By Terry Sherwood
The V/H/S franchise has long been a brilliant staple of the found-footage horror genre it can be argued that it is the ‘gold standard’ for the style of film with authentic looking actors, situations, gore galore, jump scares to satisfy even the most jaded watcher V/H/S/Beyond, the latest addition to the anthology series with stories inspired by Alien abductions and encounters
V/H/S/ Beyond maintains the franchise’s signature gritty look and experimental approach, it is mostly a success with some uneven moments that plague all anthology films. The opening or wrap-around story is “The Wrap” Directed by Jay Cheel, concerned about the mystery of two VHS tapes labelled “Proof 1” and “Proof 2,” which allegedly contain evidence of alien abductions. Jay Cheel’s direction creates an eerie atmosphere, playing with the audience’s skepticism and curiosity. The pleasant touch uses many 1950s film clips from Cat Women of the Moon and Earth versus Flying Saucers.
The opening story “Stork” directed by Jordan Downey is a standout, offering a visually striking and immersive experience. Inspired by the art of Oleg Vdovenko, the short adopts a first-person video game perspective, plunging viewers into a dark, grimy world filled with bizarre creatures. The titular “Stork” is both grotesque and fascinating, embodying the kind of inventive horror that the V/H/S series does best. The short’s pacing and atmosphere are excellent, making it a strong opener for the anthology.
“Dream Girl” Directed by Virat Pal introduces a fresh cultural perspective with its Bollywood setting the story follows two paparazzi attempting to capture footage of a Bollywood star, Tara, but devotes too much time to a song-and-dance sequence that feels out of place in a film of this nature The horror elements, when they finally arrive, are effective with plenty of gore to go around. This is reminiscent of the larger budgeted The Substance.
“Live and Let Dive” Directed by Justin Martinez is a high-octane thrill ride that delivers exactly what fans of the franchise crave. After a UFO collides with a skydiving plane, the survivors must contend with extraterrestrial threats while hurtling through the air. The POV perspective amplifies the tension, plus a particularly gruesome creature awaits and is brilliantly executed
“Fur Babies” Co-directed by Christian Long and Justin Long) is a darkly comedic and twisted tale, The story follows Becky, a cheerful woman running a doggy daycare, but things take a horrifying turn when the animals begin to exhibit strange, almost Human-like behavior. Sprinklings of The Human Centipede franchise and Tusk abound
“Stowaway” directed by Kate Siegel is about a solitary encounter with an alien spacecraft in the desert. The works suffer from overly distorted visuals that make it difficult to follow the action in the HR Geiger-inspired spacecraft.
V/H/S/Beyond succeeds in delivering a variety of horror experiences, from extraterrestrial threats to body horror and creature features. Some will find the running time of close to 120 minutes a chore to get through, especially with the degrees that the handheld footage and images come at one. If you are a fan of the franchise or enjoy experimental horror, V/H/S/Beyond is well worth your time—just be prepared for a few bumps along the way.
V/H/S Beyond is now available on Shudder and is available on Blu-Ray from 10 February 2025.
Bloody Flicks 