Netflix Movie Review: Velvet Buzzsaw

It’s been so long since I actually watched this that I’m a bit fuzzy on the details. Essentially the film is a sort of horror comedy about the modern art world. It follows a cast of characters that all at some point interact with the artwork of a recently deceased man. As they begin passing off the artist’s work as another’s they start experiencing strange things. I won’t say too much about what they see and what happens to them except that there is definitely something supernatural amiss.

I enjoyed the film very much. It was creepy in the right places and built tension effectively throughout. It was also really funny. The filmmakers had much to say on modern art, and its people, and neither came out looking very good. Pretty much everyone you meet in the film is a despicable human being, and seeing them get their comeuppance was gratifying.

The cinematography and production design were both gorgeous. It’s hard to make museums look bad. This presented an interesting contrast in themes that I thought was very successfully executed. The gorgeous, clean look of a museum contrasts brilliantly with the ugly, terrible acts and personalities of our main players.

Velvet Buzzsaw was a freaky, fun ride made up of beautiful images, and a cast of highly unlikable characters who get their just desserts in creative and gruesome ways.