Fantastic Fest 2021: "V/H/S/94" Delivers The Gory Found-Footage Goods
The latest installment into the V/H/S franchise, V/H/S/94, recently had its world premiere at this year’s Fantastic Fest. Featuring five new segments from filmmakers Simon Barrett, Chloe Okuno, Ryan Prows, Jennifer Reeder, and Timo Tjahjanto, V/H/S/94 takes viewers for a gory good ride that attempts to right the wrongs of the franchise’s previous entry.
A police S.W.A.T. team investigates about a mysterious VHS tape and discovers a sinister cult that has pre-recorded material which uncovers a nightmarish conspiracy.
The V/H/S franchise makes a welcome return to form and delivers a flawed yet fun series of found-footage frights with its latest installment, V/H/S/94. We get cops and cultists, far-right extremists and vampires, news reporters and sewer monsters, funeral homes and the walking dead, mad scientists and weaponized cyborgs! It’s quite the variety of gory macabre pleasures, and with so much going on, it’s hard to be bored. There’s a noticeable lack of coherence between segments, but they’re all unified in how they embrace the1990s video culture. The end result is a love letter to video nasties and the sickos (like us) who vibe out with them.
Most anthology series are a mixed bag with generally one or two stories that standout. There is a varying degree to the enjoyment of each section in V/H/S/94, but on the whole, it’s pretty consistent with what it delivers. There are cool set pieces, terrific creatures, and excellent gore sprinkled throughout, in addition to a good mix of shooting styles and techniques which keep things from becoming overly stale. We get the standard first-person handheld approach, but we’re also presented multi-cam setups that smooth out the constant shakiness, as well as some POV shots from a cyborg monstrosity that evokes the feel of 90s first-person shooters like DOOM. Each segment exhibits a measured balance of humor and horror and is covered in grungy nostalgic grit, marred with glitchy streaks and warmly fuzzy static.
One of the anthologies biggest issues is its lack of cohesion between each story, which is all wrapped around Jennifer Reeder’s segment (“Holy Hell”). As Simon Barrett mentioned in the Q&A, the wraparound was originally conceived by David Bruckner, who had to depart the project for his upcoming Hellraiser remake, and he intended to add more connective tissue. Reeder finds smooth transitions into each twisted tale, but she fails to really bring everything together in a satisfying way. It all kind of falls apart in its final moments, where the acting becomes laughable and its intent is delivered in a goofy direct address.
There’s also a bit of issue with momentum. The film starts incredibly strong and energetic, and it segues nicely into its first (and best) segment (Chloe Okuno’s “Storm Drain”), which features some effectively creepy sewer exploration and an unsettling xenomorph adjacent creature called “Ratman.” Okuno gives her story the most enjoyable dose of humor, spoofing the infamous leprechaun news clip and including some funny banter between its news anchors, but from there on out, each new segment kinda throws the momentum off kilter. It’s most noticeable in Simon Barrett’s “The Empty Wake,” which is the slowest burn of all the stories, but it can be felt in each of the segment transitions that follow, too. Each spooky tale is engrossing in its own way though and generally builds momentum toward a solid payoff.
Overall, it’s pretty a good time that delivers the 90s found-footage goods. In particular, the creature designs and the gore are the real reason to watch, with the humor and silliness helping to wash it all down. It mainly falters due to the poor wraparound narrative, but it comes close to capturing the spark of the earlier entries. There’s a lot more good than bad, and the strength of this entry will surely mean there’s more to come. We certainly wouldn’t be mad about that.
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of the franchise, definitely give V/H/S/94 a watch. The film will hit Shudder on 10/6, and it’s a great way to slip into the Halloween spirit!
Rating: 3.5 VHS tapes outta 5.
Craving more tape to feed your head?! Check out the link below:
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!