Even though Jake Gyllenhaal is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, some of his movies still manage to fly under the radar. Gyllenhaal’s best movies show that he’s always been more focused on interesting, worthwhile projects rather than chasing commercial success. He seems to gravitate toward talented directors with unpredictable stories.
Gyllenhaal has moved between genres with ease throughout his career, but he has produced some of his best work in thrillers. Enemy, Prisoners, Nightcrawler and Zodiac show that he has the intense, captivating presence required to create a strong link with his audience. However, one underrated Netflix thriller doesn’t get enough attention.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s Velvet Buzzsaw Didn’t Deserve To Be Forgotten So Quickly
The Netflix Thriller Was Met With Mixed Reviews
Netflix’s Velvet Buzzsaw received some negative reviews when it was released in 2019, and it currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 61%. Its audience score sits at 36%, suggesting that most fans were even less impressed than critics. This is a shame, because Velvet Buzzsaw offers a lot to love for those who can appreciate its unique style.
Velvet Buzzsaw is an art world satire, poking fun at money-grabbing dealers and gallery owners who disregard true artists. Its dark humor may be one reason why it has such narrow appeal, because its sudden lurches between satire and violent, Final Destination-style deaths are supposed to be shocking.
When Velvet Buzzsaw decides to get dark, it ditches comedy and delivers some surprisingly effective moments of sheer horror. As a dead artist’s paintings come to life to seek revenge against those who seek to profit off of his work, there’s a sense of crushing inevitability that creates a claustrophobic atmosphere.
Velvet Buzzsaw doesn’t necessarily appeal to everyone, but Dan Gilroy built up enough goodwill with Nightcrawler for audiences to take a closer look at his work. The director’s second thriller isn’t as immediately eye-catching, but there are layers to Velvet Buzzsaw that make it worth watching.
Gyllenhaal Delivers One Of His Best Performances In Velvet Buzzsaw
Gyllenhaal Doesn’t Often Show His Comedic Side
One of the disappointing side effects of Velvet Buzzsaw being forgotten about is the fact that Gyllenhaal’s performance doesn’t get enough attention. Although Gyllenhaal can play everyman characters, Velvet Buzzsaw sees him entering full comedic nutjob mode, just as he does in Okja.
Gyllenhaal isn’t afraid to take big swings every now and then, and his eccentric art critic in Velvet Buzzsaw is arguably his wildest and most unhinged character of all. Despite the character’s inherent absurdities, Gyllenhaal ensures that he slots into Velvet Buzzsaw‘s pitch-dark satire nicely.
Velvet Buzzsaw would make an interesting double-feature with Nightcrawler. Both movies show Los Angeles in a horrifying, cynical light, but Velvet Buzzsaw is comedic and sun-drenched while Nightcrawler is atmospheric and broody. The difference between Gyllenhaal’s performances in each movie sums up this dichotomy.
Velvet Buzzsaw
5/10
- Release Date
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February 1, 2019
- Runtime
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113 minutes
- Director
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Dan Gilroy
