suspenseful death, it ought to lose its grasp then and there. Plus, working on a familiar structure and no antic to follow, this so called horror never scares you. There is very less art to devour in here. For instance, despite of not sharing a definite theme, Gilroy's world is perpetually justifying, from all the scandals to the controversies, he puts each element on trial and there are no bars held on condemning them.

Another thing to explore in detail is Gyllenhaal's sharp three dimensional character. The whole physic of a critic is deconstructed brick by brick in every step which is Gilroy's ace in the game. Now, there is his and your window to draw in and snatch away the laughs. Gyllenhaal's very nature of criticizing every final bit is what factors the most on keeping this light and breezy; even a temporary spectacles given to him is judged without any control over himself. Speaking of whom, his performance is a straight out bullet.

Without any flinching, on writhing with fear or resisting the seduction power, he fabricates his performance with a weary eyes that speaks volumes and a flamboyant body language. He can switch back to that comic tone and jump in on a horrifying snap easily, and it's that commitment of doing so, that makes him help communicate his ideologies fluently. Parallel to him, lies Russo's character who sticks by to her performance with a panache and attitude that only Colette can and does match her on screen (kisses!).

Colette is completely underused or misused, either way she doesn't feel a threat as a character in storytelling to make you love or hate her. Ashten gets a much bigger role and stays true to it for the most part of it where the rest of the cast like Malkovich, Diggs and Dyer joins the Colette club. Surprisingly, for a film about art, there is very little creativity and originality on narration.

Each of those tensed horror staged show whispers nothing but cliched montages that obviously fails to conjure your fears. Is there a deep down message or a layer worth scratching on? No, it is definitely not something that we haven't already seen before. The only thing to be surprised and delighted about would be that it isn't unnecessarily dark or poignant, the chirpiness plastered by these characters as a public figure gets you down to that last station without any definite reason. Velvet Buzzsaw has a slick title and a concept, beyond that, this exhibition ought to be shut down.… Expand

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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6

Trineo99Feb 2, 2019

First of all, the plot is a unique one and sounds interesting on its own but the film decided that no it wasn’t. They started to throw in things that didn’t need to be in the film. It just started to slow down the film and at certain pointsFirst of all, the plot is a unique one and sounds interesting on its own but the film decided that no it wasn’t. They started to throw in things that didn’t need to be in the film. It just started to slow down the film and at certain points made it feel like it halted to a stop. Some of these plot points lead to scenes in the film that could have been taken out and change nothing. This ties in perfectly with my next thing which is the pacing. The film feels slow at the beginning of the film and because of it the last bit of it feels rushed. This is sad because the last fifteen minutes of the film is the most interesting part of it. The rest of the hour and fifty-two-minute movie is just boring and makes you keep checking the clock to see how much longer it is. Now, this would’ve been fine if the acting in this was able to grab your attention and hold on to and for some of the actors it does but the rest slips. Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays Morf Vandewalt, was the main person that you followed throughout this film and whenever he was on screen he had your attention. His character had the most development out of all of them, despite it taking a bit to develop. But one thing that did bug me is that he seemed to have been playing the same character that he did in 2014’s Nightcrawler. This could be because the same director of Nightcrawler, Dan Gilroy, directed this film. The ending of this film is just weird and ends abruptly with zero conclusion to the story. Finally, the music, composed by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, is great. Whenever you can hear the music it helps with the tension and makes you think something is going to happen. In the end, this film does have good underlying themes to it and a great Jake Gyllenhaal performance but is a slow burn.… Expand

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4

JLuis_001Feb 18, 2019

A painful disappointment. Boy I was incredibly disappointed. Especially because I expected a lot of this film and the truth is that I feel Netflix killed it with the trailer because that trailer really showed all the most relevant andA painful disappointment. Boy I was incredibly disappointed. Especially because I expected a lot of this film and the truth is that I feel Netflix killed it with the trailer because that trailer really showed all the most relevant and exciting scenes, which unfortunately also sold it as if it were a frontal horror film and it's not like that.

