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| Images courtesy of Shudder |
For over a decade now, the V/H/S franchise has been pushing the boundaries of found footage horror, taking it to all new levels while exploring the creativity of many talented filmmakers. Combining a mix of innovative storytelling techniques, gritty visuals, and shocking twists, these anthology films deliver a visceral experience, leaving audiences filled with fear and anticipation. The films have varied in quality over the years, but the latest installment to this franchise, V/H/S/85, is one of the more solid ones in recent years, highlighting perfectly what makes the genre work well.
V/H/S/85 manages to use ever-popular 80s nostalgia to its advantage while never basking in it too heavily. Every piece in the anthology has the look of analog media from that decade, giving a slew of different excuses for being “found footage.” Scanlines, jittery handheld footage, graininess, imperfect audio, and mostly 4:3 aspect ratios make the pretense convincing enough to feel immersive without seeming heavy-handed or hackneyed in approach. While some of the premises seem all-too-familiar – a group of teens on a summer camping getaway, for instance – others are refreshingly unique, like one story unfolding from the surveillance footage of a police interrogation video interspersed with POV camera shots from a serial killer murdering his victims. Nevertheless, every segment is a valuable addition to the anthology, each displaying different strengths.
Gigi Saul Guerrero’s God of Death is one of the strongest pieces in V/H/S/85. Exuding the essence of [Rec] in the best ways possible, the short starts off innocently enough and becomes increasingly sinister. A Mexican news station is in the midst of their broadcast when a devastating earthquake hits, leaving casualties galore. The cameraman survives and decides to continue shooting as a disaster rescue crew swoops in and tries to save survivors from the rubble. Following the crew down flights of stairs as the building continues to crumble around them, the cameraman witnesses even more bloodshed in their journey – and one big surprise before their journey ends. This work is especially effective in its ability to maintain constant tension and has the most immersive quality of the anthology. It’s especially disturbing in the believability of the disaster footage and the claustrophobic feeling it has when the characters are desperately trying to find an escape route.
David Bruckner’s Total Copy, the main wraparound story of V/H/S/85, is also a compelling piece. The short presents itself as a documentary taped off of television, describing the strange case of an entity that is placed on a sofa and fed a smorgasbord of mass media by researchers in order to better understand humanity. Slowly but surely, the entity begins taking on the likenesses of various members of the research team, but that’s not the only trick up its sleeve. Chaos unfolds in the climax in a thrilling medley of sci-fi and horror, with just enough social commentary and humor to make this unconventional piece conclude in a satisfying way.
Another standout is Mike Nelson’s pair No Wake and Ambrosia, which combined are also a wraparound of sorts. Full of unexpected turns with a poignant theme that feels far more relevant today than it would have ever been in 1985, this duo of interconnected shorts explores the impact of gun fanaticism and the faux-righteousness of the wealthy elite, combined with just enough of a supernatural twist to keep the concept fresh. The way No Wake depersonalizes the aggressor, keeping certain plot elements intentionally vague is exceptionally jarring and an attention-grabbing way to set the tone for this anthology. When more details of this situation are unveiled in Ambrosia, it’s cleverly presented and a deeply unsettling way for the story to come full circle.
Filled with a talented cast, ambitious concepts, and unwavering pastiche, V/H/S/85 is the best the franchise has been in years. This film has a knack for showing the familiar in an unfamiliar way and keeping audiences enthralled. Watch it in all its glory on Shudder starting October 6th and bask in all its nostalgic, analog frights – just in time for Halloween.
—Andrea Riley