Velvet Buzzsaw(2019)
2019 · Dan Gilroy · 112 min
Big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce. After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.
Thriller · Mystery · Horror
5.42k votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
3/5
Gore
2/5
Stays with you
How Velvet Buzzsaw scares
Velvet Buzzsaw spends most of its runtime as a sharp, biting comedy about the art world before letting a supernatural threat pick off its characters one by one. The kills lean stylish and darkly funny rather than truly frightening, with sudden bursts of gruesome imagery breaking up long stretches of satire and dialogue. It's more of a gleeful, twisted watch than a movie that actually gets under your skin, mixing camp with occasional gross-out moments. Good for viewers who want horror mixed with dark humor and a satirical edge rather than genuine dread.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Velvet Buzzsaw rates psychological 2/5, visceral 3/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 2/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 2 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 3 of 5
- Lingering: 2 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 55 of 100 — balanced
Supernatural vs Real-world: 15 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 30 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow, satirical setup that gradually lets tension creep in before building to a string of intense set-pieces near the end.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3.
How scary is Velvet Buzzsaw?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Velvet Buzzsaw rates 2/5 — moderately scary, balancing creeping dread with well-placed shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and fun-first. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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