Velvet Buzzsaw is another example of a film that fails to live up to the promises and tone of the trailer. This seems to be a common issue with Netflix, where they try to use their trailer to exaggerate the style of the film to draw in the audiences as they do not market through the same channels as big Hollywood films. The trailer gives the vibe of an intense thriller, yet Velvet Buzzsaw fails to bring about a truly strong sense of tension or suspense.
The premise is interesting but isn't properly developed. Starting off as a satirical look at the high-end art industry of Los Angeles, it devolves into a slow, forecasted, formulaic horror as supernatural elements are introduced. The satire of the art industry is enlightening, demonstrating the various relationships between galleries, artists, and critics. It is, however, a demographic that is not entirely relatable to the majority of the audience, and as such, much of the humour will go unheeded.
This combination of humour and horror is becoming an increasingly popular direction among filmmakers, despite attempts at humour more often than not destroying any sense of tension and dread that has been built up. Such is the case here. Combine this with the supernatural elements revolving around the artwork, it leads to many of the scenes horror being forecast well ahead of time; without suspense and surprise, the only appeal to the horror portion is the creativity in which the events occur.
Velvet Buzzsaw includes a star-studded cast, from the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal and John Malkovich, to Rene Russo and Toni Collette. Brilliant performances all around, yet the cast weren't altogether likeable, which doesn't help when the success of the film relies on your caring about the safety of the characters. Zawe Ashton was the black sheep of the group who despite being the main protagonist (alongside Gyllenhaal) came across unsympathetic and emotionless in her portrayal of her character Josephina. Gyllenhaal stole the show showcasing both ends of the personality spectrum, both serious contemplation and over-the-top, unstable, and impulsive.
There was certainly potential in the premise, but the execution was less than distinctive. The arty section reduces the impact of the horror, and the horror reduces the sophistication of the art. The horror was predictable (despite the laws of the supernatural premise being ill-defined), and put forth in such a slow but unavoidable way, that you didn't care either way what happened to any of the characters, resulting in no real payoff for the viewer.
Not a bad film by any measure, but it lacks anything that would make it memorable. Velvet Buzzsaw is not a film I'd recommend to go check out as soon as possible, neither is it something that I'd recommend not seeing at all. Tolerable, but adequate if you have nothing better to do.