Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a myopic art critic in the latest psychological thriller to hit Netflix, Velvet Buzzsaw. It's the story of greed, artistry and revenge, with an aim to leave you wondering where you draw the line when it comes to exhibiting modern art.
Zawe Ashton and Jake Gyllenhaal in Velvet Buzzsaw / Photo Credit: Netflix
Morf Vandewalt is not the most ethical of critics; he'd rather artists maintain vices such as alcohol dependency if it means good art, and he spares no-one's feelings in his lack of interest in the work of an up-and-coming modern sculptor.
But then he comes across something completely unique. Dark and disturbing paintings daubed on cardboard are unearthed in the apartment of a deceased man by his curious neighbour, Josephina (Zawe Ashton), who knows that he has no friends or relatives coming to collect his belongings.
Analysis shows that the late artist used blood within his work and in Morf's research on the painter, he discovers that not only does he have an extreme distaste towards money, but he also spent several decades in a hospital for the criminally insane.
It's the perfect back story for a critic and his art dealer associates whose only interests are to make a buckload of money. But these paintings aren't everything that they seem.
Soon enough, Morf starts to see the paintings move. He's sure he's hallucinating at first, but the madness doesn't stop there. Get too close to these pictures and they come alive with only one intention: revenge against the avaricious art world.
The premise may sound a little far-fetched, but it's the comedic undertone that gives it such an edge. We're expecting a tongue-in-cheek fable about the limitations of art and creativity where money is concerned. Set in Los Angeles, the film has been heavily influenced by Robert Altman's 1992 crime comedy The Player starring Tim Robbins with its ensemble cast and varying points of view.
Velvet Buzzsaw has been directed and written by the Academy Award nominated Dan Gilroy, who previously worked with Jake Gyllenhaal and co-star Rene Russo on 2014's Nightcrawler. It also stars John Malkovich, Billy Magnussen and Toni Collette, the latter of whom worked with Zawe Ashton once before on the Netflix series Wanderlust. Gyllenhaal also worked with Ashton on Nocturnal Animals, coincidentally another film about the art world.
Velvet Buzzsaw will premiere at Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2019 and hits Netflix on February 1.
Tagged in Jake Gyllenhaal