With a robust cult following behind them, the V/H/S motion pictures are a must-see for followers of anthology horror, however they’re removed from excellent. They fill a extremely particular subgenre, which is not everybody’s cup of tea, however generally is a blast for these in search of one thing slightly completely different from an ordinary slasher or haunted home horror movie. The Bloody Disgusting-produced V/H/S was launched in 2012, alongside a handful of horror anthologies. Since then the V/H/S franchise has gained notoriety with horror fan circles as being a go-to for unforgettable — if at occasions inconsistent — frights.
Horror anthologies The Theatre Weird, The ABCs of Loss of life, Chilling Visions: 5 Senses of Concern,All Hallow’s Eve, and All Hallow’s Eve 2, all got here out inside a two-to-three-year interval of 2012, however the V/H/S motion pictures at their finest are arguably a step above by way of high quality. The primary two V/H/S sequels from 2013 and 2014 retain the general construction of the primary, whereas introducing new components of their very own. V/H/S/94 hit Shudder in 2021, with V/H/S 99 arriving one yr later. Every of the anthology movies affords one thing distinctive, however there may be positively a finest V/H/S film.
5 V/H/S: Viral (2014)
If the third time’s a allure, it was an unfortunate allure for V/H/S: Viral. The third entry had its moments however didn’t stay as much as its predecessors. It is actually bold, however it may generally look like it is not a part of the horror anthology franchise. The tone is notably extra lighthearted all through, which is not a boon when the films are identified for the unrelenting dread they encourage. For example, one of many shorts, Dante the Nice, seems like a darkish model of Now You See Me. Throw in some folks with demonic genitalia and a police chase, and you’ve got V/H/S: Viral in a nutshell.
The standout sequence in V/H/S:Viral known as Bonestorm. The quick is headed up by author/director duo Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead, who’re accountable for The Countless, Spring, and Decision. Nothing says V/H/S fairly like a Mexican demon-summoning cult and small squad of skate boarders who must take care of simply that. The entry is loads of enjoyable, completely ridiculous, creepy as hell, and matches into the V/H/S canon greater than some other phase Viral brings to the desk. Even nonetheless, that is the weakest movie of all V/H/S motion pictures.
4 V/H/S/ 99 (2022)
With the success of V/H/S 94, it was time to get the franchise rolling once more and in 2022, V/H/S 99 premiered as a Shudder Unique after premiering on the 2022 Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant. V/H/S 99 ended up breaking streaming data on Shudder and was the service’s most-watched premiere (by way of Comicbook.com), however the film itself was a blended bag. It was higher than V/H/S Viral however wasn’t fairly as much as the degrees of the primary three motion pictures within the franchise. There are some nice segments, and there are some weaker ones, however all of them have one thing price seeing,
There is no such thing as a framing gadget on this one, making it stand out, and it seems to be quite a bit like viewers are watching an outdated VHS tape. The very best of the segments in V/H/S 99 is Ozzy’s Dungeon, directed by Flying Lotus — a phase a few child’s recreation present. It does get horrifically disgusting at moments, however on the subject of the perfect V/H/S motion pictures that is par for the course, and V/H/S 99 would not fairly pack the punch of its predecessors (Viral however). These segments all name to reminiscence the horror of the 90s, and whereas not the perfect, it’s a worthy look ahead to followers of the franchise.
3 V/H/S (2012)
The unique V/H/S has among the hands-down finest quick horror movies, and it rightly ensured the franchise would turn out to be a franchise because of how genuinely disturbing some moments in it are. The movie options shorts from now well-known names within the horror scene, together with duo Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett (The Visitor), David Bruckner (The Ritual), Ti West (The Sacrament), amongst others.
Not solely that, the antagonist from the movie’s first phase, Newbie Evening, obtained its personal spin-off film, Siren. Whereas Newbie Evening often is the most memorable quick for many, the primary V/H/S has some insanely intelligent and extremely creepy segments. The Sick Factor That Occurred to Emily When She Was Youthful and 10/31/98 are otherworldly and horrifying, each of which demand to be watched once more.
2 V/H/S/94 (2021)
After a quick hiatus, the V/H/S motion pictures began rolling once more with 2021’s V/H/S/94. Nevertheless, to say it received the collection firing on all cylinders as soon as once more would not do V/H/S 94 justice. This time, the framing story, titled “Holy Hell,” follows a SWAT staff coming into an deserted warehouse, with tv shows enjoying the completely different shorts. V/H/S/94 brings the grainy proto-reality present look of early ’90s TV into play. It makes the movie really feel completely completely different from the deliberately ultra-low-budget look of V/H/S and the extra polished documentary really feel of V/H/S 2, which is how V/H/S dodged the most important grievance about discovered footage motion pictures.
The shorts “Storm Drain” and “The Empty Wake” carry V/H/S/94 severely near the turning into the perfect of the franchise, and Timo Tjahanto’s return with “The Topic” rivals his work on V/H/S 2‘s “Protected Haven”. V/H/S/94 loses its footing ever so barely within the last quick “Terror”, and the ending to “Holy Hell” feels a bit abrupt. Nonetheless, all V/H/S motion pictures have been again in enterprise because of V/H/S/94.
1 V/H/S 2 (2013)
Whereas V/H/S spawned the franchise and V/H/S 94 breathed life again into it, neither match as much as absolutely the nightmare gas that’s V/H/S 2. The 2013 sequel to the unique continues to be the perfect V/H/S film, and stands out among the many anthology horror style for each consistency and skill to encourage real worry. Of all V/H/S motion pictures, V/H/S 2 was the primary to obtain a recent score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Whereas V/H/S/94 blew proper previous it in that regard (95% to 70%, respectively), the second movie was the place the collection actually confirmed it may stick the touchdown.
V/H/S 2 stored most of what labored from V/H/S and added a number of new tips alongside the way in which. Probably the most notable change is how the movie performs perspective by way of several types of digital camera. There’s quick filmed from a bionic eye, a zombie sporting a GoPro, and a digital camera that is strapped to a canine. The adjustments weren’t terribly vital, nevertheless it did make for a singular twist to how the tales unfolded. There are a handful of nice segments in V/H/S 2, however one stands above the remainder, and that is Protected Haven. In a manner, this phase makes your entire movie, and it is a fairly robust act to comply with. It offers off a Jonestown-meets-Silent Hill vibe and even when it is humorous or hokey, it is nonetheless terrifying.