If you look at the list of directors and writers who have contributed to the V H S series, it is impressive how many would go on to huge success such as Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Benson and Moorhead and Chloe Okuno, to name a few. By this point though, it has started to include more established names as contributors, such as Kate Siegel who makes her directorial debut but is well known for her collaborations with husband Mike Flanagan (and indeed wrote the script for her segment). While clearly still a place for filmmakers to experiment, the V H S series has become so established that it risks losing its grassroots appeal.
Nonetheless, there is room for independent filmmakers to showcase their range with this entry focusing on science-fiction take on found footage. The clearest contrast of how this brief was interpreted is with the first two entries from Jay Cheel and Jordan Downey, respectfully. Cheel provides the wraparound storyline for the film, framed as documentary on uncovered tapes of an apparent alien abduction. Cheel is best known for the Shudder series Cursed Films (which I think it’s fair to say would have helped him get a gig now the V H S series is now co-produced by Shudder), so he is clearly in comfortable territory, but it is an effective framing device that primarily provides a cultural history of alien abduction via talking heads, including an unexpected contribution from Corridor Digital.
The first segment to intrude on this documentary is Downey’s ‘Stork’ and is an effective opener with gory action galore. Downey is best known for the Thankskilling series about a killer talking turkey, but this is less comic but just as shlocky as it follows a group of vigilantes tracking a child kidnapper to a house and causing mayhem once inside. While it uses body cam footage for its POV, the short constantly breaks from its found footage form including a score and occasional shots that are too artfully constructed. That aside, it’s easy to enjoy the frenetic action, even if it feels a little first person shooter-like. With good effects work and corny dialogue throughout, it is a clear homage to pulpy sci-fi action horror that will no doubt please fans of that genre.
Siegel’s direction does a great job of making this exploration into the unknown unnerving and creepy, crafting a story that is both ambiguous and straightforward.
When contextualised within the film as a whole, however, it sums up how most of the segments riff on familiar cinematic takes on aliens rather than bringing something new. Dream Girl (from Virat Pal) and Live and Let Dive (from Justin Martinez, who had contributed to the first V H S as part of Radio Silence) both begin with high concept premises that end up just being about people being chased by killer aliens. There are sparks of innovation – Dream Girl’s Bollywood pastiche and Live and Let Dive bringing new meaning to high concept with a birthday sky dive set-up – that hint at better shorts than what we get, though Live and Let Dive has a great jump scare that made me shout out loud.
Fur Babies from Christian Long and Justin Long separates itself entirely by not seeming to have any extra-terrestrial presence at all. Instead, it goes for comedic body horror as an activist group investigate Doggy Dream House, advertised as a dog babysitting service but has a sinister secret. The owner, Becky Baxter, has an eerie resemblance to Annie Wilkes, in looks and behaviour, and is the most memorable character across all the entries. Her cheery disposition contrasted with her nasty intentions is well conveyed by Libby Letlow, who is clearly relishing the role. It’s gross, silly fun with a particularly good final punch line, but like the previous segments, it is a competent reiteration of horror tropes that doesn’t go as far as it could do.
The final segment, ‘Stowaway’, thus becomes the standout entry purely by being so stylistically different and actually exploring what makes aliens so incomprehensible to humans. It focuses on a wannabe documentary filmmaker who is looking into an apparent sighting of UFOs, with her footage increasingly interrupted by clips of her daughter’s birthday party as she gets further from her Earthly concerns. Siegel’s direction does a great job of making this exploration into the unknown unnerving and creepy, crafting a story that is both ambiguous and straightforward.
As a whole, V H S Beyond is easily one of the most consistent entries in terms of quality but as such it doesn’t contain any standout shorts as with previous entries. It’s a cliché to assume a film franchise has jumped the shark when they go to space, but having done a trilogy of period set entries, this feels like a necessary gear change to demonstrate that there’s still more concepts and genres for the V H S series to interrogate. Even when it’s competent rather than memorable, it is a series that is still worth getting excited for and demonstrates the true value of horror shorts – long may it continue!
V H S Beyond is out now and available to Stream on Shudder
Mike’s Archive – V H S Beyond (2024)
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