Latest V/H/S Anthology Goes Beyond the Unexpected
A documentary filmmaker receives a pair of VHS tapes that claim they showcase an actual alien abduction. A rookie officer gets assigned to a top-secret task force that hunts monsters. A pair of excitable paparazzi enter a Bollywood superstar’s trailer and, in their zeal for an exclusive, inadvertently unleash a demonic force beyond all imagining. A group of best friends celebrates a member’s thirtieth birthday with a tandem skydiving trip only to have an alien invasion derail their freefalling fun. An animal activist group wants to take down a shady doggy daycare only the canine-loving proprietor has a uniquely transformative way to deal with unwanted human interlopers. A young investigative journalist heads into the desert to investigate recent UFO sightings only to end up a stowaway on an alien spacecraft.
I think it is safe to say that the V/H/S franchise is the best set of horror anthology films ever produced. With V/H/S/Beyond, by my count the series has now gone six for seven, only the forgettable third chapter, 2014’s V/H/S/Viral, failing to pass muster.
But back to this new one. The framing story is a faux documentary courtesy of Cursed Films creator Jay Cheel. The filmmaker investigates the history of “alien abduction” videos, notably two VHS tapes that have recently come into his possession. Cheel brings several familiar faces to the screen, including Alien Encounters host Mitch Horowitz. These segments are interspersed throughout the film, and each discussion of this supposed “real alien abduction” video and the mysterious house with a sinister past it was shot serve as an introduction to the five inventive shorts that make up the remainder of this entry in the V/H/S mythology.
If anything, this is the most consistently balls-to-the-wall franchise installment yet. With “Story,” director and co-writer Jordan Downey shows that if they ever decide to make another attempt to bring the video game Doom to the big screen, producers should put him on speed dial right this second. The short follows a tight-knit crew of grizzled police officers who form a secret paranormal task force to battle supernatural evils. This time out, they are investigating a slew of baby abductions and end up in a house overflowing with ghastly ghouls and gnarly creatures. Familiar stuff, sure, but exceedingly well done and features a sequence with a chainsaw that had me giggling in glee.
Next comes “Dream Girl,” a Bollywood horror musical from director Virat Pal. This one starts out as a rather zany comedy with a pair of inept — if eager — paparazzi chasing after superstar Tara (Namrata Sheth) on the set of her latest film. But the tone quickly shifts and things go full-on Evil Dead when the actress is revealed to be something altogether inhuman. It’s a frenzied effort covered in dismembered limbs, faces being peeled away entirely (to be worn later as masks), geysers of blood, and a hugely enjoyable song and dance number where the lyrics are the key to figuring out what the heck is going on. A little too reminiscent of “Safe Haven” from V/H/S/2, yet still a great deal of fun.
Third is the absolutely insane “Live and Let Dive,” and I’m not kidding when I say this segment is a V/H/S all-timer, right up there with the aforementioned “Safe Haven,” “Storm Drain” from V/H/S/94 (“Hail, Ratma!”), and “God of Death” from V/H/S/85. This thing is a borderline masterpiece. Director Justin Martinez and his co-writer Benjamin A. Turner unleash a rollercoaster ride of tension, revulsion, and unrelenting suspense that must be seen to be believed. If nothing else, it’s made me reconsider my lifelong bucket list wish to skydive. Maybe having one’s feet firmly planted on the ground (especially during an alien invasion) isn’t so bad, after all?
From there things segue into “Fur Babies,” and this one frustratingly barked up the wrong tree. Like some hybrid of an unproduced Twilight Zone script, an unrealized Japanese anime, and a half-baked idea inspired by something dug up by filmmakers Justin Long and Christian Long while they were surfing DeviantArt, the short makes up in freneticism what it lacks in dramatic cohesion. However, Libby Letlow is a psychotic hoot as the owner of a doggy daycare that deals with problematic humans with transformational joy. I loved her in this.
Last (but certainly not least) comes “Stowaway,” a marvel of short film storytelling written by Doctor Sleep and The Haunting of Hill House impresario Mike Flanagan and directed by his frequent collaborator, actor Kate Siegel. Easily the most emotionally complex entry of this installment of the anthology series, the plot follows Hailey (Alanah Pearce), a freelance investigative reporter who ends up stowing away on an alien spaceship. This is a tragic tale of hubris and curiosity run amok, Pearce delivering a performance that’s equal parts enthusiasm, awe, regret, and terrified sadness that took me entirely by surprise.
The V/H/S series happily shows no sign of slowing down, and V/H/S/Beyond is as thrilling an entry as any that has come before it. Just don’t plan on going skydiving anytime soon after watching. Trust me on that.
Film Rating: 3½ (out of 4)