I don't usually complain about these things, especially because I don't usually see many trailers. I prefer to be surprised, but this film started making noise just a few months ago and when they released the images, I honestly thought that it would be a very interesting film but it's not. It's incredibly boring. The first hour is brutally boring

In addition, it wastes its interesting mystery and premise in a very simplistic way and frankly the cast leaves much to be desired. What a damn obsession of wasting John Malkovich for god's sake.

Jake Gyllenhaal tries and does a good job because he's the one you will remember once you finish the film but unfortunately, the final impression will be devastatingly forgettable. How **** annoying is that.… Expand

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6

MarkiniFeb 20, 2019

The movie is the Final Destination movies if they went to art school. The film does have an interesting concept. The death scenes are done in creative ways that are unexpected. However, the film takes itself to seriously in some parts and notThe movie is the Final Destination movies if they went to art school. The film does have an interesting concept. The death scenes are done in creative ways that are unexpected. However, the film takes itself to seriously in some parts and not serious enough in others. It tries very hard to use pretentious language to sound like they're smarter than you, which works in that you want them all to die.… Expand

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6

madarasi012Feb 7, 2019

Like the world it portrays, Velvet Buzzsaw is pretty but shallow, with nothing that is worth your time. The best thing about Velvet Buzzsaw is Jake Gyllenhaal and you’re better off seeing him in Dan Gilroy’s better attempt, Nightcrawler. ILike the world it portrays, Velvet Buzzsaw is pretty but shallow, with nothing that is worth your time. The best thing about Velvet Buzzsaw is Jake Gyllenhaal and you’re better off seeing him in Dan Gilroy’s better attempt, Nightcrawler. I don’t hate Velvet Buzzsaw, but I cannot think of one good reason to recommend it, largely in part to its failed combination of genres.… Expand

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6

mefirstoyFeb 9, 2019

A film with a lot to offer on its core, but poorly elaborated and completely dismembered. The juxtaposition of humor and horror is great, but it never takes you anywhere. Great performances, fantastic backstory on the mysterious artist but atA film with a lot to offer on its core, but poorly elaborated and completely dismembered. The juxtaposition of humor and horror is great, but it never takes you anywhere. Great performances, fantastic backstory on the mysterious artist but at the end, just a film that tries to be too smart and ends up being too silly.… Expand

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5

marcmifsudFeb 2, 2019

BREAKDOWN:

Writing: Velvet Buzzsaw struggles to find motivation. Although it may be hidden under the pile of obscurity it creates, it is seemingly not there. There is no rhyme or reason why the characters that die are the ones that die. IfBREAKDOWN:

Writing: Velvet Buzzsaw struggles to find motivation. Although it may be hidden under the pile of obscurity it creates, it is seemingly not there. There is no rhyme or reason why the characters that die are the ones that die. If this is the case of the "no motivation killer" such as 'Halloween' then perhaps not enough characters died. Some characters are left in the end to live and you are left wondering why and how they fit into the puzzle besides relationships to other characters. And speaking of the character relationships, most of them in this film have no purpose and are there to give a bit more life to the characters. They in no way fit into the plot and just make the film feel like 'Sex and the City'. 4/10

Performances: With the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal and Toni Collette, how could this film not have good acting? Gyllenhaal's mental breakdown and degradation are some of the high points in the movie. I only wish we had seen more Toni Collette and John Malkovich in the overall impact of the story. 7/10

Cinematography: The cinematography is uninspiring and nothing flashy. It only serves to show us directly what is on the screen (until the end when the frame replicates something we've seen before). Also, in some scenes, the cinematography does not fit the tone of the scene itself. 4/10

Editing: The editing is choppy in some places. Some cut choices were unideal, in my opinion. But besides that, also nothing special. 4/10

Visual Effects: The VFX is one of the highlights of the films. Some of the killings are done in beautiful ways that make the film not boring to watch. 8/10

Enjoyment: 'Velvet Buzzsaw' is mostly not boring. The relationships, although tacky, give us something to pay attention to during the key moments of the story. The horror elements are also well-done, minus some pointless jumpscares. Also, it was great finally seeing a bisexual main character in a movie. 6/10

