V/H/S/Beyond Review: An Inconsistent Anthology Horror Movie Trying to Mask as Science Fiction

   October 7, 2024
vhs beyond movie 2024
V/H/S/Beyond (2024), streaming on Shudder

V/H/S/Beyond Movie Review

V/H/S/Beyond is the seventh installment of the cult classic horror anthology franchise V/H/S. After six, you’d think a series would begin to lose steam or run out of ideas, but this one has done the opposite. Since Shudder rebooted the franchise in 2021 with V/H/S/94, the popularity for it has grown more and more. Now, they feel like tentpole releases on the horror streamer’s October slate.

And like all horror series (especially horror anthology series), the quality of each movie has dramatically changed. A few have ushered in new filmmakers to the genre, while others seem small or insignificant in hindsight. In the moment, it’s hard to tell what will stick and what won’t.

This is why I was particularly interested in seeing V/H/S/Beyond, which takes the franchise to intergalactic territories. This entry is much more interested in the science fiction elements that have very briefly made appearances in the past. V/H/S/Beyond is interested in aliens, which may be why I was much more excited for this than nearly any of the previous V/H/S movies.

But I’d say my response to V/H/S/Beyond is rather muted. There are some moments of brilliant terror here, but the individual segments this time around vary from entertaining and fascinating to dull. The names behind the camera are not as starry as in the past, too, with the exception of brothers Christian and Justin Long.

The first segment, Stork directed by Jordan Downey, is a sort of alien/COD zombies hybrid that doesn’t effectively go anywhere beyond the FPS point-of-view framing and insanely bloody gore. It’s an idea that has some merit, but was done in a much crazier way in V/H/S/94 by Timo Tjahjanto.

The second section is Dream Girl (directed by Virat Pal) and follows a duo of paparazzi photographers sneaking onto the set of a movie starring a major movie star. The segment has an equally gonzo conclusion to the first, but the premise doesn’t have enough meat to the bone, doesn’t really match the space theme of the movie, and overstays its welcome even at a mere 20 minutes.

Live and Let Die is the third segment, which follows a group of skydivers colliding into a sky bound UFO. The segment is directed by Justin Martinez and is the first that really perked my interest. The alien reveal is eerie and effective, and conclusion is gnarly as hell. The acting is poor in this one, but if that was the scale we were grading on, none of these segments would pass.

The fourth segment is Fur Babies. This one is directed by Christian Long and Justin Long. The premise is intriguing and worthy of a short film, where a twisted woman kidnaps people and begins turning them into literal pets. This segment has the best (or worst) body horror. It makes for a nifty, freaky short, but I ask again, how does this tie into the supposed alien theme of V/H/S/Beyond?

The fifth and final uninterrupted segment is titled Stowaway – directed by Kate Siegel and written by Mike Flanagan. This section sticks the closest to the theme by literally transporting you into an alien spacecraft in orbit. This section, like a few mentioned already, isn’t all that scary. It follows a woman deeply entrenched in alien conspiracy culture and determined to prove their existence. Her obsession lands her in grave danger. The appearance of aliens here is brief and the scares are few and far between.

The wraparound story Abduction/Adduction is where the movie shines the best, even if it takes the longest to develop. It’s written and directed by Jay Cheel and is shot documentary style, recapping a strange and disturbing story involving an old Canadian house and two VHS tapes. The story concludes in a grab-at-your-chest, absurd piece of visual filmmaking that genuinely had me freaked out. It’s a filmmaking style that I wish was explored more, as the grainy dark footage is where V/H/S/Beyond is the most effective.

There are segments of V/H/S/Beyond that I like quite a bit and ones that I feel like drag. I’d still take one of these every year if they’re willing to make them, but I wish the quality was consistently higher. V/H/S/94 is the last time I think the franchise found a groove balancing eerie horror and ridiculously bloody splatterfests. Here’s to hoping they find that balance again.

Score: 5/10

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Rankings including V/H/S/Beyond (2024)

Cinephile Corner included V/H/S/Beyond in its ranking of the V/H/S movies. We also ranked the segments of V/H/S/Beyond.

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