Velvet Buzzsaw: Ending Explained

But What Does Nicolas Cage Have To Do With It?

So Velvet Buzzsaw is an attack on the commercial nature of artwork, and those that prioritise their own gain rather than making and enjoying art for arts sake. And with a message that strong, it'd be remiss to not look at Dan Gilroy's experiences with the film industry itself, as he's admitted some personal inspiration for Velvet Buzzsaw's strongly worded letter to the art community.

Having penned a Tim Burton Superman Lives movie starring Nicolas Cage that was ready for filming, just weeks before they were about to start, the project was cancelled. Gilroy was upset that a work he had poured his heart into was never going to be seen purely from studios worrying about their profit margins rather than the art - so instead, channelled that energy into Velvet Buzzsaw instead.

And there you have it. The film is a direct result of Nicolas Cage never getting the chance to go full Clark Kent on the big screen. That Vetril Dease's name is an anagram for Devil Satire just turned out to be a lucky coincidence, but an eeriely appropriate one to say the least.