Since it’s inception in 2012, the V/H/S franchise has been a welcome edition to the world of both found footage and anthology horror. The popularity, and budget, has increased over the years, which has led to this bombastic, and at times more humorous entry, V/H/S 85.
Always a tricky one to cover, due to the anthology nature of it, perhaps it is best to start at the beginning (and the end). Gone are the wraparound features of burglars in a home watching tapes, we now have an almost true crime documentary style story intertwining it’s way through the proceedings, titles “Total Copy”. Director David Bruckner has shot possibly the strongest wraparound in the series, focusing on what we can only assume is some sort of humanoid creature, appearing to watch an OTT 80s exercise video. The creature, known only as Rory, has the shape and muted features of a young boy covered in slime, but all is not as it seems. Throughout “85”, the development of Rory changes, showing abilities to mimic the appearance of other characters present, as well as developing his own features. This all culminates in a climax that is both bloody and laugh-inducing in equal measure.
The first “standalone” story, No Wake, is by Mike P. Nelson. A group of seven young adults are on an outing to a lake, looking to soak up the sun, waterski and drink copious amounts of beer. Their idyllic party takes a turn for the worst when all are gunned down by an unseen sniper on the shore. The tale doesn’t end there though as five of the group, all of those in the water, come back to life, still bearing the scars of their assassination, from scattered brains to a lower jaw best described as mince, and attempt to find their would be killers.
Next up, God of Death, by Gigi Saul Guerrero. Chaos ensues in a Mexican TV news room as an earthquake strikes, killing all but the cameraman. A rescue crew attempts to help the elderly crew member to safety, all while traversing an ever increasing hazardous situation as the building crumbles around them. A tense, taught short that builds to a big payoff. For fans of Bingo Hell, Guerrero has a style to her character development, well established in a short space of time.
A strong entry into the V/H/S franchise that still leaves questions unanswered for the better.
The perils of modern(ish) technology is next on the agenda with Natasha Kermani’s TKNOGD. What starts as a stage show about the death of God as the cost of societal advancement quickly becomes a tale of cyber terror as the host, Ada, confronts a virtual demon hell bent on ripping her limb from limb. All played out in front of a captivated and non the wiser audience. Probably the most original of all the chapters, this tale adds a hint Twilight Zone to proceedings.
Mike P. Nelson takes the lead again in the fourth instalment, Ambrosia, focusing on what appears to be an innocuous family gathering. Ruth as helping her mother with hosting duties, dishing out potato salad and chatting with all sorts of smiling, good natured attendees. After dark, the party turns from one of quaint celebration into an altogether more menacing affair. Cult ideology and gun fetishism has been a prevalent part of the American political system since the even before the reign of Donald, and it rears it’s ugly head here. While possibly the weakest entry here, being V/H/S there is more than meets the eye, but the less said the better.
The final chapter comes from probably the most well known of our entrants, Scott Derrickson, director of modern horror hits such Sinister and The Black Phone. In Dreamkill, they have certainly saved their darkest for last. A home invasion is carried out from the point of view of the killer, showing them murdering the occupant with a meat carver. When the detective investigating arrives at the crime scene, he informs his partner that he witnessed this murder on a video tape sent to the station over a week ago. The race is then on to try and prevent future murders, Minority Report style, after Gunther is brought to the station claiming his dreams are being recorded, and that they are all of murders that have not yet been committed. The strongest entry of the five, Derrickson’s eye for the macabre shows no sign of abetting.
A strong entry into the V/H/S franchise that still leaves questions unanswered for the better. Probably the strongest in terms of overall quality, fans will lap up every new tale as they have done before.
V/H/S 85 is streaming on Shudder Now
