Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Yet another Netflix original feature length movie headed by an impressive cast, that fails to deliver. Velvet Buzzsaw has a plot that is as confusing as its bizarre title. From what I can tell, the film's title is in reference to the name of a rock band that one of its characters used to be in and who had its name and logo tattooed on her back just below her neck. However, it has nothing to do with much of what happens in the movie.

The movie starts of interestingly enough as it introduces the audience to the snobby, pretentious, corrupt and cut throat world of so call modern art scene. One suspect this is probably not that much different from the Hollywood scene! Our main star attraction, Jake Gyllenhaal plays a ruthless art critic who can make or break a piece of art through his reviews. He interacts with various art dealers and artists, without much of a cohesive plot direction. Like the whole movie itself, the Jake G character can't decide if he is gay or straight or bi! Then, out of the blues, we are introduced to some sort of supernatural evil spirit surface through the works of a dead artist. This change in shift of the movie's tone initially seemed refreshingly bold, but then, we are treated to a series of predictable graphic death scenes like any run of the mill horror fare. The movie's conclusion offers no answers to what had transpired.

At the end of the day, Velvet Buzzsaw just ends up as a waste of time and talents (Toni Collette, Rene Russo and John Malkovich were not given anything meaty to work on here), with a nonsensical and pointless plot. The graphic death scenes provided little redeeming entertainment value because they were predictable and also too bizarre to be taken seriously. I can't recommend this movie to anyone and just look forward to the day, in which a Netflix original is actually worth a watch.