Fourth installment of the found footage horror anthologies that are presented in VHS quality for the most part, “V/H/S/94” story takes place in 1994, with the filmmakers utilizing older video equipment, physical tape transfers and digital effects to make each segment look like amateur video from the 1990s. Furthermore, it is the first time that the franchise implements a unified narrative approach, with each part of the anthology being a part of the whole, even if the connections are rather thin.
“V/H/S 9a” is streaming on Shudder, from October 8
The story begins with a SWAT team unit raiding a supposed drug lab in a remote warehouse, after discovering a mysterious videotape. The sense that something is wrong, however, is immediate, and as the group finds more and more bodies and a number of pre-recorded material playing on the numerous TVs inside the building, they realise that they are dealing with a sinister cult and a hellish conspiracy.
In terms of found-footage films, finding ones that are better than the “V/H/S”-franchise is a rather difficult task, with the retro aesthetics, purposeful bad image quality, and the grindhouse essence working extremely well for the series, and even more so for the particular entry, that truly thrives on the way the filmmakers presented it as a series of VHS movies. The connection among the segments as a single narrative does not work that well, also because the main story arc with the SWAT team, titled “Holy Hell”, is the weakest among the 5 that comprise the anthology, but individually, the title truly thrives.
“Storm Drain” by Chloe Okuno follows Holly, a reporter that has fallen out of favour with her channel due to her drinking problems, and her cameraman, with the two of them being tasked with presenting a reportage about a creature that looks like something between a human and a rat that many people have seen around the area, with the news eventually naming it Ratman. The reporter's curiosity and a will to come up with a great story lead them further into the sewers, where they stumble upon something they never expected.
Okuno presents a segment that thrives on its sence of claustrophobia, with the horrific events that are bound to happen being exceptionally presented, as the whole case with the creature is eventually revealed as something rather unexpected. Furthermore, the mostly POV shots also work very well in these lines, adding both to the horror and the found-footage aspect. At the same time, the comment about how TV news works is well communicated, with the finale highlighting the critique rather eloquently.
“The Empty Wake” by SImon Barrett focuses on a young woman left to watch over a casket with a dead body, during a scheduled wake at a funeral home. Apart from a strange man, however, no one seems to attend, while after a point, strange noises start coming from the casket.
The best aspect of the segment is the way Barrett gradually builds up the element of horror, which surprisingly, as the part looked rather tame up to a point, becomes full blown gore fest after a fashion, in the most entertaining way. This approach benefits the most by the creature, which seems to get at least as much as it gives.
“The Subject” by Timo Tjahjanto is the most impressive part. It follows a mad scientist who has been kidnapping people from the streets, in order to experiment on them to create a functioning biomechanical creature, an effort that has led him to a number of failures. Eventually, the army tracks down his lab, and are faced with the appalling creatures he has created. One of them, however, a woman, is set on escaping, while the doctor has left one last surprise to the people who have come after him. Expectedly, all hell breaks loose.
Tjahjanto directs a part that unfolds as a combination of “Dr Frankenstein”, survivor horror video games (as in “Resident Evil”) and some elements that remind of “The Raid”. The mixture works exceptionally well, with the action, the grotesqueness and the graphic violence resulting in a truly entertaining spectacle. At the same time, the Indonesian also manages to make some comments about human nature and the way authorities work in the country.
Lastly, “Terror” by Ryan Prows, focuses on a guerilla militia group, who are developing a secret weapon to bomb a federal building. As their experiments succeed, their leader proposes a night of drinking, but soon, the supernatural enters the lives of the members, with the worst consequences for all involved.
More dialogue-based and with a somewhat slapstick sense of humor, “Terror” provides a relief from the bloodbath of the previous segment, while also making comments about gun control and the ways ultra-right groups work.
Overall, the placement of the four segments within the anthology is ideal, with each one functioning both as a relief from the aesthetics of each other and in intensifying the agony about how the different footage are connected. In that regard, the overall editing of the anthology is ideal, even overcoming the issues with the connection with the central story.
“V/H/S/94” is a very entertaining film, that will satisfy all fans of found-footage and horror in general, while the VHS aesthetics will find appeal even among those who do enjoy these genres particularly.
