12 Brilliant Recent Horror Movies That Shocked Everyone
9. Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
Who ordered the satire of consumerist capitalism with a side of supernatural horror? Because that's what Velvet Buzzsaw served up.
The 2019 Netflix film follows Jake Gyllenhaal as Morf Vandewall, art critic to highest echelons of society, alongside a cast of fairly impressive names like Toni Collette and John Malkovich. Every other face seems to be one that you recognise from somewhere or other.
The art world depicted in Velvet Buzzsaw is shallow, opportunistic, and concerned only with potential profit of artwork. So when a batch of incredible paintings is discovered in the apartment of a recently deceased troubled artist, Vandewall and co. pounce to make as much dollar off the dead guy as possible.
Too bad he painted with his own blood or... something. (t's not really clear how or why he did this, the most important takeaway is that it means his spirit latched on to his work and takes particular offence at those who seek profit over genuine enjoyment of art.)
Velvet Buzzsaw is beautifully surreal, cartoonishly comic, yet maintains its integrity through its commitment to its moral centre. This film is especially satisfying to watch, since everyone is so selfish and unlikeable that, when their comeuppance is dealt out, it feels especially deserved.