Netflix’s ‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ is a lackluster example of poor satire
Satire is an important form of storytelling. However, just because a piece of art calls itself satire, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s well-made.
Unfortunately, that’s the case for Netflix’s new film “Velvet Buzzsaw.” Despite several interesting ideas about the shallowness of the art world, the satirical horror film fails to make a clear point on this and ultimately fails as a film.
This stings more because the movie’s writer and director, Dan Gilroy (“Nightcrawler”), has shown talent at the helm before. In fact, two of his stars from “Nightcrawler” — Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo — reunited with Gilroy for the film. Despite their best intentions, neither can work past the poor direction and horrible screenplay they had to work with.
“Velvet Buzzsaw” takes place inside an art district in Miami. When a receptionist at a gallery finds the artwork of a dead neighbor, her boss (Russo) and she decide to put the artwork on display for profit. Unfortunately for them, profiting off the artwork leads to deadly consequences.
This seems like a decent setup for a satirical film about the vapid greed of the art world: kill off each of the art “connoisseurs” trying to strike it rich off the artwork.
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The film’s first failure stems from its enormous cast. No supporting characters are given enough time to shine. Great actors like John Malkovich, Daveed Diggs and Natalia Dyer are given little or nothing to do. Toni Collette and Tom Sturridge are over the top, yet have very little personality aside from their greed and snobbishness.
Russo and Zawe Ashton are given a little more development, but both actors ultimately deliver weak performances, with neither able to give any sort of authenticity to their characters.
Gyllenhaal’s role is the closest thing to a complete character, starring as a snobby art critic whose career destroys artists’ careers and lives. That being said, his character’s development is completely rushed as he falls into a forced romance with Ashton that comes out of nowhere, following an earlier romance that is barely mentioned. In addition, his so-called descent into madness happens after “seeing things that are not there” one time.
The film fails to make the violence surrounding the artwork appear meaningful. What is the film trying to say about art? That critics should not write negative reviews? That people should not make any money off of artwork?
The payoff is incredibly ridiculous and over-the-top, but not in a way that leaves you laughing with the film. There are many moments — that were supposed to be tense and dramatic — where I laughed hysterically, conversely, I’d fall silent when I was supposed to find humor.
On top of a lousy screenplay and poor acting, the technical craft behind the film is lackluster. Many of the backgrounds make the film look like it was shot on a soundstage with a green screen. The visual effects are very fake, with no ounce of blood shown appearing to be real. These effects would still have looked cheap if the film was released in the ‘90s. The musical score is also horribly overbearing, while the lighting looks incredibly bland and cheap. There are a few nice shots, but the overall aesthetic presentation of the film is weak.
This isn’t a film I like bashing. Gilroy and his cast and crew are incredibly talented individuals and have all done great work in the past. As is the case with cinematographer Robert Elswit, who previously shot “Good Night, and Good Luck” and “There Will Be Blood,” while composer Marco Beltrami composed “3:10 To Yuma” and “The Hurt Locker.”
But this time around, Gilroy’s brushstrokes are just too sloppy, and when rushed, can’t create anything more than a mess. Disappointing as it is, “Velvet Buzzsaw” is a poorly made satire that won’t be on display any time soon.
