Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Velvet Buzzsaw is special because it turns the contemporary art scene into a glossy, venomous funhouse—part satire, part supernatural shocker—where every pristine gallery wall feels like it might bite back. It’s an ambitious, wonderfully oddball ride that pokes at taste-makers and money-chasers with a straight face, then swerves into eerie, inventive horror without losing its sense of play. Jake Gyllenhaal is a particular delight, pitching his performance at just the right level of self-serious absurdity, and the rest of the cast helps sell the film’s heightened, stylish vibe. If you want airtight logic or pure scares, it may not be your perfect specimen, but if you’re in the mood for something unique, entertaining, and a little wicked about what we worship—and why—it’s absolutely worth the gallery admission.

Velvet Buzzsaw is clearly aiming for a slick, savage takedown of the art world, mixing glossy satire with supernatural horror and a “greed gets punished” hook. The problem is it never quite commits to one tone, so the story can feel messy and oddly undercooked, with long stretches that play more dull than tense. Even with a strong cast and a stylish look, the scares and the mystery don’t build into something satisfyingly cohesive, which can make the whole thing feel like a great trailer stretched into a feature. If you’re in it for sharp satire or genuinely unnerving horror, you may leave frustrated—but if you enjoy artsy vibes, weird set pieces, and don’t mind inconsistency, it can still be a passable late-night watch.