Musical Score: The score is beautiful in some moments and fuses well with the imagery. However, early on in the film, there were moments where the music absolutely did not fit what was happening on-screen. 4/10

Sound Mixing: Just like the cinematography and editing, there was nothing flashy here. Although, there is one scene where the sound mixing is implemented cleverly to scare a character, but misses on scaring the audience. 6/10

Production Design: The scenes are beautifully crafted, which is especially important for a film about artists and art. 8/10

Summary: 'Velvet Buzzsaw' is an enjoyable movie for its larger moments, but fails at providing a story that truly satisfies audiences' cravings. It gives us too much with the characters and not enough with the world. 5/10… Expand

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6

EnterFilmFeb 9, 2019

Written and Directed by Dan Gilroy, Velvet buzzsaw shows takes you on a satirical ride through the dark and twisted world of modern art.

Gilroy once again teams up with Jake Gyllenhaal staring as a strange pretentious art critic. Rene RussoWritten and Directed by Dan Gilroy, Velvet buzzsaw shows takes you on a satirical ride through the dark and twisted world of modern art.

Gilroy once again teams up with Jake Gyllenhaal staring as a strange pretentious art critic. Rene Russo playing Rhodora a cut throat art gallery owner and Zawe Ashton as her 'protegee' Josefina. As well as John Malkovich as a famous idea blocked artist.

Josefina finds numerous unusual pieces of artwork from her recently deceased neighbour Vetril Dease. Who upon his death willed everything to be destroyed. So naturally Josefina steals these before that can happen and eventually shares them with Rhodora and Morf to exploit this opportunity for their own gain. From this point on, things are not quite the same, these are not just your regular masterpiece.

The cinematography is right off the top shelf for me. Whether that's with the camera panning through crowds of people hearing numerous conversations about the work of Dease, or subtle uses of the art reflecting within the glasses of a mesmerised Gyllenhaal.

Music is something that always stands out to me in horror movies and with Velvet Buzzsaw it fit every scene perfectly, the instruments and tempo flawlessly matched the scene increasing the eeriness, particularly showcases when Josefina explores the room of Dease.

Velvet Buzzsaw does not pack the punch it seemed to be building up to. I wish Gilroy had pushed the boundaries even further, it had a perfect balance between horror and satire, but I wish it went a little bit more towards the horror.

Velvet Buzzsaw does provide an interesting looking into the glamorous world of the arts featuring truly exceptional performances.… Expand

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4

eagleeyevikingFeb 19, 2019

While its satire on art sale is tremendously realized, the film's horror elements are shoddy, its set-up is painfully slow, and the characters are not fleshed out enough.

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4

MattBrady99Feb 15, 2019

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

'Velvet Buzzsaw' feels more like Goosebumps TV movie with the plot summary and overexpose lighting that made it look cheap. This is just sad as I had high hopes for this one,"The admiration I had for your work has completely evaporated."

'Velvet Buzzsaw' feels more like Goosebumps TV movie with the plot summary and overexpose lighting that made it look cheap. This is just sad as I had high hopes for this one, despite 'Roman J. Israel Esq.' leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

There's not a single likable character in this movie. Well maybe Natalia Dyer character who play's the innocent co-worker. What's even worse is they get way too much screen time, which bogs down the pacing, because I couldn't give a sh*t about any of them.

I was pretty bored at times if I have to be honest.

It's unfocused and tries way too hard to be everything - after awhile it forgets about the killer paintings. The critique on the art world, art itself, critics and horror - it fails horribly at getting the message across.

Jake Gyllenhaal is at least entertaining as the campy, but pompous art critic. Same thing with Toni Collette. Hoboman, who's a robotic art piece, I thought was pretty terrifying and the climax involving him was actual scary. There's some funny moments with the dialogue and little character traits (mostly from Gyllenhaal character).

Overall rating: I guess 'Nightcrawler' was just a fluke for Dan Gilroy.… Expand

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4

RalfbergsMay 3, 2020

Nothing special. Wasn't like boring so could actually watch it but at the same time nothing happenned which you couldn't predict and like it didn't have any edge or intensity really. Plus story is kind of weird and there are not much scaryness init