Film Reviews: Bloody ‘Buzzsaw,’ so-so ‘Prodigy,’ charming ‘Lego Movie’

‘So, I Just Saw This Movie’ - Millennials Talk Cinema|

A pair of jolt-filled horror films (one low-budget and released theatrically, the other star-studded and released on Netflix) are joined this week by a sweet animated sequel aimed at families struggling with sibling rivalries and equitable distribution of toys.

The Netflix offering, “Velvet Buzzsaw,” by writer-director Dan Gilroy (“Nightcrawler”), features performances by Jake Gyllenhaal, Toni Collette, Rene Russo and John Malkovich. Set in the world of art collectors and gallery owners, it revolves around a series of paintings discovered after the death of a strange recluse, initially recognized as an unknown genius, but who turns out to have been an infamous serial murder. The paintings, as many hapless and shallow artsy types soon discover, carry a lethal curse, affecting any and all who would attempt to profit from their undeniably dark appeal.

‘VELVET BUZZSAW’

Katie Wigglesworth

Part satire, part ’90s horror and sprinkled with moments of dark comedy, “Velvet Buzzsaw” is a clear indictment of the art world and it’s penchant for pretense. A host of well-acted art-house caricatures - with performances by Toni Collette, Jake Gyllenhaal and Daveed Diggs, to name a few - never say what they mean, opting for hollow niceties and acrylic euphemisms to flatter or decimate accordingly. “Buzzsaw” makes it abundantly clear what it thinks of people who profit from artists. They are shallow despots who either don’t care about art beyond its monetization or who’ve B.S.ed so much they can’t tell art from random trash on a studio floor (an actual scene from the movie).

Oh, and paintings come to life and kill people.

There are some definite missteps when it comes to “Buzzsaw’s” blending of styles and tones. But when it gets things right, it’s weirdly good. There are a few moments of spot-on satire and dark comedy that lead to some effectively placed jabs, while the tense “who’s gonna get it next?” horror movie comeuppance of the art snobs tends to stray too far into tired tropes for me. Dan Gilroy’s themes in his writing are delightfully layered and sometimes delivered with incredible subtlety, in what is absolutely not a subtle film.

Ultimately, “Velvet Buzzsaw” is strangely entertaining despite being a mixed bag of moments that occasionally feel as shallow as the world they are satirizing. My difficulty in writing this review doesn’t come from not liking the movie, but knowing that it definitely isn’t as good as it (or I) hoped it would be. As Zawe Ashton’s character proclaims, “I was never particularly obsessed,” but I’m not sorry I watched it.

If you’ve got a hankering for a sometimes spooky pop-art satire, “Velvet Busszaw” is worth a watch.

‘THE PRODIGY’

Amber-Rose Reed

There is nothing quite like seeing a horror movie with a theatre full of people.

The collective gasp at the scares, almost inevitably followed by tension-breaking, semi-desperate laughter, is one of my favorite things about movie-going.

There is a lot of tension in “The Prodigy” and it’s very, very dark at times. The plot never quite surprised me, but it was definitely willing to go farther than I expected. The mood the movie sets is good and it’s well-paced, and engaging to watch even when the script falls short.

Which it sadly often does.

Though Colm Feore’s Doctor Jacobson goes out of his way to movie-splain that this is not a possession movie, it is one. They talk a lot about reincarnation, I think for novelty’s sake, but despite lengthy exposition, such exposition feels out of place and stilted.

The performances are quite good across the board. Jackson Robert Scott is creepy but also endearing at times, and I thought all his scenes with Taylor Schilling worked well. Paul Fateaux is very scary in his mostly silent appearances.

This movie is a strange case of being quite competent, but never quite good.

‘THE LEGO MOVIE: THE ?SECOND PART’

Anderson Templeton

What movie has a spaceship manned by raptors, sentient bananas, and adorable feats of decapitation?

Yes, it’s the “Lego Movie” sequel. Emmet and his pint sized plastic pals are back in full fantastical force. Like its predecessor, “The Lego Movie: The Second Part” is a charming and witty little film, filled with bite-sized moments of brilliance and joy. While this film lacks the same level of magic and charm as the first one, it still has plenty of moments that will leave you grinning like an idiot. I never knew until now that my life has been lacking an on-screen space battle with toasters, unicorns and dinosaurs. But now I know, because now I have seen it.

On top of all the weird, gleeful randomness, there are some great messages at the heart of the film. For example, it reminds us that ultimately, a person cannot always fix everything alone, nor should they, and if we genuinely collaborate, we can live in a peaceful (and much weirder and more wonderful) world. That message might not be new, but I guarantee you have never seen such topics explored quite like this, and for me, “The Lego Movie: The Second Part” is very satisfying.

Oh, and P.S.

The new theme song will get stuck inside your head.

[Suggested Emojis: Thumbs Up; Happy Face]

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