Velvet Buzzsaw | Film Review

Hey Guys x

This film came out today on Netflix, and I wanted to see it and review it as soon as possible. The trailer was so intriguing that I was literally counting down the days until it came out.

After a man dies and his paintings are discovered, rather than them being destroyed, as he wished, the paintings are put on display and sold. But these paintings have a special supernatural quality - the ability to exact revenge on everyone that has profited from his work. Can anyone work out what's happening before it's too late?

From the offset, you never quite know where you stand with this film. From the first minute, there's a sense of surrealism, but you can't quite put your finger on why. The setting seems completely ordinary, and yet there's something slightly off, which sets a tone for the rest of the film. You never quite know what you're getting, or how much of the film you should take at face value.

In a similar vein, from the beginning, it feels like every single character is keeping a dark secret - from both the other characters and the audience. There's not one character that you can bring yourself to completely trust, causing you as an audience member to be on edge as you watch it, waiting for these secrets to be revealed.

Throughout the film (from my perspective anyway), it feels like it should be a supernatural horror movie, grounded in some form of reality. But the film is more intriguing and surprising than it is scary. In the same vein as 'Nightcrawler' (Director Dan Gilroy's directorial debut) it is a drama, and a thriller, with horrific elements. It doesn't fit into a particular genre - and this freedom works perfectly.

While watching it, I came back again and again to the thought that it's like an extra-long episode of 'The Twilight Zone', and I loved that about it. There's enough reality to make it somewhat believable, while maintaining enough supernatural mystery and originality to push the film into the 'thriller' category, as opposed to just a supernatural-based drama.

The last 15 minutes of the film are when it actually becomes a fully-fledged horror. It has a really interesting, well-directed, original climax that holds you right until the credits roll.

In a film based on art, every set/scene can be viewed as a piece of art. Every room/building is beautiful and meaningful to the story. Every house reflects a character, the white walls of the gallery say something different depending on who is standing in front of them. And that's without even mentioning the amazing paintings that literally bring the film to life.
The sets, shots, camera placements and actual pieces of art make this film visually stunning.

As well as being amazingly directed and shot, the film is also amazingly casted. With the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Zawe Ashton, Toni Collette, Daveed Diggs and Natalia Dyer (amongst many other amazing actors) taking major roles, Gilroy's writing was able to shine through them in such a way that they all completely transformed from their previous works. Not one character felt unbelievable or out of place.

Overall, definitely see this Netflix original movie if you have the chance. It's a wonderful movie with an original premise. If you liked 'Nightcrawler' (or 'The Twilight Zone') then you'll definitely enjoy yourself!

8/10

Lou