Review by Kevin ·
Synopsis
A group of criminals is hired to break into an abandoned house and steal a specific VHS tape. What they find is the corpse of an old man surrounded by TVs and piles of VHS tapes. As they play the tapes looking for the right one, each reveals a different horror story — from a night out that goes terribly wrong with a mysterious girl to a camping trip that ends in a nightmare.
Analysis
V/H/S took the anthology format — which was pretty much dead — and fused it brilliantly with found footage. Each segment has a different director and a different style, giving it variety while keeping the degraded VHS aesthetic consistent. David Bruckner's 'Amateur Night' is the standout segment: Lily's transformation is unexpected and brutal. 'Tuesday the 17th' plays with VHS glitches in a creative way. The wraparound story is unsettling on its own. Not every segment lands equally well, but the ones that do are devastating.
Performances
Being an anthology with multiple directors, the performances vary. Hannah Fierman as Lily in 'Amateur Night' is magnetic and terrifying — her transition from shy girl to creature is perfect. Joe Swanberg and Sophia Takal in 'The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger' capture the awkward intimacy of a video chat. The overall cast works because everyone feels like a real person trapped in impossible situations.
Final Verdict
4 skulls. Like any anthology, it has its ups and downs, but its best moments — 'Amateur Night' and '10/31/98' — are among the best modern found footage has to offer. The VHS aesthetic gives it a grimy, retro charm that boosts the horror. Ideal for watching with a group at 2 AM.
Final score
4/5 skulls
