There are actually seven entries within the V/H/S horror anthology franchise, and since 2021, every new arrival has include two ensures. They will world premiere at Austin’s Fantastic Fest, and they are going to be a combined bag of highs and lows. This 12 months’s V/H/S/Beyond as soon as once more suits the invoice on each counts as its 5 segments, plus wraparound, carry a loosely tethered sci-fi factor to its mix of gory, goofy, and (for one quick at the least) honest horror hijinks.
Jay Cheel‘s “Abduction/Adduction” is the wraparound in V/H/S/Beyond, and he presents it as a documentary about our obsession with footage of aliens and UFOs. Talking heads discuss the battle between shaky, blurry footage and determining authenticity, and while “real” clips are used here it’s within the service of constructing as much as the invention of two tapes discovered bearing supposed proof of aliens. It shouldn’t shock you that the ultimate reveal is blurry and glitchy, however hey, at the least it’s not shaky. It’s a well-crafted phase, however it positively lacks a sense of cohesion with the remainder of the movie in addition to a way of momentum. It’s a documentary, after which it ends.
Jordan Downey‘s “Stork” is our first proper short, and the focus here is a group of rogue cops looking to bring down those responsible for a series of baby abductions. A brief bit of exposition soon sees the cops head into a house and immediately enter a shoot-em-up warzone as monstrous people start attacking. Downey and co-writer Kevin Stewart don’t put lots into the narrative (and the dialogue is tough), however the visuals tackle a fairly strong resemblance to one thing like a Silent Hill or Resident Evil recreation. Monsters come out of the shadows, and our first-person POV (often by way of the cops’ physique cams) provides viewers an intense, entrance row seat for the bloody, grotesque, and typically enjoyable carnage. The finish reveal is undeniably foolish, however it’s performed straight and appears fairly cool, so whereas this can be a commonplace entry in most methods, it really works due to enjoyable, gory, energetic visuals.
Virat Pal‘s “Dream Girl” is a rarity in the V/H/S franchise as a non-English entry, and it’s one thing I’d like to see extra of going ahead. Paparazzi in Mumbai are chasing photographs of a giant star throughout manufacturing of her newest movie, and whereas it grants us a enjoyable Bollywood dance quantity, it additionally reveals her secret for staying energetic and on within the highlight. The character work within the entrance half reveals the power of Pal and co-writer Evan Dickson‘s writing before everything descends into the usual chaos of shaky-cam slaughter. Again, some gory beats, frequently augmented with digital effects and haze, resulting in another pretty straightforward entry.
Justin Martinez‘s “Live and Let Dive” is the standout segment in V/H/S/Beyond as it does something too few of the V/H/S franchise shorts do — it takes us someplace new. Martinez and co-writer Ben Turner drop viewers up in a plane with a group of friends hoping to enjoy their first skydiving adventure. Chaos erupts when their plane collides with a UFO, and we’re with our essential protagonist — a poor schlub celebrating his birthday — all the way in which down. The skydiving motion seems to be incredible, particularly because the fast descent is accompanied by glimpses of demise and alien terror, and it continues as soon as the survivors make it again to the false security of Earth. Sure, the bottom stuff is a return to the normal, however bloody beats, alien creatures, and the orange tree orchard setting retains all of it interesting.
Justin Long and Christian Long‘s “Fur Babies” suggests that Justin Long has yet to forget his experience on Kevin Smith’s Tusk (2014). No particulars right here for many who’ve but to see it, however it includes an uncomfortable, interspecies transformation that has clearly caught with the actor turned co-writer/co-director. This story sees animal rights activists go undercover at a doggie daycare to research attainable animal abuse, and the outcomes are a mixture of the nonsensical and merciless. The visible results have a sensible ugliness to them (a praise) that makes it simpler for viewers to really feel the characters’ ache, however it struggles in distinction with the general goofiness and hammy method to performing. If nothing else, we must be grateful that it’s stored to a brief as a substitute of being stretched out to characteristic size just like the aforementioned Tusk.
Kate Siegel‘s “Stowaway” is the final segment in V/H/S/Beyond, and it’s an fascinating selection for that placement because it’s the least energetic of the bunch. That’s not a knock, as as a substitute Siegel and author Mike Flanagan ship a reasonably somber story of a girl in search of the reality about UFO sightings and lights within the sky. She information her journey, hoping to make a documentary from the fabric, and we’re given occasional glimpses of the tape’s earlier recordings exhibiting her as a toddler. It provides a human factor to the story, one thing often pushed to the background in these shorts for comprehensible causes, and it makes the ultimate minutes and moments that rather more compelling.
V/H/S/Beyond reveals that the franchise idea continues to have legs even when it too usually reverts again to the identical ol’ factor — shaky cam chaos! It does really feel a bit lengthy, each the characteristic as a complete and many of the particular person segments, however it by no means actually kills the vibe. 2013’s V/H/S/2 stays the franchise highpoint — 4 tales (plus wraparound), some actual bangers amongst them, and a fast ninety-minute running-time — however V/H/S/Beyond will depart you trying ahead to subsequent 12 months’s entry.
