Adam Nayman:
Gilroyâwho has the chops to work up suspense and dread, as in Nightcrawlerâs chilling crime-scene tableausâbotches this part of the assignment. Once it becomes apparent that Velvet Buzzsawâs ensemble is as big as it is because the characters are there to be picked off one by one by the dark forces bound up in the paintings, the film settles into a boring, predictable rhythm of fatal set pieces, a few of which are relatively inventive and gory.
This perfectly captures how I felt about Velvet Buzzsaw after watching it last night. Between the lack of suspense, and never really falling into the horror or the comedy sides, it felt stilted.