Netflix has made it possible for Jake Gyllenhaal and director Dan Gilroy to reunite under one banner. The pair found success with Nightcrawler in 2014, receiving its share of accolades including an Oscar nom in the category of Best Original Screenplay. This time around, Gilroy and Gyllenhaal are sticking to the winning formula, for a second foray into the horror-thriller genre. The new film, Velvet Buzzsaw, borrows from a similar dugout strategy: mundanity seen through the eyes of a delirious individual. Netflix offered this synopsis in passing.
"Velvet Buzzsaw is a thriller set in the contemporary art world scene of Los Angeles where big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce."
The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Morf Vandewalt, an art critic with very little pizzazz to show for his efforts, at least at the surface level. As the story gains higher resolution, Vandewalt begins to show signs of derangement, brought about by a series of unfortunate revelations. The ending is supposed to shock the senses, Gilroy told Vanity Fair. Rene Russo, Toni Collette, Daveed Diggs, Zawe Ashton, and Billy Magnussen make up the supporting cast opposite Gyllenhaal. Check out the official Netflix-sponsored trailer, and hit us with your thoughts.